Well, the drinking of (and in copious amounts) alcohol seems to have worked!! I am feeling much better, not quite 100%, but I would say about 85% better! If alcohol really does 'cure' malaria, then I hope I get it more often ; )!!! Any excuse to have a couple of drinks (too many) and play table tennis all weekend is alright by me! However, I seemingly got quite lucky, as my case was very mild and clearly my super strong immune system kicked in and helped me out, as two of my assistants are out sick with the more serious cases of malaria, and one is even in the hospital..i told him to try drinking, but he is a good muslim and doesn't drink, and now he is in the hospital and I am at work?! But, hopefully he will recover soon. Apart from that it was a relaxing weekend. It is the long rains season, so it basically rains from the early afternoon until the night, and by rain I mean pouring rains and thunder showers! You may or may not have read in the papers or seen on the news that most of west africa is suffering from major flooding. We are lucky here in Abuja as it is a relatively high city, however, places in the north and south are really suffering...therefore there is major disease (malaria, yellow fever, TB, among other diseases) and malnutrition as crops are being destroyed. But, Nigeria is better off than most other countries all around us, but we still have 2 months of the long rains to go, so not sure we will continue to be so 'lucky'.
Nothing too exciting to report on this week...although my friend Catherine and I finally chose our holiday destination for the first week of October....we are going to Iceland!!! Yes, Iceland! It is supposed to be beautiful and neither of us have been, so we figured why not. I look forwarding to getting away for a week and not having to do any work, but I know that the next month leading up to this will be a bit rough, as I will be first in Botswana and then Brazzaville, Congo again, so will have lots of work to do...but at least I have something to look forward to!
Also, i just realized that today is officially my 2 months since I arrived in Africa, and it has definitely gone by in a bit of a whirl...which I think is a good thing!
hope you are all having fun wherever you are!
baci, andrea
lundi 25 août 2008
vendredi 22 août 2008
Malaria?!?!?!
Wow, what a long, frustrating week it has been. But, I finally get a 'day off', but only because we are not sure if I have malaria or not.
I have had one positive and one negative malaria result. I started showing symptoms last week, but basically put it down to jet lag and hectic work schedule. But then came the hallucinations, which in all honesty, I rather enjoyed. But, I have shown a positive and a negative result over the week, so the doctor's solution to this..."try drinking...gin or vodka is best, but beer and wine will also do"...I should mention the UN doctor here is from the former Soviet Union, so I think she recommends alcohol for everything...but doctor's orders must be followed! No need to worry, as I really don't feel all that bad, so who knows...but no matter, even if it is malaria, it was caught early, so no effects to be had from this! So, going over to the Canadian embassy housing to have follow my doctor's orders, and play a cribbage/euchure tournament for the day!
I have uploaded some more photos...I realize that as I am the one always taking the photos when on mission that I am never in them....and I don't have much from the northern states, as cameras are kind of banned..in fact, it is a law in all of Nigeria (i found this out the hard way), that I must request permission from the President of Nigeria to publish any photos...they just want money out of people and want to make sure that no one profits from anything in Nigeria without them getting a cut of it!! God bless Nigeria!
I have had one positive and one negative malaria result. I started showing symptoms last week, but basically put it down to jet lag and hectic work schedule. But then came the hallucinations, which in all honesty, I rather enjoyed. But, I have shown a positive and a negative result over the week, so the doctor's solution to this..."try drinking...gin or vodka is best, but beer and wine will also do"...I should mention the UN doctor here is from the former Soviet Union, so I think she recommends alcohol for everything...but doctor's orders must be followed! No need to worry, as I really don't feel all that bad, so who knows...but no matter, even if it is malaria, it was caught early, so no effects to be had from this! So, going over to the Canadian embassy housing to have follow my doctor's orders, and play a cribbage/euchure tournament for the day!
I have uploaded some more photos...I realize that as I am the one always taking the photos when on mission that I am never in them....and I don't have much from the northern states, as cameras are kind of banned..in fact, it is a law in all of Nigeria (i found this out the hard way), that I must request permission from the President of Nigeria to publish any photos...they just want money out of people and want to make sure that no one profits from anything in Nigeria without them getting a cut of it!! God bless Nigeria!
dimanche 17 août 2008
From Asia and back to Africa
Hello everyone,
I hope this finds you all well wherever you may be. This has been one very long, and I must say difficult week...tougher than any week I have had yet here...but I have officially as of today, been in Nigeria for one month!
