Yesterday I was a bit off...i don't know if the hormones in me is working or i just ran out of patience. After almost two months of waiting for my e-bay purchased backpack, i was so excited to hop-in our office car that was also going to town so i can go to Zambia Post Office to collect my parcel...before i got off the car, i told the driver i won't take long and the other passenger who was also my colleague told me that she was not also going to take long...so we agreed i will wait outside the post office after i finish my business at the post office.
I met a Mzunugu friend working with a Germany (or German?) organization who has been requesting me to help their organization on M&E...flattering, my humble post in Caritas Chipata is gaining recognition even from other international organization...i pray that this will bear fruit when i finish this stint of mine on "sharing skills, changing lives". Anyways, i greeted my friend and afterwards proceeded to the parcel collection window.
It took sometime for the guy at the post office to find my parcel, approximately 15 minutes, which normally would be a maximum of 5 minutes if their store room is in order or if they did not misplace my parcel,to find it. After handing-over it to me, he was asking for ZmK5,000 (approx. PhP50.00) as handling fee. I asked why it was this much when the last time i collected a parcel of 12 x 12 box (courtesy of my sister in the US!), the post office staff only asked for ZmK500. He tried to explain while i was also trying to understand the rationale behind, is it the size of the parcel, the contents, etc....The post office clerk was not happy with my question and told me instead "you cannot understand because you don't work at the post office"! precisely the point why I was asking, because i don't understand his explanation. To avoid argument, i paid and told him to give me receipt. He denied issuance of receipt because he said they have their own way of record-keeping...is this a reasonable explanation?! not really but i left anyway to avoid scandal because i am the only Filipino in this province; hence, everyone in this small town might hear of the story...
I opened my parcel smiling because finally, i have a backpack that i could alternately use with the other one i have. I rang the driver telling him i was done. He replied that they were still busy. I tried to explain my state, and to pick me, drop me at the office and come back for my colleague who was still taking quotation until i finished my talk time (load sa pinas). I bought again talk time to call him and tried to give the same instructions but he was so stubborn that he doesn't want to do it. So, i called the other driver who was at the office asking if there is any other available transport. He said none and why would i be stranded when the driver is in town. I also narrated to him the instructions i have given to the other driver with an end line, "it's ok, i will just get a cab and discuss this with our Director". With this, he said i wait for a minute because he was going to talk to the Logistics Manager at the office who probably rang the stubborn driver because he in turn called to tell me that he was coming to pick me.
The discussion with my director that i planned to do was not a threat but apparently, they were alarmed when i told the other driver that it will complicate matters if this case would reach the attention of the Director. I didn't have prior intention to threaten them but i feel bad that this seemed to be the reaction. All i wanted to do was to give the driver an alternative means since i didn't want to waste my time waiting for them to finish their errand when i already finished mine. Besides, i wanted to go back to the office because i've got lots of things to do. Moreover, the driver was just sitting in the car waiting for my colleague who was collecting quotation.
What i can not understand with Zambians is how they were trained to work. There is no initiative, as if you have to turn the key and that's when they move. It's like a turn-key leadership that they are used to.They work based on instructions not their own initiative. When there is no urgent work, they relax, chat, move from one room to the other, etc. instead of looking for something to keep them busy at the office.
Sometimes, i think and ask myself, is sharing skills practical to these people???? are they really willing to change...sometimes, it's really frustrating...i don't know if this is cultural or behavioral or attitude problem....maybe those of you reading this have got answers to my question...
