Looting food which has been donated

The looting of donated food is a dreadful thing.  The injustices of the world is crazy.
Food was donated a few years ago to Mozambique.  I was living there at the time.
It was a strange time, there was flooding and travel was impossible to get anywhere, the water covered everything.

We had to get our food from different sources, we were lucky enough to have friends who could send us food parcels via South Africa, but they had to fly it in to us.  We lived in the Inhambane province at that stage. Road travel was limited to the central part of town, We were cut off from from the other towns.

The sad part is that the local Mozambican at that stage, were sustenance farmers,  they live off their produce and if they have more than they can use, they trade amongst themselves or sell it at the local markets.

Well, the floods happened, homes were lost, people were dying and help was pouring in from the NGO's  and other Organizations.

From rubber ducks with outboard motors, to help with rescue's.  Food was sent in by the bags full.  At a time like this rice and mielie meal is distributed to the locals and all who need, this is a gift for the people.

However a time like this power is a dreadful thing.  Whenever the power hungry person steps up, there is a money driven opportunity for them to make money.  Well make money they did.  They sold the free rice to people who had nothing, nowhere to live, just nothing.

The saddest thing I had ever seen was a old lady who had walked for miles to get to the distribution point with her bowls to take back food to where she came from.   She had walked for miles in water to get to the town, where it was being distributed.

This "Director" as they like to be called would not give her the food as she did not have the monies to pay for the rice and mielie meal, he sent her away, not bothered.  I was nearby and saw what had happened and had to ask someone else to go and "buy" and give it to her.  It was dreadful.  That was not the only one that I saw that he turned away that day.  But the stories came out.  He was never taken to task about it.

What we heard is that there were warehouses in Maputo that had such a lot of donations in the warehouse that was never distributed to the needy, but instead was sold to the people who were in charge of making sure it was distributed.

Nothing was proven of course, this is Africa, but is it not sad, that one person's downfall is another man's ill gotten gain.

Joyriding and been caught

My friend had bought herself a 125cc Honda, it was her transport of choice.
Oh, how she loved this motorbike.

It started to give a problem nothing major, but something was not right with the motor and duly my hubby said he would look it over, service the motorbike for her.
He serviced the motorbike and we had for a few days to make sure that it was all good.

Me, being me had been having a few motorbike lessons, but admittedly not the greatest rider yet..... decided to take the motorbike down to the store that we owned which was only a few kilometers down the road.I thought I would travel the back roads to the store and it should be all ok.

Well, very excited at the thought, I went to put on my leather jacket, boots and got the full face helmet. Just needed the keys and I would be on my way.

I pushed the bike out into the road, put on the helmet, key into the ignition and turned on, now to kick start and the motorbike and it would roar to life.  I did all that I had been taught, felt so confident, hubby would be so proud of me when I arrived at the store.

The motorbike started I am traveling along steadily, no issue, one four  way stop ahead,  I stop, pull away and onto the second  four way stop.

This is where it all changes, I stopped and a Traffic Officer pulls up alongside of me, guilt rushing through me, making me nervous, suddenly feeling very hot, my mask is starting to steam up. I fidget, pretend to check my pockets willing him to move and be on his way.

In my nervousness the motorbike splutters, I over rev it with brake on and it dies on me. I now have to restart the motorbike, and it won't start.  It obviously had an IDIOT problem. By now the dear Officer had pulled his vehicle over  and was on his way to me. He had this knowing grin on his face asked me to show him my license.

Well of course, I did not have it on me, because I did not have one. I had to tell the truth that I had also taken the bike without permission too.

By now, the helmet was off, the leather jacket was too hot. My embarrassment and frustration at the impending fine and trouble that I was in, was too much.

The fine was given and I had to return back home which was two blocks away.  To add to my humiliation, the Traffic Officer must have called it in and a second car arrived on the scene and I had to start the bike and take it home. They had a field day laughing at my antics.

Needless to say I was in a bit of doggy doo  with powers that be, my hubby and friend.

The best was yet to come about three weeks later my innocent friend was out riding on a Saturday afternoon and she was merrily traveling along and was pulled over by a Traffic Officer with  flashing blue lights and siren asking her to pull over. 

The Officer wanted to check her driver's license. He wanted to know how long she had her motorbike as, he had seen another lady on the same bike three weeks back, and she had no license.....

Needless to say she was ok and had everything in place, he remembered the motor
bike, number plate and the fact that it was a girl that was the rider.