Cholera is not over...

So, I am currently in Zimbabwe after a bit of a whirlwind tour of central Africa (Ethiopia, and the Congos, and some thought of going to Gabon), going from office to office not really being able to accomplish anything, so it was felt that it is best that I come to Harare office, to try to sort out some of the problems here.

While I am here in the office for other administrative issues, it is almost impossible to ignore the cholera situation that is ACTUALLY happening all over Zimbabwe…unlike President Mugabe’s statement that “there is no cholera and that the situation is under control”…it is far from over, and in fact with all the rains right now it is only going to get a lot worse. While I work in a relatively sheltered area, away from the real Zimbabwean society, you pass many hospitals on your way to the office with longs queues of people waiting for treatment . It is terrible, and hard not to get involved in the meetings that are happening or going into the communities to try to educate people on not drinking the water…but they have nothing else. Our only real hope is that the rains stop so that cholera will not be pushed into other cholera free zones, but at this point it is very unlikely. While cholera is not contagious, so I am not at risk (as I don’t plan to get my drinking or bath water from the sewers or wells) it spreads very quickly, and it can kill in a matter of hours…many of the people here already have compromised immunities due to HIV/AIDS, malaria, dengue fever etc., so it is very hard to fight off, especially really young children and the aged.

We hear lots from Mugabe here that it is the US and Britain that have done this to Zimbabwe so as to exert their control, and we know this is not true. However seeing this and actually witnessing it, makes you realize how easy it would be for terrorists or anyone else to attack any of the developed nations through our water networks and cause some serious damage to our people.

So, apart from that, all is ok. I am really in need of a break and am hoping to get a few days off at Christmas, but that is still to be decided and figured out. I am back to Brazzaville this weekend and should know for sure by then when and if I can take some time off! But, I will for sure be taking 2-3 weeks off when my parents and aunt and uncle come to meet up with me in Kenya and Tanzania for a 2 week safari in early March!!! Also, fingers crossed, there is some talk of sending me to Kuala Lumpur on a secondment for a couple of months, which would be so lovely…but because I want it to happen, I am sure it won’t!!

As I don’t think I will have time to write again before Christmas, I hope everyone has a really great Christmas and has a few glasses of red wine for me…i am with you in spirit, but I still say it is nice not be caught up in the whole gift buying and holiday madness that is always happening at this time of the year. And while there is a lot of rain here right now, I am not missing the -30 degrees I keep reading about back home!!

Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Quanza, etc to all and a really excellent 2009!

Baci, Andrea