I came back from Malaysia on Thursday morning, and immediately had to go on mission in the south west area of Nigeria, so definitely completely exhausted at this point as I have been on the move for two full weeks.
The past mission was the toughest to date. We were in the south west to try to convince local governments and also the Anglican bishop that kids need to be vaccinated, and that it is not about "those who are worthy of the vaccine" who get it (basically, this means, those who can 'afford'to bribe the workers to give it to them will get it)...the area we were in is one of the poorest in Nigeria, so you can imagine that really no one can afford it...and WHO gives these vaccines to the government at no cost, as it is all donor money who pays for our vaccine programs....so far this year, we have spent over $550 million USD on vaccination programs, and we still have 4 months to go! Last year's budget for the entire year was $400 million (these figures are all just operational costs, and do not include salaries, which are probably another $20-40 million), so you can see just how bad it is getting here...I should mention that these vaccines are not just for polio, but are for yellow fever, malaria, tuberculosis, as well, although the polio program is about 2/3 of the budget! We visited a couple of local orphanages, where every child has HIV/AIDS, and while we were there 2 children died...it was completely heartbreaking, and it is something that will never, ever leave me. These orphanages cannot afford the live saving HIV drugs that the kids need, so basically they are provided with the best life they can be given, but usually die very young, as they are prone to TB, fever, and other illnesses that they cannot fight.
I have seen more here than I could have ever imagined, nor ever wanted to experience. For a country that is so wealthy, however so very corrupt, these sorts of things should not be happening. The work is incredibly fulfilling, however dealing with government officials is horrible, but the worst are the religious groups. I am not sure what version of the Bible these leaders have read or follow, but it is no version that I have ever seen or heard of. For those who don't know, Nigeria is an Anglican faith based country, equally split with Muslim, but the Anglican church seperated from the Church of England 2 years ago, for some reasons I don't fully understand, and have basically started their own Anglican faith of some sort...the Arch Bishop of Nigeria (his name has escaped me) is basically the Mugabe of the Anglican church...he is a pretty evil man, and was last year named to Time's most interesting figures of 2007, but not interesting in a good way...full stop, he is crazy and totally corrupt. He is based here in Abuja and you know he is around when you see a convoy of brand new BMWs, Mercedes and his personal Rolls Royce stopping traffic...not sure anywhere else in the world that the head of a religion gets a Rolls Royce?! I am sure that money could be better used to put back into the church, and help people 'as per God's will'...but again he has his own Bible that he reads from! BBC or CNN (can't remember which one) recently did a really good special on religion here in Nigeria, so if you can find it, you should have a look at it, as it is pretty good introduction to religion here!
Apart from all that, everything is going well. I am slowly settling into life here, and the daily battles to get anything done. I will be in Abuja for at least a few weeks, but then going into the field for a week in the northern area of Kano to actually supervise an immunization campaign, and then off to Botwana for a meeting in early September...I will finally be taking a week off at the end of September, and flying out to London for a couple of nights (only because I am desperate for nachos and beer), and then off to I think Cyprus...although we have changed locations so many times, that this could again change...basically my friend Catherine and I want to go somewhere that neither of us has ever been (which is tough when we have both traveled a lot), but that is still safe (Read: not being bombed at the moment), and isn't Muslim, only because the end of Ramadan is October 1st, so basically any country that celebrates Eid will just shut down for that week, and this is the only week I can take off, as we only word a 2 day work that week (as we get Eid off here in Nigeria as well).
Anyways, still no luck with housing, but I would have to be in Abuja to actually look, but I thinking that as I only have 10 months left that I will just stay at the Hilton, but who knows?
Well everyone, that is it for this week...sorry if I have depressed you, but I haven't explained a quarter of it.
Ciao belli, andrea
I hope this finds you all well wherever you may be. This has been one very long, and I must say difficult week...tougher than any week I have had yet here...but I have officially as of today, been in Nigeria for one month!
I came back from Malaysia on Thursday morning, and immediately had to go on mission in the south west area of Nigeria, so definitely completely exhausted at this point as I have been on the move for two full weeks.
