The Best of Times - The Worst of Times

It is now Monday, March 8th. As in Eastern Europe, International Women’s Day is celebrated with office closings. Lufthansa in Luanda……..closed. Still no luggage or information as to where it is. I am less concerned with my things and more concerned with the telephone and computer printer cartridges I was transporting for the Huambo CNFA office. Of course, I had packed gifts for the two Cooperatives and the CNFA staff.

My second Cooperative was 1 hour outside of Huambo. Coopechuna was created and has been mentored by a Portuguese NGO. Very interesting differences from Chipipa. Coopechuna has a plant nursery and sells citrus cuttings all over Angola. It has also provided bee hives to its members and makes honey twice a year. I stayed in a nearby town – Acaala – in a guest house. Electricity sometimes and no running water. The mattress was good though!

Back to Huambo on Saturday and am now preparing to leave for Luanda tomorrow (if the plane flies). Otherwise, I made contact with an Angola computer specialist (graduated from University of Houston) and he is driving. Not the best of circumstances, but I must get to Luanda tomorrow. My flight to Lisbon is Wednesday am.

The CNFA staff in Huambo have been great…….but this has been a tremendously difficult trip. I will be very thankful to see San Diego.