FFS #1

So I am in Juba, capital of South Sudan for the week.  Mixing it with the big boys; UNHCR, WHO, British Embassy, Ministry of Health, National Health Cluster (this last one means a lot in NGO-speak).  On the hunt for funds, as always.  Though not exclusively; collaboration, information sharing and building support networks is also important, and on the agenda.  Plus a little of my old life as a drug dealer.  Yes buying medicines for our clinic.

Although it is only 100km from here to our clinic, the roads are not good (passable / safe – delete as appropriate) so we fly up and back – and also send the medicines by air.  Our Clinic ‘in-Charge’ has negotiated a good rate, about $1 USD per kilo, plus another $30 USD to ‘get the permits’.  Anyway I get a call from the agent at the airport “the boxes are too big to fit in the plane, you must come and re-pack”.  Funnily enough I was at the pharmacy at the time, so blagged some more boxes and a roll of tape.

At the airport the agent’s ‘boy’ and I are re-packing when the agent suddenly declares, “You know I want to help you, this is medicines for the community after all, but I have to charge you $1.50 USD”.  50c is not a lot, but it is a 50% price hike, and we have 170 Kgs, inside 15 boxes…  At this point he has me (us) by the short and curlies; the goods are here, the flight is in the morning, and they are the only route in.  So I had to bring out ‘funny but firm’ Phil and deploy the expat-buffoon-who-doesn’t-understand persona.  It took a while, but he settled for just an extra $10 USD.  Off the books, of course!