The past mission was the toughest to date. We were in the south west to try to convince local governments and also the Anglican bishop that kids need to be vaccinated, and that it is not about "those who are worthy of the vaccine" who get it (basically, this means, those who can 'afford'to bribe the workers to give it to them will get it)...the area we were in is one of the poorest in Nigeria, so you can imagine that really no one can afford it...and WHO gives these vaccines to the government at no cost, as it is all donor money who pays for our vaccine programs....so far this year, we have spent over $550 million USD on vaccination programs, and we still have 4 months to go! Last year's budget for the entire year was $400 million (these figures are all just operational costs, and do not include salaries, which are probably another $20-40 million), so you can see just how bad it is getting here...I should mention that these vaccines are not just for polio, but are for yellow fever, malaria, tuberculosis, as well, although the polio program is about 2/3 of the budget! We visited a couple of local orphanages, where every child has HIV/AIDS, and while we were there 2 children died...it was completely heartbreaking, and it is something that will never, ever leave me. These orphanages cannot afford the live saving HIV drugs that the kids need, so basically they are provided with the best life they can be given, but usually die very young, as they are prone to TB, fever, and other illnesses that they cannot fight.
I have seen more here than I could have ever imagined, nor ever wanted to experience. For a country that is so wealthy, however so very corrupt, these sorts of things should not be happening. The work is incredibly fulfilling, however dealing with government officials is horrible, but the worst are the religious groups. I am not sure what version of the Bible these leaders have read or follow, but it is no version that I have ever seen or heard of. For those who don't know, Nigeria is an Anglican faith based country, equally split with Muslim, but the Anglican church seperated from the Church of England 2 years ago, for some reasons I don't fully understand, and have basically started their own Anglican faith of some sort...the Arch Bishop of Nigeria (his name has escaped me) is basically the Mugabe of the Anglican church...he is a pretty evil man, and was last year named to Time's most interesting figures of 2007, but not interesting in a good way...full stop, he is crazy and totally corrupt. He is based here in Abuja and you know he is around when you see a convoy of brand new BMWs, Mercedes and his personal Rolls Royce stopping traffic...not sure anywhere else in the world that the head of a religion gets a Rolls Royce?! I am sure that money could be better used to put back into the church, and help people 'as per God's will'...but again he has his own Bible that he reads from! BBC or CNN (can't remember which one) recently did a really good special on religion here in Nigeria, so if you can find it, you should have a look at it, as it is pretty good introduction to religion here!
Apart from all that, everything is going well. I am slowly settling into life here, and the daily battles to get anything done. I will be in Abuja for at least a few weeks, but then going into the field for a week in the northern area of Kano to actually supervise an immunization campaign, and then off to Botwana for a meeting in early September...I will finally be taking a week off at the end of September, and flying out to London for a couple of nights (only because I am desperate for nachos and beer), and then off to I think Cyprus...although we have changed locations so many times, that this could again change...basically my friend Catherine and I want to go somewhere that neither of us has ever been (which is tough when we have both traveled a lot), but that is still safe (Read: not being bombed at the moment), and isn't Muslim, only because the end of Ramadan is October 1st, so basically any country that celebrates Eid will just shut down for that week, and this is the only week I can take off, as we only word a 2 day work that week (as we get Eid off here in Nigeria as well).
Anyways, still no luck with housing, but I would have to be in Abuja to actually look, but I thinking that as I only have 10 months left that I will just stay at the Hilton, but who knows?
Well everyone, that is it for this week...sorry if I have depressed you, but I haven't explained a quarter of it.
Ciao belli, andrea
samedi 9 août 2008
Africa to Asia....
Well, hello from Kuala Lumpar! Ok, not exactly KL just yet, but I will be there tomorrow for the next 3 days, as I have been sent here for some meetings. So, currently I am sitting in a beautiful boutique hotel in Singapore with fast internet and actual 24 hour electricity supply!!!...although I am only here for another 6 or 7 hours before I have to catch my morning flight to KL, and due to the jet lag, it doesn’t look like I will be sleeping, hence why I am writing now in the middle of the night! I haven’t been back to Singapore in a few years, but it is nice to be in a place where you can walk around at night without much concern for personal safety. This was relatively last minute, as I was not told about the meetings in KL until Thursday while I was still on mission…so had to hurry back to Abuja to pack and leave yet again…I wish I had more time here as I really need a new laptop, as my personal one is getting a little slow, but it will do for now I guess! I am told that I will be back to KL in a couple of months, so maybe I can plan to stay for a day or two in Singapore again. I will say one thing, I flew over on Qatar Airways through Doha, Qatar, and it is an incredible airline, with 5 star service, even in economy! And Doha looks like a really nice place to spend some time, so will have to come back for sure!
