Groundnuts Scheme
 

In my 20s I remember flying out to Lusaka and sitting next to someone who had worked on the Groundnuts Scheme in Colonial Tanganyika. I have also over the years met many involved in the Central African Federation. Now when I look abck and think on my years in Africa on the ODA/OSAS programme I realise that I too am part of history and will soon be dead and forgotten - like all those on previous colonial and neo-colonial developments.


Should I write me memoirs ? It will soon be too late.


Overseas
Service
Aid
Scheme
= OSAS


was the Ministry of Overseas Development scheme that seconded British nationals to work in newly-indepedent Commonwealth states. I was in Zambia 1973-1977

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Presumably brought to you by the same committee that was asked to design a horse and instead came up with a camel. :unsure:

I remember my father telling me about the east African ground nuts fiasco. :)

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

I was not admitted to the Upper Echelons that designed OSAS. Undoubtedly staffed by all those Colonial Office types who needed a new billet. You know - Gussie Ffistteleton-Twykes and his pals. The foot-soldiers on the ground - like myself and the other humble "Education Officers" (vulge "Teachers") did a reasonable job.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

My father-in-law, now almost 90, arrived in Tanganyika in 1950 as a member of the then Colonial Service. The ludicrous groundnut scheme was about to be finally abandoned but not quite yet, that was in early 1951. My wife was born in Nachingwea later that same year.

He's now on his last legs, but in Sept. this year he attended the very last meeting of former members of the Service in Windemere. There were 19 attendees, down from several hundred a decade ago.

So, yes, now is probably a good time to write your memoirs.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

I will set to this as soon as I can recruit a female amanuensis who can take shorthand and prepare a drinkable cup of tea. Hard to find good staff these days.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

You'll just have to get off your Bute.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

I plan to do that on Monday. All the excitement of a day trip to the large island that is close to Bute. I am reminded of the minsiter jere who regularly included in his prayers "the people of Bute and the neighbouring island of Britain"

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

I hope that the weather on Monday will be conducive to travel and that Britain isn't cut off by fog.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Imperial folly did not end with the Groundnuts Scheme. It has continued to the present day in any number of ill-conceived plans for "Foreign Aid". I saw it in my line of work as the British Council moved from encouraging the teaching of English and facilitating the study of British Culture to the new field - of "Gender Equality".

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Meanwhile the pillaging of natural resources has been taken over by the Chinese. :(

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

The Chinese Road to Capitalism is now under construction, comrades ! The East is no longer Red !

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

However "capitalism" should not be confused with "democracy".

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Of course not. What a strange idea !

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Have you been reading George Monbiot?

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ian-capitalism

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

No, I don't read the Grauniad.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Simple answer is a resounding yes from me.
Memoirs are a very important part of recording historical events .

Please do.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

I agree with BEVS (that's usually the best policy anyway :lol:), definitely have a stab at writing your memoirs. :nod:

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Write and they [well a few anyway] will come. I loved a similar i suspect book of the east india company, imagine being told on arrival to find a local girl for a housekeeper, and that sleeping with such a dictionary was the way to lern the lingo and customs...

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

My father was in the scientific civil service so called, spent a number of years working with the FO on russian and chinese tech exchanges [anyone know about the vodka cola deal, or how pilkington came to supply nasa with glass for space use ?] before the iron curtain came down. The language was ripe to say the least, not normally written down but the descriptions i heard of african nation leaders were wonderously racist in todays terms.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

A cousin of mine - much older than me - had several jobs in eastern Africa from the 1950s until 1972. At various times he was Asst Chief Secretary, Northern Rhodesia (in Lusaka), then Asst Secretary, Mines, Labour & Civil Aviation (also in Lusaka), then Asst Secy, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya, then Diocesan Secretary of the Anglican Diocese of Northern Rhodesia and later Zambia, & Secretary to the Bishop (later, Archbishop).
It might all be a bit before your time, but I mention it just in case. His name was Arthur Barlow

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

Ah, Northern Rhodesia ! I got there 10 years after independence but the work of the colonialists was everywjere to be seen.

Re: Groundnuts Scheme
 

My connection with Zambia continues, I am in regular touch with one of my grandaughters who is training to be a nurse at college in Lusaka. My name lives on !