Scam ... ?

A couple of months ago, we were approached by the representative of a Chinese company that wanted to buy Kisii soapstone carvings. We sent a price list and a few photos as examples of the work and they promptly put in an order for 16,500 items.

So far, so good. The order was quickly followed by a contract, written in poor English, but which was just about understandable. I made a few minor adjustments as as to make sure there was no loopholes caused purely by the misuse of English. I have to emphasise that this contract was drawn up by the Chinese with no intervention on our part. In it, they state that they will pay 15% of the total as an advance payment - before we do anything!

We signed it ans sent it back, expecting to receive a signed copy from the Chinese.

This is where things started to go a bit pear-shaped.

Them: "The contract has to be signed by your legal representative".

Us: " OK, this is not a problem. We know a lawyer in Kisii."

Them: "No, the contract has to be notarised by our legal representative in China". WHAT?

Us: "Fine, get the form signed then."

Them: "You have to pay the fee."

Us [smelling a rat]: "How much?"

Ch: "$1780.00"

Us: "We can't. We don't have the money."

CH: "Come to China and discuss it, face to face."

So it goes on. I explain that we do not have the money to pay for the notarisation, nor a trip to China.

We are no closer to a resolution after several weeks of to-ing and fro-ing of emails and letters. I have contacted the Dept. of Commerce near to these potential clients, but i can make little sense of what they said.

If we win this contract (if indeed, it is not a scam), this will set up River Cottage Kenya, the orphanage and other community projects, as well as paying a fair price for the carvings. It would be a win-win situation for a little corner of Kenya.

If we win the contract ...

Can the bubble be repaired?

OK, so the cyber café is going rapidly downhill due to the recent lack of pedestrian traffic in our part of town.

So, what do I do with a well qualified IT guy and six fairly modern PCs?

Then I read a blog (don't we all?) tagged as "A Resource Center for Kenya Entrepreneurs. Get the information, step-by-step guides and essential tools that you need to start and build a successful small business in Kenya."

Hey! That's Us!

In a previous life, I taught IT to adults here in the UK. OK, I'm not a trained teacher, but apparently I was quite good. I ran three courses, basic, intermediate and advanced, and the students kept coming back. The college didn't like me much because I was, er, unconventional, off the wall, a loose cannon. But people kept on paying the tuition fees, learned how to use a computer and they were happy. So I must have been doing something right. And I didn't get fired. I left.

So, why don't we do that again? we have the promises, we have the computers and we have the knowledge.

Oh yes. I am stuck in the UK. I knew there was a drawback. Still, with my IT guy there and me here in the end of an Internet connection, it could work.

It just needs good marketing. Keep it cheap. Bums on seats. And somewhere in all that, mention a mzungu, that usually draws them in.

The Bubble has a leak ...

The best laid plans ... and all that. In my last blog, I was over the Moon about how clever we were in funding our community work by opening a business. A good idea in theory, as long as the tide of luck is running your way.

Ours isn't. We are located in a part of town that the council has decided to "clean up". That must be a good thing, you say. And I agree, as long as it doesn't drive the pedestrian traffic away from your front door, which this clean-up has.

I can't blame the council. I have always found Kisii a fascinating place, chaotic, dusty, shambolic even, but it has its charm. A big, new bus terminal was built, but no one ever used it, until now. The council has decreed that all buses, coaches and matatus must go to the station to disgorge their passengers.

So, at our end of town, which was a traditional if unofficial matatu stand is now virtually deserted, and so is our café.

I am not sure where we go from here.