This whole last week has been an adventure, as I was up north in Nigeria in the Maiduguri state (Nigeria is like the US, in that the country is broken into 37 states), so we traveled through 5 to get up here, on the border between Chad and Cameroon on a polio mission…this is basically the last place in Nigeria before it hits Niger and the Sahara Desert so you can imagine just how hot it gets, although right now is rainy season (even though they only get about 60mm of rain a year) but it really cold in the nights. We (myself, and 2 others from my office and our driver) visited Local Government Areas (LGAs) which are basically where local governments have set up housing (mud huts actually) for people to live…based on the conditions that they live in, it becomes a lot more understandable why polio is still a huge problem, and actually getting worse, as it is understandable that yellow fever, measles and malaria is also expanding. They have no drainage system as it is really flat, so when it does rain it just accumulates into these big holes of water, breeding malaria infested mosquitos…so fingers crossed I don’t get it, although I did get bitten quite a few times…the mosquito nets for sleeping just have so many holes in them… While we were there, 2 new cases of polio were discovered in areas that have not actually had polio in over 4 years, so not good…however this actually isn’t true…what we are finding during these missions is that the health care workers that we use to go into the villages haven’t really been doing it, and have really just been pretending to pick up samples for testing, but taking the money for what they are supposed to be doing. Nigeria just had their national election last year, so there is a lot of money, and some commitment from these new governments to support the initiative, however they aren’t doing enough…the more you travel here, you really do see that Nigeria is a very wealthy country, with a lot of resources, however, those who really need them don’t have any access to them. As mentioned in the last blog entry, dealing with men is an interesting endeavour here, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be…I was actually able to speak on my own behalf, however whenever they actually had questions or comments they were always asked to the men I was traveling with, and not to me, but I was still able to answer. I only had to wear a full head covering in the field, but in meetings, I just had to cover the shoulders down, so not too big a deal…although it does get really warm outside in full covering! I also don’t have as many photos as I would have liked to take, as we were asked not to take photos in the villages, but still got some decent shots, which I will add in due course (most likely once I am back from this next week of circling Asia and Africa)! Fortunately, in this whole mission up north, we had no bad experiences, and this included actual good road conditions..we had one close call, but our driver Cola (very common name here) saw a bit of a commotion happening ahead on one of the small roads we were driving on, and did not think it safe to continue. So, he pulled a bit of a manueuvre and turned us around…we read in the paper the next day that the driver in the one of the cars just ahead of us was shot and killed by the gangs that were waiting ahead as he tried to outrun them. Basically, this is a fairly common thing up here, as the rebels cross over from Chad or Cameroon trying to get whatever they can from those who choose to drive up there…it was the middle of the day, so really hard to imagine, and really too bad, but good thing for Cola…he has been doing this for 20 years and is from here, so he knows what to expect everywhere! But we were fine, and the 12 hour road trip each way was actually really nice. We got to see a lot of the country, and it really is beautiful as everything is just so green, so really pretty.
I will be back in Nigeria on Thursday as I have more meetings in the south of Nigeria until next weekend…so lots of moving around! But, after that, as far as I know, I am staying in Abuja for a little bit…until a meeting in mid September in Botswana! I am still in the hotel, as not enough time to search for a flat, but I am beginning to accept the fact that I may just be living in the Hilton for the next 10 months, and it really isn’t all that bad!
I hope you are all well…I will get the photos downloaded over the next couple of weeks and update my photos for everyone to see.
