Yesterday I went to the main Uganda Post Office to mail some drums to the US. I'm mailing them to the Woods rather than Chicago since that's where I'll be when they're expected to arrive.
At home, although I really like our local mail carrier, I do not like the post office in Chicago. At best you get indifference, at worst gross rudeness. The latter is more common than the former.
I was not anticipating a good experience at the Uganda Post Office. Was I ever wrong. At first we (Paul, my driver, and I) went to the wrong place. The main post office is a large complex with many entrances, each providing a different service. However, the clerk at the Information Desk, quickly and efficiently pointed me to the right place. ("Stand right here, look straight ahead. Do you see the letters EMS? Go through that door and turn right. That's it.")
The parking lot by the EMS office, where you mail packages and stuff, is small, but the guards were friendly and helpful. They were directing traffic to make the most of the space. Paul got us in and we unloaded the crates with the drums.
The evening before, the carpenters on campus had built three sturdy crates to hold the drums. It was all scrap lumber, but they're solid. I'm sure they'll protect the drums.
On inside, a couple of guys decided that the crates needed to be tied up with string, which they did with string they provided. Walter, the supervisor, provided forms and a pen. I filled out the forms, he checked them, let me know what was missing and walked me through the whole process. He weighed the crates, let me behind the counter to actually see the weight, and put me in line to wait for the clerk to take my payment. Walter even gave me his card with his email so he could follow up the tracking to make sure the drums get home.
The entertaining caveat was standing behind a university student, also mailing drums to her mother who is a social worker in Norway. She is finishing up a year as an exchange student at Makerere University. Ordinarily she attends University of Bergen at home.
All in all, it was a good experience at less than half the price of FedEx, even less than the cost of carrying them with us on the plane.
Hurray for Posta Uganda!
My year in Uganda as a Fulbright lecturer at Uganda Martyrs University.
About Me
- Sister Judy
- Chicago, IL, United States
- I am a Sister of Providence and have been for 44 years. I currently live on the south side of Chicago. I teach sociology and social work at Chicago State University. I started the "Sister Judy in Uganda" blog when I was a Fulbrighter at Uganda Martyrs University. That was over a decade ago, but I still have fond memories of that year.
3 comments:
I looked into sending used clothing (actually sending anything) from the US to Uganda. A box about 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 feet at 30 lbs would cost over $730! Not realistic, as sending the money itself would go much farther in the Ugandan market. The teachers as the school in Kamuli that we support had begged us to send clothing.
You're right, transporting stuff is an incredible expense and cash will go much further. The cost of used clothing is quite reasonable. Even new clothing that is made in East Africa is very reasonable. Find a safe and secure way to send the cash to someone you can trust.
Unfortunately, there is corruption. Given the great poverty, sometimes the temptation of cash and goods is more than some people can handle, hence the warning to use trustworthy sources. Just to be balanced, there are many trustworthy folks who can be counted on to do the right thing.
We have found a way to wire money directly to the director of a school we support in the Kamuli district. We have trusted him. We've been back to visit the school, so we've seen the growth. He could take the money and run at any moment. We would prefer that the money go into a school account, but then he would have to always take a second person along to the bank to get out any money. And once in the past, a board member was crooked with some school funds, so he is reluctant to put a large sum into the school accounts. We give up the money whether it goes straight or "crooked," we have given. But we worry about the times he has malaria and can't get to the bank. Now our bank here has increased the fees for wiring money up over 300%.
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