International Wait

Don't get me wrong, I love getting the chance to work in places such as Ghana, Russia or Tanzania, but it does come with a few downsides too. The part of the job that really clashes with my fairly gung-ho nature is the endless waiting and excruciating slowness of everything. My idea of a useful visit is to go in, do my thing as efficiently as possible, maybe relax a bit and come out. The reality is more go in, wait a while, do a little bit, wait some more, do another bit, wait again and finally agree to "follow up soon". Especially where procedures and bureaucracy are involved it is just the nature of the game called International Aid (IA). Since I work in academia still rather than directly for an NGO, I know I have even only experienced the tip of the iceberg. Many NGOs are renowned for their syrupy procedures and tortoise-like velocity.

You may think that waiting is not such a bad thing if you get to spend time in exotic places but unfortunately that is not quite how it works. Since you never know when things suddenly will kick into action you have to remain on standby, pretty much confining you to the hotel. Perhaps that is why IA workers tend to be found in the most expensive hotels in town. Giles Bolton in his book Poor Story refers to this group somewhat cynically as the "345ers", for their:

• 3 course meals
• 4 wheel drives
• 5 star hotels

It's not entirely fair of course as it suggests that IA people are pampered out-of-touch little princes and princesses but neither is it wholly untrue. As those of you who know me will be aware, the 3 course meal is hardly my thing anyway and though my current hotel has a pool, it does not exactly qualify as 5 star. I did, however, yesterday have dinner in what is easily the fanciest hotel in town and, for sure, there they were: the IA conference delegates rubbing shoulders with attendees of the ministerial meeting next door. The 4-wheel drives on the other hand are spot on even for me. So far, in almost all places I have been, I find myself being picked up by these high-wheeled monsters with all sorts of important looking logos encrusted on their doors.

So here I am again: waiting in my hotel room for the 4-wheel drive to come and pick me up to do my bit for today. Bit by tiny little bit we are moving forwards but by now it is already clear that I will have to come back here pretty soon to do that infamous follow-up. By the looks of things, I may not get to spend much time in that longed for Amsterdam apartment of mine after all!