This whole last week has been an adventure, as I was up north in Nigeria in the Maiduguri state (Nigeria is like the US, in that the country is broken into 37 states), so we traveled through 5 to get up here, on the border between Chad and Cameroon on a polio mission…this is basically the last place in Nigeria before it hits Niger and the Sahara Desert so you can imagine just how hot it gets, although right now is rainy season (even though they only get about 60mm of rain a year) but it really cold in the nights. We (myself, and 2 others from my office and our driver) visited Local Government Areas (LGAs) which are basically where local governments have set up housing (mud huts actually) for people to live…based on the conditions that they live in, it becomes a lot more understandable why polio is still a huge problem, and actually getting worse, as it is understandable that yellow fever, measles and malaria is also expanding. They have no drainage system as it is really flat, so when it does rain it just accumulates into these big holes of water, breeding malaria infested mosquitos…so fingers crossed I don’t get it, although I did get bitten quite a few times…the mosquito nets for sleeping just have so many holes in them… While we were there, 2 new cases of polio were discovered in areas that have not actually had polio in over 4 years, so not good…however this actually isn’t true…what we are finding during these missions is that the health care workers that we use to go into the villages haven’t really been doing it, and have really just been pretending to pick up samples for testing, but taking the money for what they are supposed to be doing. Nigeria just had their national election last year, so there is a lot of money, and some commitment from these new governments to support the initiative, however they aren’t doing enough…the more you travel here, you really do see that Nigeria is a very wealthy country, with a lot of resources, however, those who really need them don’t have any access to them. As mentioned in the last blog entry, dealing with men is an interesting endeavour here, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be…I was actually able to speak on my own behalf, however whenever they actually had questions or comments they were always asked to the men I was traveling with, and not to me, but I was still able to answer. I only had to wear a full head covering in the field, but in meetings, I just had to cover the shoulders down, so not too big a deal…although it does get really warm outside in full covering! I also don’t have as many photos as I would have liked to take, as we were asked not to take photos in the villages, but still got some decent shots, which I will add in due course (most likely once I am back from this next week of circling Asia and Africa)! Fortunately, in this whole mission up north, we had no bad experiences, and this included actual good road conditions..we had one close call, but our driver Cola (very common name here) saw a bit of a commotion happening ahead on one of the small roads we were driving on, and did not think it safe to continue. So, he pulled a bit of a manueuvre and turned us around…we read in the paper the next day that the driver in the one of the cars just ahead of us was shot and killed by the gangs that were waiting ahead as he tried to outrun them. Basically, this is a fairly common thing up here, as the rebels cross over from Chad or Cameroon trying to get whatever they can from those who choose to drive up there…it was the middle of the day, so really hard to imagine, and really too bad, but good thing for Cola…he has been doing this for 20 years and is from here, so he knows what to expect everywhere! But we were fine, and the 12 hour road trip each way was actually really nice. We got to see a lot of the country, and it really is beautiful as everything is just so green, so really pretty.
I will be back in Nigeria on Thursday as I have more meetings in the south of Nigeria until next weekend…so lots of moving around! But, after that, as far as I know, I am staying in Abuja for a little bit…until a meeting in mid September in Botswana! I am still in the hotel, as not enough time to search for a flat, but I am beginning to accept the fact that I may just be living in the Hilton for the next 10 months, and it really isn’t all that bad!
I hope you are all well…I will get the photos downloaded over the next couple of weeks and update my photos for everyone to see.
vendredi 1 août 2008
Working in Africa...
Some of you faithful readers and friends have been asking about what it is like to work in Africa, and so while internet is actually working today, I thought I would briefly answer...this is one of the biggest problems, internet is very hit and miss, even in a relatively established country like Nigeria. The bigger problem is however, electricity...I would say we have no electricity on average about 4 hours a day, however we do have major generators that kick in and get us sort of up and running most days. So, it makes for interesting work, when at this moment in time WHO, and the UN as a whole, are migrating to a new computer system where everything will be done online and sent electronically around the whole UN system...from filling in vacation requests, to governments donating and awarding money for campaigns, to salary allocation... so this of course is going to probe to be very interesting in most of Africa, as Nigeria is actually pretty 'lucky' to only be without power for 4 hours a day ...many countries still can't even access internet or only have power for 4 hours a day. For us accustomed to working on computers all day long, it is actually a welcome relief here to getting back to the flipcharts and white boards (where as a facilitator I feel so comfortable) to work on strategies...no more powerpoint presentation for anything and everything we do! But, as we are a paper based world, it also makes for everything to be done very slowly, with a lot of errors...and everything must be signed off by at least 10 different people!
