So far, So Good. Freedom, and the Move to Zambia by Ex-Zimbabwe Farmers Flooding In.

This photo, taken by our daughter-in-law, Maggie, of a rainbow behind our house, sums up this week's weather. Rain, thunderstorms, and sun.

So I have had all the results of my scans and tests to date, including my CT scan. All came back clear, except for some cysts on the liver and kidneys, not untoward to have at my age. They do not seem to have grown since my last scans. I am writing this from my interpretation of the results, so I may be wrong. Yes, I have small gallstones and an ectopic pancreas. Are they causing this ongoing pain and bloating? I do not know, and have still to find out whether they will go ahead with the deep internal ultrasound to further investigate my ectopic pancreas. But, providing my interpretation is correct, my cancer seems to be under control, which in itself is good news, as you are aware, following the previous surgeries, my stomach cancer returned twice following the initial surgery. I have assured my family and friends I am not faking my stomach pain and extreme bloating, but not for the fact that it is so painful and uncomfortable, I would also be suffering from self-doubt. Not only is it sore, but when I bloat it is also very visible. I am now waiting for a response from my doctor and will share the results with my stomach surgeon, who also requested a CT scan. This week, I meet with my urologist, and perhaps he will adjust my ATOM implant to further control my incontinence.  That was one of the things not mentioned before, the CT scan picked up the damage to my bladder, by Brachytherapy (radiation) done some ten years ago, when I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. Part of the problem leading to my incontinence.Ten years ago! I hope I am not boring you too much with my medical woes, but I am in correspondence with or know many people with chronic diseases, and those of us with cancer correspond with others sharing our experience and offering support. When I was young, it always shocked me to hear someone died of cancer, no less so with my mother’s premature death and an infant sister, but I always considered it a rarity. Now, in old age, I have learnt that it is much more prevalent than I knew. 3.5million people are living with cancer in the UK today, with the prevalence in those over seventy. I am happy to discuss my illness because:

“People generally are shy or, at the very least, reticent to talk about a chronic disease. Needless to say, they are happier to share their problems with someone suffering something similar. Whichever, sharing the burden helps. It lets you know you are far from the only one.” - Peter McSporran

In our ‘Old Farts’ meetings on a Thursday evening, depleted by those who have passed on more often than not due to some form of cancer, all have said they do not mind old age, but those who have illnesses or have seen others die say they do not fear death as much as the transition from life to death. That then raises the question, in general terms, why is there so much pain often involved in the last days of people's lives? Rather morbid, I know, but nevertheless a question often asked. So, the reason for this last paragraph is why I decided to ask the question of ‘AI’ and here is the answer I received:

“The question of why a loving and all-powerful God allows cancer patients to suffer is one of the most profound dilemmas in theology and philosophy.” - AI

Personally, as someone not religious, the answer was not satisfactory, because I really do not think we are on earth to share Jesus' pain as the theologians would like us to believe. The theoretical reasons offered by theologians and those by philosophers alike make it clear that there is no understanding of it. So the Portuguese word to explain it is, 'Evida,' short for Esta e a vida, that is life. I think this sums it up best for me, and as such, we must face it as best we can with the support of friends. This is not about myself; it's just a discussion that arose with some friends about pain and the reason for it this week.

"Despite the quantum leap in both technology and man's knowledge, there will remain many questions we will be unable to answer."- Peter McSporran

The array of medicines I have been taking in combating my stomach woes which continue to beat all remedies. Next week will be better?

After re-reading that, I thought maybe the reader would think I am depressed or at the very least may consider it a strange subject and surmise I am looking death in the face. If so, and I apologise I am not. Unfortunately pain is part of life and at many stages in our life we have to have deal with it, more so in old age. Yes I am frustrated and angry, but not depressed and am looking forward to visit my brother-in-law, Rob Cary, in Australia next year for the Rugby World Cup. Oh just been to the doctor and have an internal echo scan of my stomach and intestines scheduled for next Tuesday. Seemingly, they think something is triggering my stomach nerves causing the pain, what as yet is unknown. Evida.

So, last Friday, despite using Rozanne’s cleaner computer, I ran into problems publishing my blog, which made me grumpier than ever and required assistance posting it on the various platforms. All of which requested passwords, most rejecting my requests, informing me they did not know me, and in all my own devices, computer, iPad, and iPhone, signalling me as some unknown party trying to get into my system. That unknown party being myself. The outcome is always the same; the focus of my anger shifts from the dumb computer itself to myself, and finally to those trying to help me, fired partly by my inability to accept or understand what the system is requesting of me. Grumpiness fleshes out into full-scale frustration and anger, as I stated last week. Even against those assisting me, whose patience eventually grows slim. 

But then, in the midst of all this anger, I asked myself the question, " Is this modern tech world happy to exclude the smart tech illiterate, such as myself, from mainstream society, especially in opportunities and services? My point being, if you are not up to speed in smart communication, the keyboard rather than spoken words, that is not just having the ability to use the damn things, but also all its apps, etc., you can do little in this modern world for yourself. That can be from making a dental appointment, doing a tax return, applying for a driving license renewal, a new passport, or even buying a book or item online, let alone purchasing a brass farthing (figuratively), you are doomed. Why do I say this? Well, although we now live in a village in Portugal, rather than some remote part of Africa, where conditions are much worse, very few of our neighbours have smartphones. In fact, many may not even carry a cellphone, let alone a ‘smart’ one. Even our immediate neighbours, who are relatively young in their 60s, often resort to Rozanne for assistance. That is the wife, the husband, like many men of his age and above, just have a simple cell, as was used twenty years ago. Earlier in the week, I had read this gem and quoted it in my argument that the younger generation no longer considered the plight of the older generation. 

