Today has been one of those days where nothing makes sense to me and culture shock hits hard. I found myself in a shop in Victoria station - nothing strange about that except I could have been standing in a smaller version of Shoprite in Maputo. This shop had all the brands, cereal, drinks I have been using in Mozambique. Obviously Shoprite brings all their good in from SA which this shop was - catering to all the homesick SA's here in London.
Being in Moz I could buy these things weekly if I wanted but most of these are a luxury most of the Mozambicans I worked with couldn't afford and I was very aware of that on days when I came back with my shopping. Seeing what are normal staples in a shop in Moz sitting on shelves in a shop in Victoria broke my heart. The price was a big factor but I think for me harder thing was knowing that last week many of the Mozambicans who I have rubbed shoulder with in down town Maputo or ministered too on the dump had to take the the streets last week to riot because the cost of living had gone up so much. Bread has gone up 25%.
At first I smiled as I looked at the Koo cans of marmalade and my tastebuds started to run as I ventured further into the shop - Simba crisps, Tempo Choloclate bars,Eat Sum Mor and Tennis biscuits, Ouma rusk, Lemon Twist cans and PINEAPPLE Fanta! Heaven - for a brief moment. £1.15 for a can of Lemon twist - £2.30 for a small packet of Eat Sum Mor biscuits and a pack of Simba crisps not even going to share the price. I was in shock at the price people were going to pay for a taste of home.
Being in Moz I could buy these things weekly if I wanted but most of these are a luxury most of the Mozambicans I worked with couldn't afford and I was very aware of that on days when I came back with my shopping. Seeing what are normal staples in a shop in Moz sitting on shelves in a shop in Victoria broke my heart. The price was a big factor but I think for me harder thing was knowing that last week many of the Mozambicans who I have rubbed shoulder with in down town Maputo or ministered too on the dump had to take the the streets last week to riot because the cost of living had gone up so much. Bread has gone up 25%. Most wouldn't consider shopping in Shoprite as it's too expensive and the goods I was looking at today would very rarely be in their homes. We stop at nothing to have the norms and the brands we know in life and I am guilty of this with each parcel which arrived out last year from home had many treats from here.
Today standing in this shop I though - 10 people died last week in Maputo because they needed their voice to be heard about the increase in the price of bread, rice, water and electricity, Today someone will buy something from this shop to have a taste of home and normality in their life. I miss Moz, I miss the Mozambicans I worked with and most of all wish the cost of living didn't hit one of the poorest nations so hard and their only voice is to start riots on the streets.
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