Another difficulty, at least within my direct team, is that I am the first caucasian woman ever leading the team, and I am young, so this makes it quite difficult depending on where we are and what we are doing. I have been 'tested' many times by my colleagues in ways that are more cultural and ethnical, but so far so good, and I think we are all warming up to one another. My boss here is the WHO representative for Nigeria, and he is from Uganda originally, but studied in Canada and his children are there, so he has given lots of much needed advice! And, I am slowly learning to be a bit more disciplined in my approach, rather than my typical 'trust that everything will get done' approach to management! Next week, however, will be a new experience. I am leaving for the northern Nigeria states (Maiduguri), where it is strictly muslim states, where Sharia law is followed, to the point that I even need to wear a burka (without face covering). It is a 2 day drive in good conditions, and as it is rainy season, we are told to be prepared for a 3 day journey each way...all that for a 4 hour meeting (this is where teleconference or video conference would really help)!! It is also where I have to bring a male 'interpreter' with me (besides the 3 other colleagues I am going with), and not a language interpreter, but someone who will speak to the men on my behalf, even though I am in the room and doing the talking...it is a bit convoluted, but I think I am finally getting it...i speak softly, he 'transmits' the message and all questions asked by participants are filtered through him to me, even though I am still sitting right there! I look forward to the road trip, even if it is days to get there, as we go through the National Park area, so kind of like driving up north in Ontario, where we can get lucky and see deer, moose, bear, etc...only here it is elephants, giraffe, and monkeys. So, hopefully we will see lots, and because it is wet season, it is very likely! The other problem with Nigeria is that animal poaching is still alive and well, with no real laws around it...and bush meat is a real favourite, so I think my vegetarian side will come out very strongly, so that means casava, casava paste, and some rice for me...but I have learned to travel with peanut butter and lebanese bread wherever I go, so it won't be too bad!
That's it for now...I get to have my Saturday to myself and then leave on Sunday for my mission up north, and then back next weekend. I am really hoping to fly out to Nairobi next weekend to meet a friend, however still have not gotten my passport back...so won't know until next week!
Hope everyone is well!
Another difficulty, at least within my direct team, is that I am the first caucasian woman ever leading the team, and I am young, so this makes it quite difficult depending on where we are and what we are doing. I have been 'tested' many times by my colleagues in ways that are more cultural and ethnical, but so far so good, and I think we are all warming up to one another. My boss here is the WHO representative for Nigeria, and he is from Uganda originally, but studied in Canada and his children are there, so he has given lots of much needed advice! And, I am slowly learning to be a bit more disciplined in my approach, rather than my typical 'trust that everything will get done' approach to management! Next week, however, will be a new experience. I am leaving for the northern Nigeria states (Maiduguri), where it is strictly muslim states, where Sharia law is followed, to the point that I even need to wear a burka (without face covering). It is a 2 day drive in good conditions, and as it is rainy season, we are told to be prepared for a 3 day journey each way...all that for a 4 hour meeting (this is where teleconference or video conference would really help)!! It is also where I have to bring a male 'interpreter' with me (besides the 3 other colleagues I am going with), and not a language interpreter, but someone who will speak to the men on my behalf, even though I am in the room and doing the talking...it is a bit convoluted, but I think I am finally getting it...i speak softly, he 'transmits' the message and all questions asked by participants are filtered through him to me, even though I am still sitting right there! I look forward to the road trip, even if it is days to get there, as we go through the National Park area, so kind of like driving up north in Ontario, where we can get lucky and see deer, moose, bear, etc...only here it is elephants, giraffe, and monkeys. So, hopefully we will see lots, and because it is wet season, it is very likely! The other problem with Nigeria is that animal poaching is still alive and well, with no real laws around it...and bush meat is a real favourite, so I think my vegetarian side will come out very strongly, so that means casava, casava paste, and some rice for me...but I have learned to travel with peanut butter and lebanese bread wherever I go, so it won't be too bad!
That's it for now...I get to have my Saturday to myself and then leave on Sunday for my mission up north, and then back next weekend. I am really hoping to fly out to Nairobi next weekend to meet a friend, however still have not gotten my passport back...so won't know until next week!
Hope everyone is well!
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