Lesson one was delivered when my sister picked me up at Harare international airport and she  paid for parking with a $200, 000, 000 bill! Yikes. In case you’re wondering that’s the equivalent of about US$0.5.  Keep in mind that the exchange rate changes daily.

Today my Mom and I went to buy some fruit at a fruit & veg store in Bulawayo. 4 mangoes cost ZW$2 billion and half a watermelon cost ZW$ 3 billion.  We didn’t have that much Zim currency in cash so we used  South African rand.  We paid 33 rand, which at current exchange rates is roughly US$3.  See what I mean about mind-bending?

In reality, anyone other than the poorest of Zimbabweans barely use local currency. The majority of purchases and business being done in US dollars and rands.  It is bizarre to see the prices in a supermarket written in US$. More bizarre is the issue of change. Only US bills are used – no coins – so at the supermarket you are given credit notes instead of change. My sister has a small collection of credit notes for small amounts less than a dollar. “Some day” , she jokes, “I’ll have a dollar”. Even small bills are hard to come by.

The economic situation also shows itself in the state of the city. It has a shabby, unkempt air which is heartbreaking, particularly if you remember what a pristine and beautiful city it used to be in days gone by. From faded or missing traffic signs to neglected streets full of potholes and overgrown sidewalks – its everywhere.

Many of the street lights don’t work, so driving in downtown Harare requires a fearless spirit as you come into major intersections – hold your breath and pray that you make it through. The other day I had a hankering for a meat pie from Hamburger Hut. They make THE best pies and samoosa’s. Since my sister is so sweet, she humored me and off we went. On the way we got stuck in the dead center of a busy intersection where traffic from all 4 directions wrapped itself into a circular snarl that we were unable to get out of for 10 minutes. It was the strangest experience, but no one seemed as perturbed as I was. Clearly Harare drivers are used to it. In front of us were 3 cars with learner drivers at the wheel. Can you imagine learning to drive in such conditions. After that experience driving I will never again complain about driving in even the worst New York City traffic. The good news is that the steak pie I had was just as good as I remembered it and well worth the traffic mayhem.

Other systems that I take for granted have also fallen apart. In the suburb my sister and her family live in the majority of the time there is no water available. The municipality is unable to provide city water. At my sisters house they are blessed enough to have borehole (well) water. Many of their neighbors are not so lucky. Everyday at 10:30am my sister and her husband invite their neighbors to come and help themselves to water. They fill up containers of all varieties so they have water for their daily household needs. The sight of women carrying water on their heads is something I always associated with rural life in Zimbabwe. It is very strange to see it a suburb in the city.

The suburbs are also different in that the majority of street signs are missing. I think people use them to craft products to use or sell. In an act typical of Zimbabwean ingenuity, the street names are now painted on the walls which surround many of the properties.

If you think it sounds overwhelming you’re right. It is. It is also perplexing, demoralizing, frightening and incomprehensible. I find myself experiencing all these states. I am saddened and depressed by the situation, but here is something that I must tell you. The Zimbabwean people are truly amazing! As a friend said to me the other day, “We are walking miracles!” You have no idea how true that is.

In spite of all of the strife and daily challenges – life is going on. People are working, growing their businesses, taking care of their families and helping their neighbors. There is a resilience of spirit and a love of our nation here that makes me proud to be Zimbabwean. In fact I feel really hopeful that the people of Zimbabwe have it in them to make our country great again. It will take a LONG time and it will be hard, but if people can make the most of the current situation with the ingenuity and resilience that I’ve seen, they can overcome any challenges to come.

I’ve been reading Seth Godin‘s book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
which is all about the power of individuals to lead change by connecting with tribes -people who are passionate about the same thing or focused on the same goal . It is powerful book with some really important ideas for these times. My reading of it is very timely given the work that I’ll be doing in the new year as I begin my consulting practice and other ventures. More about the book and ventures in another post. One quote in the book really struck me:

“…when the world changes, the rules change. And if you insist on playing today’s games by yesterdays rules, you’re stuck.”

