as long as i've been in uganda, i have never gotten used to the way the governmental bureaus and departments are run. it always surprises me in the most unpleasant way. i guess that i am almost always hoping that some things will run smoothly, efficiently, quickly and without added costs, but it never happens that way.
george and i decided that it might be wise to extend my current visa for another 45 days so that i could go home to tennessee the end of october and enjoy kaleigh's birthday, visit friends in texas (ok, this isn't home), overeat at thanksgiving, possibly travel to peru (ok, that's not home either) and thoroughly enjoy a nashville christmas with family and friends and welcome in the new year at the totally awesome perfecting faith ministries ny's eve service. it seemed simple. wrong, wrong, wrong.
day 1....andrew took me to immigration headquarters/internal affairs and i explained my intentions to the lady at the visa window. her - what are you doing here? me - i'm volunteering. her - you are working without a work permit? you could be deported. me - well, that doesn't make much sense, i'm working for free to help your street children. why would you deport me? her - it's the law! me - under my breath - well, that makes perfect sense, after all, tiu! her - come back with a letter from your employer stating why you should remain in uganda. me - i am my employer. her - (dirty look) bring the letter to the next window. off we go to the house where andrew writes, prints and signs a letter with the required information and back we go to immigration headquarters. i'm hopeful because we have done what she had requested and it is only early afternoon. i hand the letter to the woman at the next window, she looks at it. her - you can't extend your visa.....this letter is useless. who told you to write this letter? go through the green gate, down the hill and wait under the tent. seriously, i'm thinking, under the tent! after a few minutes, a gentleman calls me into an office where a meeting of the ngo board is in session. me - i already have a registered ngo, i need a work permit. him - here are the forms, we must approve your application and we only meet on thursdays. me- you need all of this information? sir, are you serious? you want my college transcripts? i haven't been in school since the days transcripts were chiseled on stone tablets. you want a letter of good conduct? from whom? him - it's the law! now i'm panicing because there are two pages of impossible requirements and i have only 2 weeks...YIKES!!!!! ok andrew, let's go to interpol and see if i can get a letter of good conduct....no friends, i was not going to ask the post office for one!!! off we go to interpol....no high tech covert ops were ever run out of this place....a compound of crumbling buildings and people sorta lounging in the heat under shade trees. a very pleasant woman working the outdoors information desk listened to me patiently. her - don't panic. go to the american embassy, ask for a letter, they will do a backgtound search, pay some fees, get fingerprinted, blah, blah, blah....you should have it in a week or so. me- a week? nothing here gets processed in a week! her - smile. me - ok andrew. lets go to the embassy. andrew - no, it's 3pm, they are closed for the day. me - closed? 3pm? oh yea, tiu.
we get to my house and i tell myself, eat a goo goo, you will feel better, chcolate always helps. i open facebook and tell my friend, freddie, from citizens trust academy in kibuli, about my dreadful day. him - why didn't you get a special pass? me - what's that? him - a pass to allow you to stay 3 months while you apply for a work permit. me - why didn't anyone tell me about this pass. him - you know. me - yea, i know, tiu. him - my wife can help you, she is an attorney. me - yay, thanks friend!
day 2....we pick up freddie's wife, elver, and we go back to immigration headquarters...but a new room. andrew has to write a different letter, i have to complete another form AND pay $200...no receipt of course, AND surrender my passport. i'm not liking this at all. but elver is confident. her - don't worry you will have it today. let's go run our errands and i will call you when i have it. this makes sense to all of us. oh well, no phone call by the end of the day, no special pass, no $200 and no passport.
day 3....around noon andrew calls to say he hasn't heard anything yet and i decide i can't sit and wait any longer....me - let's just go. at least we will be moving! finally he gets the call that my special pass is completed and i can pick up my passport.....thank you Jesus!! off again to immigration headquarters where elver is patiently waiting for me to arrive. she has a pretty smile on her face so i know all is well. her - you must begin completing the requirements for your work permit, but since you already have an ngo, the requirements are not as extensive. me - do i still need a letter of good conduct? her - yes! ok, well, i see another trip to the tbi in november, and oh yes, the fee for the permit is $250.
so there, 3 days spent in immigration headquarters hell, $200 for a special pass, another $250 for a permit, not to mention the cost for obtaining the required data and information. hmmm...all for the privledge of volunteering for free! it makes perfect sense to me...things are really starting to make sense, afterall, tiu!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment