Page 27 - AF_SINERGIA_37_Final_Online_EN_V1

27

APRIL 2011

FIRST TRIP

WITH THE ASCENDI GROUP

ASCENDI GROUP

The plane fies way up in the clouds and in it all the anxiety of a group about to arrive in Africa. They are 28 on a frst trip with the Ascendi Group. I was about to get a glimpse of the stories of all those that once lived there. And this was how I got to know Mozambique even before getting there. Whilst the plane tried to rock me to sleep, Mozambique would smile and dance for me in the bright light of the moon.

I meet Artur “Welcome to Maputo!”. My body was tired from the trip and I had only slept 2 hours but there was a competition to be won and 4 and a half days of work ahead. And this half day was very important. Indeed it was. Work started. The more we worked the more there was to do. We had to carefully read the competition programme line by line. We weren't ready yet.

It’s Sunday already and it’s a scorching 40 degrees. We still have two days and a half. That half was always present in my mind. Everything is paginated, signed, carefully organised according to the subparagraphs of 8.1 of the Competition Programme. Tomorrow we just need to do 12.000 photocopies.

Just one day to go and whilst some prepare competitions others practice the last games. Basically the same thing, just a change in view. Real Madrid plays

at Camp Nou today. We book a table at Cristal. We’re only on page 568 and the ink in the cartridge has run out. Mrs. Margarida passes immediately onto Plan B “Where is the nearest reprography?”. We go with Mr Fausia who knows the game area rather well “How are you ma’am? We need 24 copies of these 6 volumes for 15:00, it’s really urgent”. There was no other choice and we wanted to win the competition.

Amidst all the rigour that the work demanded, came a surprise: passion fruit cake and sparkling Rosé wine to commemorate the last of the twenty made the day before. And the picture of that image that I had of Mozambique, still on the plane. I was able to control the emotions and my heart was quite grateful.

It’s nearly done, my legs and back are complaining and Luís suggests I stretch myself on the door for some 3 minutes to help relieve the pain. But I just have 30 seconds. It’s 21:30, and we still have the last volume to go. Mourinho and Ronaldo are waiting for us.

Masssacre. Next time we will be Barcelona. Similarly, we also need 5 volumes to win.

Covers, Ok. Index, Ok. Covers, Ok. We wrap, unwrap andwraponce again, Nicole helps out. 2 hours to go. Artur, prudently,

asks for some extra hands “Valdemiro, we need boxes!”. Sticky tape, Ok. Boxes, Ok. String, Ok. And sealing wax. We are 5 on our way to deliver. The ideal number. Valério commands the troops at a distance and gives the last order “go in 2 cars, just in case one of them has a problem”. On these occasions it’s always good to have an experienced engineer around. We obey. It’s 14:00. National Authority for Roads in Mozambique reads the sign, it’s here. At the door we still assembled the largest box - 12 000 sheets in 40 volumes! What a Job! A competitor passes by us and peeps the heavy Christmas presents and reads out loud the words on the wrap “Ascendi/Soares da Costa”. Surprised?

We are the 13 th to hand in, competition is ferce. But that doesn’t put us of. We call Portugal, someone is anxiously waiting since the morning. On the other end of the line António Graça does not hide the relief – the frst phase is over. His team had coped; of course he had never doubted this.

And there, at the wonderful restaurant with the taste of lobster and overlooking the sea, sautéed with the sweet smell of Africa we chilled out. Just like when I arrived, the dance of Mozambique invades me and whispers: you’re 29, congratulations.

Testemonial Olga Monteverde