Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
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Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
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Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#2I admire people that just get shit done: especially in an environment of misdirection.
There's a lot of luck and bad luck in the story.
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#3So many characters worthy of an epic story. The last one would be the Good Samaritan, or some sort of elderly sage...
> Before leaving, I asked him whether he even knew what was inside the package.
> He answered very casually that he had no idea and that he did not need to know.
> I then asked whether he at least knew which company had entrusted him with the delivery. He replied that it was simply "a friend" who had asked him to temporarily keep the box until someone came to collect it.
> I switched it on briefly, and that was actually the moment when the hardware shop owner himself suddenly became excited[...] Seeing the Apple logo appear on the screen, he immediately smiled and said something along the lines of, "Ah… a MacBook is a MacBook. Apple is still Apple."
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#4reading this article while listening to billie eilish made me feel something i've never felt before, what a blogpost
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#5I admire people that just get shit done: especially in an environment of misdirection. There's a lot of luck and bad luck in the story.
I’m glad it basically worked out but damn do we take free next-day delivery for granted.
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#6So many characters worthy of an epic story. The last one would be the Good Samaritan, or some sort of elderly sage... > Before leaving, I asked him whether he even knew what was inside the package. > He answered very casually that he had no idea and that he did not need to know. > I then asked whether he at least knew which company had entrusted him with the delivery. He replied that it was simply "a friend" who had…
The goodness of the people in the chain make me think that the rider would have had a much greater than 50% chance of following through properly. But it's good that Django decided to further increase the odds by taking matters into his own hands.
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#7The most amazing thing about my travels in Africa, specifically Uganda, is that things I would never expect to work, work. The people are so innovative and resourceful that I think things that would be scams (handing a laptop to a stranger to hold) are pretty common and work.
Also makes me grateful to live in a developed nation where we can take shipping for granted.
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#8Django has strong honey badger energy!
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#9Two main takeaways:
1. Never underestimate developing countries' governments' willingness to absolutely bend their people over to extract tax revenue (and then their corrupt representatives extract bribes on top of it)
2. Django's gratitude and positivity in the face of all of it is an inspiration. I suspect I and most everyone I know would be in tears and would have given up in exasperation halfway through his quest. We are so spoiled in the West.
Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda
#10I know a lady with four children who’s in a refugee camp in Jordan and could really use a laptop. It would allow her to teach language online and maybe get some side jobs and I think it could help her get out of the camp. If anybody has any ideas or wants to send her one please let me know.