Out of Africa
Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 16:00 My son, 16, is currently on a three-week school trip to Malawi.
The group - 22 children and half a dozen adults - arrived safely last weekend, via Ethiopia. I know this because within 24 hours we received a bush telegraph style message from the parents of another child on the same trip. We then had to phone the parents of the next child on the list and so on to tell them the good news.
The bad news is that the same cannot be said of their luggage. Reports are a bit hazy but seven days later at least 17 suitcases have still to be reunited with their owners. Eleven have been traced to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and six are unaccounted for.
Apparently, Ethiopian Airlines has decreed that freight is more important than clean underwear for a group of teenagers from Cambridgeshire.
Understandable, perhaps, but I do hope they are reunited with their possessions - including my son's malaria tablets - very soon!
Reader Comments (6)
I feel sure that they will enjoy the experience, regardless of the loss of their baggage. Young teenagers adapt very quickly.
I shouldn't worry about the pills - someone else will have some.
I wouldnt go to Africa if I got a first class ticket for free.
Why do you think they all want to live over here.
Ann, that is a preposterous comment. I rarely disown comments on this blog (even when I don't agree with them) but this is one of those occasions.
Hope they all have a fantastic time!
I'm not entirely sure a group of 16 year old lads will feel TOO traumatised about not being able to change their underwear - same old same old, isn't it? ;-) Anyway joking apart, I do hope the bags turn up soon and that it's a fantastic experience for them all.
Funnily enough I have been blogging on Malawi as 70%-80% of their foreign exchange earnings come from growing tobacco. Key stats are 91% of Malawi children go to school, 73% literacy rate and 100% immunisation of children. Tobacco in this case makes a substantial contribution to well being of the population as a whole. More here:
http://daveatherton.wordpress.com/2011/07/02/malawi-and-tobacco-a-review/