At one end, you have Chinese officials who know what they want and how to get there. They have a very good knowledge of Africa. For instance, the Chinese minister speaks five African languages, more than many Africans!!!

At the other end, you have African officials who are still unsure about what they want to get from China. They all say how important it is for Africa to have a new partner, but they do not stress enough the need for Africa to get the best out of this relationship. The partnership shouldn't be just about selling oil to China, while the Chinese textile products are destroying the young African industry. We should think about that.

There is life after the UN. Kofi Annan has a new passion: the green revolution. He is leading an Alliance for the Green revolution, which is supported by the Gates Foundation and the Rockfeller Foundation. The message that came out is simple, but powerful: Internet connections are fine, but the continent needs to feed its own people first.

By the way, I have not yet managed to talk to him because it feels at times like a rock concert. Each time, there is a break, people rush to see the "stars" and their massive entourages. I've never been good at being a groupie!

	Natasha with Mr Kidd - UK Department for International Development (DIFD) head of private Sector.

I also noticed that everybody knows Barbara. Each time I introduced myself as Oxfam, someone will say: " Say hello to Barbara and keep up with the good work". People feel that if the British Government has done so well in terms of its aid policy to Africa, it's because of the pressure from organisations like Oxfam.

As a consequence, business leaders are very welcoming and willing to engage with us. Some of them want to come to Africa, but they don't know the region. I have already invited some of them to come to West Africa and see for themselves.

Some nice projects we can work on in the near future? I hope so.