Since arriving in Kitwe four weeks ago, I’ve had an interesting time. Whilst it’s been tough settling in, having a fascinating and enjoyable job to go to every day has made all the difference (which is good because that’s the reason we’re here after all!).

I’ve been working with Fruit D’Or Zambia (FDO), a fruit curer (ripener) and distributor. They deal mainly in bananas, oranges and apples. I’ve certainly landed on my feet – anyone who knows me at all knows that I love all the fruit, so I’m basically in heaven. Every. Single. Day. It’s great!

The business has grown pretty rapidly and organically since it started operating in Zambia in 2012 and, as with any rapidly expanding business, is encountering it’s fair share of problems. Helping iron these problems out and come up with creative and effective (hopefully!) solutions is why we’re here. I’m learning so much everyday about consultancy and the ins-and-outs of fruit ripening, storing, handling and distribution – who’d of thought I’d end up coming home from Zambia a banana expert!

One of the best parts of the work is getting to know the many people who make the business tick. From the enigmatic boss, Van, to the 5o-odd women who sell for FDO as street vendors and the loaders and depot floor staff, everyone is super friendly and helpful and has a fascinating story to tell…

Sitting down with the people I interact with everyday and finding out a bit more about them has been one of the best bits about what I’m doing, and I thought I’d share a couple of the stories with you:

Thomas – Deputy Assistant Supervisor

Meet Thomas. Thomas is the Deputy Assistant Supervisor on the busy depot floor. He’s at work from early in the morning until just before it gets dark everyday, helping manage the loading and unloading of the fruit, overseeing the sales process, stamping and collecting receipts and answering questions and queries. “I enjoy my job, but my dream is to become a mechanic – it’s a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy, hopefully in 10 years my dream will have come true.”

Thomas has worked at FDO for just over two years and has steadily worked his way up from a daily causal worker to become the right-hand-man of the Depot Floor Supervisor. I asked him what his favourite fruit was, “Mango,” he replied sheepishly as his workmates laughed. “You’re supposed to say banana!” someone yelled.

 Evelyn – Street Vendor

This is Evelyn, a street vendor for FDO. The street vendors are integral to FDO’s business – every morning at 7am they come to the depot and buy crates of bananas and oranges to sell on the street or at the local market. The vendors are nearly all women from the very poorest communities in Kitwe. Evelyn lives in a compound not far from the depot. Compounds are the Zambian term for shanty-towns. She has been buying bananas from FDO for several years to support herself and her five children. Her husband died a while ago and she is the sole breadwinner for her family. Selling bananas is tough – there’s no way of telling how many she’ll sell on any given day but it provides her with enough money to put food on the table every day.

Next week, Evelyn says she’ll teach me how to carry a crate of bananas on my head. I’m not convinced I’ll succeed. Watch this space!

Abs xo