With only a few days to go before leaving Zambia I was very unsettled about how the legacy of such volnteer projects would go on after our departure. My fears were not merely related to the unavailability of possibilities, but rather regarding whether or not any Maltese would take up the opportunity to do so in 2009.

Once again Theird World Group Malta has done a sterling job to ensure that Maltese youths will have the chance to explore the beauties of Africa through its people and offer four Maltese citizens the possibility to spend three months with a local non-governmental organisation in either Kenya, South Africa or Zambia this coming summer.

Unfortunately uptake has been unrecorded to date. The closing date has been extended to the 25th of January 2009 for all those interested in participating in the project.

As a former participant I have to admit that it would be a shame indeed should no Maltese partake in the project, as it not only is an eye-opening experience from a personal point of view, but it allows volunteers to explore the opportunities in the professional world far beyond the Maltese shores.

I therefore urge all those Maltese youths who are already wondering what to do during the summer months to take this golden opportunity to experience the world as they've never experienced before, and lend a helping hand to those who need it most.

Details of the four different projects on offer in 2009 may be found on the Third World Group Website, or contact Manuel Fenech on leli.fenech@gmail.com or 0799 05 505.

You will not be disappointed!

The follow-up to the Peace Day Tournament has left all involved with BSA even more breathless than the games we played during the event. Meeting, PR activities, thank you letters and evaluations, have left all grappling with the limited resources at hand and the bureaucratic obstacles to deal with.

The main problem dealing with customs officials for the release of the sports wear and clothing donated to BSA before I left from Malta.

I take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped with the donations: from all those who contributed financially, donated sports wear and material, to those who facilitated the freighting of the garments to Lusaka safely. The list would be too long to mention everyone individually here, but as our friend George W. Bush would put it, “make no mistake” you will be all thanked personally and rewarded for your generosity and good-heartedness.

To cut a long story short and avoid boredom, the ordeal lasted a total of five days, endless telephone calls, e-mails and personal pleas to everyone we knew could possible help. The main problem being the hefty import duty customs wanted to slap on me for the release of the goods.

No amount of personal letters from myself or the director of the academy would convince the stone-faced officials to waiver even a cent of the duty. Registration certificates, description of activities, letters of introduction, even the times article featuring yours truly collecting the goods were enough to break the seal of officialdom in this case.

Several factors led to this stand: primarily the addressee of the consignment – Me; secondly the price of the freight as indicated in the freight statement – way too high; thirdly the description of the goods – sports wear; thirdly, the addressee of the consignment – Me, a Muzungu.

Nothing would bend the resolve of the uniformed barrier behind the desk. They even pocked their fingers through the boxes to verify that the goods were actually second hand and not new, and the sight of a brand new football did not help amidst the 130 kgs of otherwise used garments.

In the end, with storage charges looming for every further day the goods stayed put, I decided to consult the donors who had contributed financially to the project before I left Malta, to see whether they were willing to spend their money on the taxes that needed to be paid. Thankfully, their understanding was overwhelming and I rented the first truck I could find that would not charge me an arm and a leg to take me to the airport.

Papers were presented … again, please made unsuccessfully and the gates only opened once the fresh colour of the Kwachas (Zambian currency: €1 = KWA 5000) I held in my hand were seen by the watchful eyes of the unsympathetic taxman.

Truth be told, a sort of discount was given to us when instead of using Euros as the currency denomination for the calculation of the charges, the weaker Dollar was applied to the formula and resulted in a € 100 reduction of my tax bill. Instead of KWA 2 million (€ 400), I paid KWA 1.5 (€ 300), with the academy paying the clearing charges and fees they would have had to do so in any case.

So six and a half hours later, I was squeezed between the front seat of the 4 x 4 used to transport us back and the boxes of sports goods for the children - the truck having abandoning us after having filled-up with diesel and an hour of waiting around.

Christmas became a mid-September feast as I anxiously unwrapped and ripped the boxes apart to ensure everything was there. I counted and re-counted; folded and re-folded; packed and re-packed several times in sheer glee until I slumped into bed past midnight with exhaustion and peace of mind.

Lessons learned: Address goods directly to a registered and certified tax exempt NGO; Do not include hefty freight costs on statements; Account for “mishaps” (as one wise person pointed out to me recently!); Never pay your transport bill before you actually get home! Keep your resolve – at the end of the day if you give up, the kids will suffer!