Assistant Environmental Officer

I have since taken advantage of my autonomy and began developing a project with Mrs. Mballe, the Town Assembly Planning and Development Director and Environmental Health Officer. I am happy to say that the greatest part of this journey has been my professional experience. Although I have yet to write about it, never in my life have I had the political opportunities that I am receiving here.

Last week my project grew wings ! On Monday I spent the morning briefing Mrs. Mballe on my policy analysis on waste management in Mangochi. After being interrupted by a man selling chickens (which, after having purchased one, she bound and placed under her desk) she fully approved my recommendations and gave me the steps to implementing the policy alternative. I would be acting as Assistant Environmental Officer.

So the following day I met the Market Master and his Committee where, after an exceedingly long deliberation process, we agreed on a few necessary changes to Central Market in order to improve sanitation and reduce the excess quantity of waste.

Next, I had a meeting with the Chief Executive (the Mayor appointed by the President) where, after chatting about the new tripartite elections that will be held in 2014 and the political feasibility of my proposal, I was given permission to engage the private sector for waste collection. So following day I held a meeting between a private contractor that I found with a 20 tonne truck and the Waste Collection Supervisor. Together we negotiated Mangochi’s first ever weekly collection schedule.

The project began last Wednesday. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever done in my life. I spent the day shovelling out a collection bin and slaughter house that had not been emptied in 2 years. We worked hard and I treated the boys to lunch. Later that afternoon we hired on 2 additional workers. One of them drank while working and got so drunk he couldn’t shovel.

On Thursday I arrived to find two supervisors and three salaried workers sitting uninformed under a tree. The garbage had not been removed. When I asked what happened the workers said they did not feel good because they over worked the day before. They wanted to know if I would be providing lunch again. Considering that there were only 2 workers yesterday, it was odd that 3 were telling me they had overworked. Regardless, I said that I would provide lunch one last time and only if they would work hard that afternoon. I also brought my cooler full of ice cold water, bananas and soap. Regardless, the project was incomplete by the end of the day and we had to re-hire the truck to return on Friday.

That Friday only 1 salaried worker had showed up for work so we hired on 3 temporary workers. At 10h30 one of them told me he had to leave for the mosque. I said that was perfectly fine, when would he be back ? He said between 2h30 and 3pm. I found a replacement who asked to receive his salary in advance in order to eat however he never showed back up for work. That afternoon, we were 3 men down but it didn’t matter - the truck never came until almost 4pm and when it arrived it was full of straw and sand. In the end I cancelled garbage collection for that day and sent everyone home early with pay. As I was finishing payroll around 4h30 the man from the mosque returned and requested to be paid in full too.

Machiavelli once offered the advice to give benefits few at a time. I am also thinking it is better to be feared than loved.