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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

#181

Post by gizajob »

sammy2255 wrote: post #137
madradavid wrote: post #126

I am Ugandan. I've shipped electronics and Laptops for Work quite a bit, and OP is right, the system is broken, it stays this way because a lot of corrupt individuals benefit from this mess. However, OP showed a degree of Hubris here, a mistake lots of us make when dealing with foreign countries, just because it works this way here, so it should work that way in XYZ. OP would have saved themselves lots of time and mo…

[flagged]

No idea who wrote this, especially now that Royal Mail has been privatised. A while ago I sent a book in the post to Finland from Britain. The book got stuck for 4 weeks in LOS ANGELES. Then I had to watch as the tracking bounced it around between depots on the west coast of America. Then somehow it got flown to Finland where it got stuck again due to post-Brexit customs issues. International shipping, even to countries a few kilometres from Dover is now handled by US Postal Service.

So even though you’re almost funny, you’re still taking sh*te.

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#182

Post by _notreallyme_ »

interludead wrote: post #177
_notreallyme_ wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I mostly agree with what you say, the thing is Django was probably asked what was the best way to ship the laptop, but he probably just didn't know : - he is from neighboring DRC, not Ugandan; - based on his description of his travels, he lives in the overwhelmed Kyaka II camp, and was probably recently displaced due to the M23 campaign; - he was probably already enrolled in the course before being displaced, s…

It sounds less like arrogance and more like both sides trying to improvise with incomplete information

Well, it was more for the overconfidence meaning than the arrogance one.

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#183

Post by noduerme »

anthk wrote: post #124
iririririr wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you guys got your eletronics from Paraguay too? I wish we replace this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Duke_of_Caxias with a statue of a smuggler bringing computers from paraguay (they where sold two streets down this statue). It is much more heroic and positive outcome symbol to the country than some old military nobody on a horse.

Heh, Northern Spaniards as me would have a longass trip to Andorra to get tax-free devices. And some people in the Castilles/Galicia did the same... in Portugal.

I've never been to Andorra but it seems very strange, like a few streets shopping mall / free trade zone?? I've heard from Spaniards about going there and they said it's not a good place to go on vacation lol

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#184

Post by emj »

user_7832 wrote: post #130
madradavid wrote: post #126

I am Ugandan. I've shipped electronics and Laptops for Work quite a bit, and OP is right, the system is broken, it stays this way because a lot of corrupt individuals benefit from this mess. However, OP showed a degree of Hubris here, a mistake lots of us make when dealing with foreign countries, just because it works this way here, so it should work that way in XYZ. OP would have saved themselves lots of time and mo…

For better or worse, "person from 1st world country does what they think helps, based on their worldview - but never asks 3rd world recipient" is unfortunately a very common troupe. (I'm from a 3rd world country and have seen it over and over again.)

Sending things is hard, it does not help asking people in who receives the things. You need to speak with someone who has experience sending things in the way you need to do it. Getting a package from China is not the same thing as sending things from China.

I am the first to acknowledge that I know very little of how things works outside my country. The only reasons I know that is with many failures. When I lived abroad sometimes people feel talked down to when you as an rich outsider tried to understand things. I do not understand the culture or the reasons for things. It did not help asking in because I did not know how to ask the right question.

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#185

Post by quietradio »

madradavid wrote: post #126

I am Ugandan. I've shipped electronics and Laptops for Work quite a bit, and OP is right, the system is broken, it stays this way because a lot of corrupt individuals benefit from this mess. However, OP showed a degree of Hubris here, a mistake lots of us make when dealing with foreign countries, just because it works this way here, so it should work that way in XYZ. OP would have saved themselves lots of time and mo…

[dead]

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#186

Post by 0xfffafaCrash »

madradavid wrote: post #126

I am Ugandan. I've shipped electronics and Laptops for Work quite a bit, and OP is right, the system is broken, it stays this way because a lot of corrupt individuals benefit from this mess. However, OP showed a degree of Hubris here, a mistake lots of us make when dealing with foreign countries, just because it works this way here, so it should work that way in XYZ. OP would have saved themselves lots of time and mo…

Just want to note that OP was in Australia, not Austria, but the broader point stands that it can be helpful to ask foreigners what they need rather than assuming your norms will translate over.

And yet, this was still a very generous gift and perhaps even greater value in sharing the experience and starting these discussions

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#188

Post by [deleted] »

sammy2255 wrote: post #170
x3ro wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, the "barbarians" couldn't possibly manage delivering a packet by themselves, after having their country looted for centuries (ongoing). There's no doubt this laptop would've been delivered frictionlessly if Uganda had never suffered under colonial rule :) And who knows what the UK would be like..

[flagged]

[deleted]

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#189

Post by ekianjo »

virgildotcodes wrote: post #81
MichaelZuo wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the implication is true… Shouldn’t people stop helping further entrench these shady practices? If Ugandan decision makers know the people will effectively always be underwritten to receive some bread and water… no matter what happens… Then what exactly is stopping them from piling on more and more nonsense?

Better 20% of your money reaches a starving child than 0%.

You have no way to know its higher than zero though

Re: Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda

#190

Post by oheyadam »

sammy2255 wrote: post #170
x3ro wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, the "barbarians" couldn't possibly manage delivering a packet by themselves, after having their country looted for centuries (ongoing). There's no doubt this laptop would've been delivered frictionlessly if Uganda had never suffered under colonial rule :) And who knows what the UK would be like..

[flagged]

What the actual fuck
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