We are begining to despair about how best to help Essy’s Mum and sister in Zimbabwe. Absolutely NOTHING is available in the shops and they are literally starving to death eating only a few vegetables a day. Previously we have been able to transfer money to them via Western Union with the specification that the proceeds are paid out in US$, until now this has worked and they have been able to exchange the US$ on the blackmarket or to buy goods in the single shop in their provincial town which has goods for sales in US$ only. Today we sent money and the local Western Union says they now can’t payout in US$ – “you must go to Westertn Union in Harare for US$”. Although Harare is 50 miles away that doesn’t sound insurmoutable until you realise that the bus fare (for a lethally overcrowded minibus) costs Zim$ 2 million and that the banks wont pay out more cash than Zim$ 500,000 per day. In other words it means four days queing at the bank in order to accumulate enough for a 50 mile bus trip, and of course during this time there is no money available for even a grain of rice!