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” - Attributed to Isaac Asimov in 1988, but probably not the original author

Their argument was exactly the same as with our parents, my argument, yes, partially, but recently communication and utility technology tools have taken such a quantum leap forward that it has emphasised the divide and created this sad situation. Thoughts would be appreciated. Is it just the same as it has always been, or is the division much greater now than ever?

But on reflection, I also thought about what this high-tech world is doing to the youngsters who drive it, and that is even scarier. I am not going to write a long list, but here are some of my thoughts. More and more work from home, reducing social interaction, many now work from anywhere in the world, breaking those strong roots of national or regional identity, which in turn removes loyalty and the harder the work and the faster it develops, the very things they are creating will threaten their jobs, leaving room for only the very bright to continue to succeed. As my son, Selby, says, repetitive work will be done by AI, such as anylists, business plans, reports from environmental to production costs, even cows are being fed and milked by robots which monitor their health, yields and fertility cycles, chickens go from egg to a drumstick with barely a human hand involved as are those that produce eggs seeing their feed arrive via a robot(conveyor belt even) while the same is true of the collection of their eggs and the removal of their waste. These are all jobs being lost. Yes, there will be a need for humans to fix drains, electrical faults, and new buildings and repairs, and, to some extent, livestock production if extensive, but the world will surely change, so maybe we oldies should not be so worried about ourselves but rather the younger generation.

'Surely it is going to have adverse consequencies on the individuals well being if you work, social life and your entertainment are all in the same space, that is the internet."- Peter McSporran

Rozanne's truck is next to a new fuel tank being installed. Note the wall. ESG was now in our lives.

Back in Zambia in 2002, our offices were being overrun by farmers considering a move to Zambia. We were also to learn hard lessons as a consultancy facilitator. Some, not all, but a fair number would use our time with a promise of transferring at least something to cover our costs, if not time, to Agricultural Advisors International (AAI) for information and assistance in finding suitable land and loans. Luckily, only a few did not pay. Creigh McMillan, our office administrator, duly recorded our time and out-of-pocket expenses and, in many instances, issued an invoice. The trouble with issuing an invoice, whether it is meant to be paid or not, is that you would have to pay VAT on the amount. A lesson learnt; at least charge a deposit. But it took us nearly a year to realise this. I think Creigh felt sorry for some, and a number of individuals ran up extensive bills only to disappear. Equally, many more used our services and were happy to pay for them, and we became the blue-eyed boys of the Zambia Investment Centre (ZIC), applying for and obtaining more than 50 investment licences for farmers and businesses related to farming that first year. Since Barclays Bank was our co-sponsor, other banks and tobacco companies decided they needed to create similar schemes, which was excellent, as the more farmers attracted, the more service industries and commodity buyers would follow, creating competition among suppliers and even among the banks themselves. A number of these farmers used us for their investment licence regarding AAI. However, a signature on the agreement with Universal Leaf Africa (ULA) ensured that we could provide services to independent clients and even other schemes; we were precluded from setting up schemes in competition. We would not, out of integrity and our reputational needs, but we were to learn this was not so of ULA as they would set up an in-house Zambian scheme in competition in 2003, along with their Mozambican scheme. Dates are a bit of an issue with me; one year around that time runs into the next. It was a time of such frenzy in our workplace in Lusaka and on our farm. 

Getting ready for our first tobacco crop on our farming operations

Standard Bank Zambia, which had an insightful American CEO at the time, with the help of Renus Grau, Standard Bank Zimbabwe, which had helped set up Meatmart with Les Mallet and me in Zimbabwe, set up a similar scheme to ours, broader based in the sense not exclusive to tobacco, which attracted about twelve farmers, including the Livadetakis of Pama Meat fame in Zimbabwe. Stanbic Zambia, working with Alliance One, specifically John Royal, a competing tobacco trading company to ULA, also set up a scheme. Funnily enough, Stanbic and Standard were to give AAI much business in the future, as was Alliance One, indirectly. Finally, the local tobacco-buying and processing company, Tombwe, under the helm of Aldert Van Der Vinne, who became a big whisky-drinking friend of mine, also financed some farmers, in one way or another, to help them get established. With our thirty farmers and the other schemes, along with those who moved independently, using us more often than not to get their investment licence, even their lease or, in some cases, purchase agreements, etc., meant some hundred highly efficient and good farmers would move north and eventually change the face of Zambian agriculture, from a net food importer to a food exporter. Not on our own, as, politically, the banks had to be seen lending to local Zambian commercial farmers, because the outcry was being heard. Why are Zimbabweans getting preference over Zambians? I should say, race rarely came up in Zambia, but obviously, outsiders getting loans put pressure on the banks to include local agriculture, not just mining and retail, the major businesses in Zambia at that time. There was very little manufacturing in Zambia.

Disclaimer: Copyright Peter McSporran. The content in this blog represents my personal views and does not reflect corporate entities.