“Sir, I am sorry to tell you that the children have taken the bulbs from your vehicle,” says the headman of the village. ”What?” I exclaim. “What bulbs?” Walking around the crowd of Malawian kids and adults gathered in our bush camp I look at the back of our support vehicle. Sure enough, from the bottom of the two rear brake lights are dangling two sets of bare wires. I couldn’t believe it. One of the few dozen kids hanging around our campsite had reached underneath the bumper, unscrewed the bulbs and taken out the connecting wires. Astonished, I turn to the headman to give him a stern talking to, but he interrupts me and says: “Sir, you requested security from 5 pm, it is only 4 pm, so this is not our fault!” PAUL MCMANUS
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