We're getting official! Lindsay's Africa Project, is now registered in Malindi, as a community based organisation (CBO). Which is brilliant, because it now means we can do a lot of stuff, get recognition from the government and proceed with helping the community.
We've been working hard on the centre, which is based in a large room within a complex of other projects. Some of these projects are also charities, but there's also an artists studio and a reggae recording studio beside us. So there's lots going on and lots of young people around which gives the place a fresh and energetic feel.
We've got a carpenter in making furniture, and I'm currently doing all the cabling for power, lights, fans and pc network. Good fun, and its changing the guys' perception of a musongo (white man) and his abilities.
Hopefully in a week or so we'll be up and running "Inshalla" (God willing), but this all depends on the magic happenings that can occur to any African project.
I'd like to tell you the story of the adventure I had of Malindi getting the certificate above.
Having gone to the social services office already to find out what I needed and to get a form, I was ready for all the hurdels they planned to throw at me to do this "small" task. Having copied the form myself and returned the original back to the office, I went off preparing myself.
First of all we wrote a constitution, writing out all objectives and roles of people in the charity. Naming a chairperson (Me), secretary (Jim) and treasurer (Eric) and any members. Then one must create minutes of the meeting where these actors were elected, having signatures and photocopies of IDs. Then all you've got to do is fill out the 6 page application form declaring all this information all over again.
So I headed into the social services office with all my papers, in triplicate of course, under my arm ready for the simple task of getting a little bit of paper.
So the officer, half asleep at his desk had a good rummage throught the papers. Messing them up as much as possible, asking lots of stupid questions, which were all answered in the documents in front of him. He then happily told me that I hadn't gotten the authorising signature of the chief yet and so must go get that. I didn't even know there was a chief! There's also a mayor, a district commisioner, a district officer and who knows what else, oh yea, the president.
So I took a nice walk across town to try and find his office, which I discovered right beside a bar, one of Eric's bar, handy! So I was brought in, I'm pretty sure skipping about 15 people waiting and sat and had a lovely chat with this man. He was easy enough to convince, and was interested in where the funding was coming from, so I was proud to say it was from the kind people of Ireland, yourselves. He also noted the fact that Eric was the treasurer, who he obviously knew, and this produced the rubber stamp efficently. Eric is a successful business man in the town, and very well known as he is also very charitable and respected. He's the guy I did the christmas food run with and he's the main guy with the computer charity on this side. A great guy! So having him on board, helps in MANY ways!
So then back across town, to officer #1. He was then happy on his side, and sent me around to the next building to pay my registration fee and when I came back with the receipt, down the corrider to get his stamp of authorisation.
So now I'm in full flight, one more stop and I could be finished. So up the road of the social services other office, yes behind the bus there, down past the guy selling the pinapples. Wandering through a few dark and crumbling rooms I find a few people in a corridor (which was their office) this was another Clerk, who again wanted all the documents, and full explanation of what we'll be doing. He then kindly handed the papers to his neighbour, he had a good route through them, and waited for the clerk's nod of approval. And after a quick hint of a computer for his children and a request for 3 times the normal fee for their registration, I walked the 6 meters to the secretary's desk for her to type up the wonderful certificate you see above. She then kindly misplaced some of these, now official documents, during her "speed" typing. So these guys kept a copy, handed 2 back to me, and my new certificate, and it was home free, an offical member of the community!
All in all about 3 hours work, and a nice tour of the town. I still have to bring one copy of the forms back to the first officers office one of these day, was in no mood at the time.
Man! We really take online registration for granted! But one must be strong, (and white skinned) and you can get through easy!
Tomorrow! A bank account! AhhhhhhhHHHHHH!!
Lindsay
