Setting up the initial meeting ‘African Style’

After reaching out to countless organizations via the internet, each attempt brought not one successful connection; it was time to try another method.

A few days passed, and ‘Eureka! I heard from the first organization. Undugu. What a relief. I was excited, as I wasn’t sure how I would connect with these organizations, when the only other information on their ‘Contact Us’ section was a PO Box. It turns out, some of the organizations have since added phone numbers.

The first connection was what felt like a miracle, but nothing in Africa ever turns out to be this easy. We came across our next obstacle. Although, the company had said to have an office in Tanzania; headquarters was now in Nairobi, Kenya. After many weeks of trying to just get a response back from an organization, disappointment set in. I wasn’t quite sure when I would be crossing the border into Kenya, but knew my next adventure would soon begin.

A month later, I made my way via plane and bus to Nairobi, Kenya. The biggest Africa city, I had been in. Prior to my arrival, I reached out to Undugu, to let them know of my arrival. They were excited to meet me. I received the Head man’s mobile number, and was asked to be in touch upon arrival.

Just a little background – Internet, Power, and Mobile Phones:
Internet connection is not only unpredictable, but can also be completely unreliable. You not only rely on the satellite connection to be functional, but also you need to have electricity to use your computer. The frequency, in which the power goes out in Africa, can easily be a few times per week. Alternatively, generators have allowed most businesses to run normally, with only glitches on occasion. Also, not only are frequent power outages a problem, but theft and other outside circumstances has moved most of Africa into a mobile phone society. You don’t need more than a local tower and top up cards to allow most individuals access to a mobile. It’s not only the way you can connect with each other, but (as I found out) also the way to set up work meetings, and send money to family, amongst other things.

Needless to say, I set up my first ‘text’ meeting with the Head Man at Udugu. To them it was normal; to me it seemed very unprofessional. How would I get all the information I need, into 1 - 160 letter text. 30 minutes later, I had composed my first text message meeting request. I received an instant response. I soon realized that this was the best way to do business in Africa. Text Message – Meeting Requests.