Moving the office

Before I moved to Nigeria, my employer had to leave the synagogue of Enschede. So I moved out of an office once before. Now I did it again in Cameroon to enable our landlord to do some renovations. So, moving offices!

Planning to move; the Dutch way

The Finance Department
moving their confidential files

Start preparing your move months in advance. Look for a reliable company to move your things, make lists of things you shouldn’t forget to do or move. Find a company who also packs for you and provides boxes. Carefully pack your more important documents, mark and label all your belongings carefully. Make a time schedule what should be moved when.

Planning to move; the Cameroonian way

Decide on Tuesday you will move, pack everything (yourself) on Wednesday. Put as many books as possible in a carton, don’t even think about the weight of it. Buy some rice bags if boxes (or ‘cartons’) are not sufficient. Don’t worry about the weight again. Mark important things.

Fortunately in Knowledge for Children we can do all of this as a team, so the work was easy and even fun!

Moving; the Dutch way

Wait for the company you hired to move. Allow them to pack everything for you. See how they have to check the maximum weight of cartons. Watch them pack everything in a big truck carefully, saying it is ‘full’ when the doors can still close. End up sitting on the floor with a computer because all furniture already moved.

Moving; the Cameroonian way

What do you mean, it doesn't fit?

Call for some random boys from the street to carry your furniture down. Carry your cartons of books on your head. Pack everything in a pick-up, pile it up high and also behind the car. See some boys climbing on top of it to hold things together and get a ride to the new office, where they will also unload the car. Try to find your own cartons and furniture back and tell them where to bring it to. Find pieces of your bookshelf back in a different office. But, start work in the new work place just two days after the decision to move was taken!

So, who is saying in Africa everything goes slow?





PS If you are looking for Knowledge for Children, we are now temorarily in Kikkoo House Tambve, opposite Brasseries!