It’s clear to me that many Zimbabwean businesses and individuals are learning how to play the game by the daily changing rules that are currently the reality of life here. From the street names painted on walls to solar traffic lights that are now in a few locations in the city, to the use of solar-powered hot water geysers for homes, people are finding new solutions for the problems created by the economic situation. It seems that innovation and plain old finding a way is something we know how to do. A turnaround of this nation will depend, not just on political changes, but on the individuals and businesses in the diaspora putting their hearts and souls into creating a new Zimbabwe by changing the way the game is played. I for one am excited by the possiblity of playing some tiny part in this. Till next time…

I’ve been in Johannesburg for a week now. Its been so wonderful seeing my brother, sister-in-law and the itsy-bitsy nephews, who are too sweet for words. My 4 year old nephew is a chatty wonder. The last time I saw him he wasn’t speaking, so I’m still a little stunned by the fact that he and I now have the most wonderful conversations. He and his 5 year old cousin are full of profundities. I am very popular with them due to my high novelty factor. The other day my sister-in-law and I ran out for a while without the two of them noticing. When we returned we were told that “It’s not nice to leave children. Mommys can go, but Aunties have to stay with children”. Needless to say I felt very chastened.

The little bitty baby is the sweetest little thing. When he first saw me he just stared and stared at me. He has a habit of wringing his little hands together when he is feeling shy or when he’s thinking and as he stared he wrung and wrung his hands. Heartbreakingly sweet. He is very affectionate and will often just walk up to you and lay his little head against you.

I haven’t made to Zimbabwe yet. As it turns out there are a lot of people traveling there right now and I haven’t been able to get on a flight. I guess its not surprising given how many Zimbabweans live in South Africa. I confess to feeling overwhelmed by going home. When I couldn’t get on a flight I thought about taking a bus – but I’ve been warned that crossing the border into Zimbabwe is a nightmarish experience. Particularly now when lots of people are traveling home for the holidays and bringing food and other supplies to their families. I’m told that it is possible to spend an entire day waiting in line to go through immigration.

It seems that food and other household supplies are practically impossible to find in Zim. If they can be found they need to be paid for in foreign currency. Most people buy their groceries in South Africa and Botswana. Imagine having to go to another country to buy your groceries every month? Services which deliver groceries to Zim are big business. Big brother and I went shopping yesterday. We went to Makro – a store similar to Costco or Sams Club – and we bought groceries to send to our parents. We got everything from peanut butter to toilet paper to toothpaste. Someone picked it up and it will be delivered to them in a few days.

Nothing is simple there. I feel a little ashamed being overwhelmed like this when it is a reality of life for so many people. I’ve been here a week, haven’t even gone to Zimbabwe and I feel stressed? I feel like I have “survivors guilt”. It almost feels wrong to enjoy myself. It’s so surreal because here in South Africa, just across the border, it’s a different world – where there are supermarkets filled with products that can be bought with local currency and where there are petrol (gas) stations that pump gas. Everything here is so “normal”.

I’m working on not letting it all get to me. My parents, my sister and her family deal with these realities every day. Not to mention the millions of other Zimbabweans who aren’t able to go grocery shopping in South Africa. The people who are barely surviving. The people who don’t have access to clean water. Anything I would get upset about seems obscenely insignificant. I feel like I really don’t have a right to stress. I am reminded of the words of a wise friend who often says, “Its not always about you”. I need to keep it together because I really have no business falling apart. It is just the worst feeling in the world to be faced with a situation which is so awful, and so beyond your control. Every spiritual principal that I can think of seems flimsy compared with the harsh and tangible realities facing Zimbabwe right now.

Anyway, I will stop here. I need to pack my bags in preparation for my departure tomorrow. I will post again from Zimbabwe – electricity and internet connections allowing. Till then!