Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
Today was very much a mixed bag on pretty much every level.
Starting with the weather, which featured a mix of sun and clouds and bouts of strong winds. When the sun is out it looks deceivingly warm, but it is actually quite chilly. Likewise, work was deceiving. Most of what I had planed for the day did not come to pass as the urgent displaced the necessary. I am hoping for a better day tomorrow.
At least as far as work was concerned, I had a few ideas and have begun to make plans - possibly prematurely so. I have been fundraising for a large Africa focused program to improve food security. So far it looks like we will get the donor to sign an agreement. It is a bit of a catch twenty-two situation. Until we sign nothing is certain. Once we sign we need to hit the ground running. I am trying very hard not to jinx it, but do feel we need to start preparing for the moment we sign and receive the funds as then we have a six months window to deliver services for roughly one million Euros, which translates into a major work program. So, today I cautiously began to make plans. Reaching out to people to build a project pipeline, developing an action plan and a cash-flow for the first six months and identifying talent I would like to have on the program. If the donor does not sign this will of course all be in vain and my work future will be questionable. I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no glitches.
This program may translate into a new role for me which would come with a relocation. If the program does not happen, it means a repatriation to Germany for which I am also planning; a contingency plan so to say. Lots of plans, no resolution for weeks to come. I do not do well with ambiguity, so this is all rather difficult for me and the fact that we have an obnoxious tenant in the apartment I would like to move into in Hamburg does not help. I live in uncertain times. And if there is one lesson I have learned in life, no matter what you plan for, it always comes out different.
EM also is not happy as today she received a rejection from the University College of Uitrecht. Not only is a rejection hard to take, but she feels like she has no choices beyond I.E. Madrid who have accpeted her on the condition that her grades come in as predicted. This is no mean feat as I.E. Madrid is one of the top business universities in the world, but I do understand that she would have liked the pleasure of saying “no”. Having said that she did reject Penn State, Oregon State, Michigan State and Jacobs University inBremen. Now we are waiting only on Trinity College in Dublin to respond. I very much hope they will accept her, just so she can say “no”.
If she maintains her grades and gets into I.E. Madrid more plans will have to be made. Housing plans, what to pack plans and how to get there plans. I rather like the idea of driving her and her belongings from Hamburg to Segovia and settle her into Uni. This could turn into a fun road trip.
The USA has added another 65k new cases to bring its tally to 32.66 million. And while the vaccine rollout is progressing in the USA, the UK and the EU less developed countries are not getting the supplies they need.
The Namibian President recently called this out in a meeting with the WHO speaking of vaccine apartheid. All countries making significant progress in vaccine roll out happen to have plants in their territories producing the shots. And all have export controls.
Maybe it is time for some knowledge transfer and build manufacturing capacity on the African continent to supply the continent. Unless all are safe, none are safe.