My start-up is paining me.
Following some very useful customer feedback, I have been trying to get East African fabric. Uganda has not yielded much so far, at least not of the right quality for children's clothes. You can, however, get lovely soft Kikoy fabric from Kenya. Baby K having no passport, I figured the best thing would be to get my contacts (hi Phyllis) to buy the stuff and post it. This has led to much paining.
My package got stuck in the post office. FYI, if MI6 need a new office, they could do worse than move to Kampala main post office. It makes rabbit warrens look like palaces of minimalism. Package located, they wouldn't release it until I had paid duty on it, which FYI was sixty percent of the value of the fabric inside. Coughing up the tax bill involved a morning of utterly needless standing around in the Crane bank. (It was Charles, a friend of mine, who did the standing around: I sat in the pouring rain in the car park opposite jiggling baby.)
I don't have a problem with taxes. But sixty per cent duty is eye-wateringly high, I'd say. How can anyone turn a profit with that kind of tax burden? If there were decent roads and shiny new schools springing up here and there I'd mind a lot less. So where is the money going? Answers on a postcard..
At least now I have these babies:
shorts, wrap skirts, towelling-lined bathrobes coming soon
PS Happy Birthday Mama xxxxxx
4 comments:
What a hassle. Loving the fabric you do have. Especially such bright colours - is winter here now.
My Mum is a very keen patchwork quilter. I have such fun going through her fabric stash whenever I stay (a couple of times a year). She has even given me some for my small efforts. Progressing slowly.
Huggles to you all
I forgot. Huge hellos to Eva. Can you get cotton thread there okay?
And huggles to Eva and her lovely family too
Trousers! Please!
I love reading your stories. I travelled through Africa, which although is different to living there, I had enough experiences to understand how you might be feeling. I´m an Australian in Austria and feel isolated enough in this country, let alone in something like Uganda. Congrats on surviving. Keep writing about your experiences and I will read them.
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