So, the real and final countdown has begun. Next Friday night I will be on a plane out of Nigeria for good, and I am quite happy to be leaving this country! I know it won’t be the last time I see it (I have already been told that I will be back here for a meeting in February), but at least I won’t have to deal with the day to day problems here! It is bizarre as most places I leave, I leave with a bit of a heavy heart, but not so much here, so that means it is time to leave! But before I go, there will be one last big bash to host at my house, which will be this Saturday night at my house…
The last few weeks have been really crazy. We just finished our last round of polio campaigns for the year…our ninth! The average most years is 5 or 6, so that is how serious we are getting now, and things are looking up, but only time will tell if polio can actually be eradicated from Nigeria. Those in senior positions with WHO and UNICEF keep saying Nigeria will now be the first to eradicate, so only time will tell! But, Nigeria has been a very interesting experience and has taught me more that I thought I ever wanted to learn or ever need to learn, but I have, and am sure that it will come in handy one day. Like a good friend of mine who recently joined us in Nigeria said “Take me back to Afghanistan any day…this place (Nigeria) is worse…” The real stories and experiences over here will really only come out over many, many bottles of wine, when instead of being horrified, we will all just laugh! But, I leave at a perfect time…not so burned out that I need to be placed somewhere in a corner of a room, rocking myself back and forth, but just at that point where I would need that corner any day. Nigeria, in all of its glory and self praising, is a far way off from being “the horn of Africa” as it calls itself, but there is a lot of potential and a lot to offer the rest of Africa, if it can fix a few of its issues (corruption, killing, religious issues, kidnapping for money, to name a few). And when not in Hamattan, this country is actually very pretty, with more green than one could imagine for a country not quite the size on France and a population of over 200 million!!
Much to look forward to…Not sure how much I explained the last time, but although I am leaving Nigeria, I am not leaving the polio program completely behind. I have agreed to support the polio program in India, which is in a bit worse shape, mainly due to population, but from everything I hear, the work is tough, but you feel good when you go home everyday! And finally, any day now my brother and his wife will finally have their baby…although I think he is waiting for me to come home for my poor sister-in-law to go into labour…so far 5 days past her due date and no baby! I have delivered a few babies over here, so what’s another one?!?! But, hopefully soon for their sakes.
I look forward to lots of snow while I am home, as I want to be outside as much as possible....
Merry Christmas, Happy Sallah, Joyous Quanza, and Blessed Hanukhah to everyone!
But thanks for reading about my adventures in Africa…the real stories will one day be shared…as I don’t need to give my poor, worrying mom a heart attack! I will keep updating it with India stories while over there!
Take care,
Andrea
jeudi 26 novembre 2009
mardi 10 novembre 2009
Just a few short weeks to go....
So, an update to the below…we have now had about 40 new cases of polio in the last few weeks since I posted, so while this is still good, it is not ideal. We are still getting really close, and we basically have until May to prove we can do it, and hopefully it will happen!
Nigeria is somewhat on track and the experts are saying that Nigeria will actually eradicate before India, but the difference being that in India the government will just call on the military and they will go and force families to immunize children (the problems in India are not about compliance, as the families accept vaccines, it is just the population is soooo huge that it is hard to get every child, in every small village…). So, we’ll see what happens!
In some exciting news, I will be home in Canada for at least a month before I have to take off again for a little bit! It will be nice to be home for winter and of course Christmas. It will also be nice as after nine long months (for my brother and his wife), their new son, and my new nephew should soon be making his way into the world! So, will be nice to see him, as it will be awhile again before I see him. Good thing with babies, the first few years they hardly recognize you, so as long as I head home once a year or so, he should know who I am.
In other exciting news, looks like will be out supporting the India polio project from time to time! A great opportunity came up that I just can’t pass up at this time, so instead of settling down, getting an office job and whatever else, I have decided that my “African adventure” will just need to be extended to my “Asian adventure”!! It won't be a permanent thing, but from time to time, I will spend a large chunk of time over there, and if anyone wants to see polio eradication campaigns, you are welcome to come visit and I can bring you out with us! India is truly an amazingly beautiful country that everyone should see once in their lives!
Rainy season here has yet to end, and in fact is the worst on record! The storms are massive, with amazing lightning and thunder…but it is very temperamental. Just the other day we were playing tennis, and literally we were completely dry, continuing to play on the court, and not 20 feet from us, it was a total and absolute downpour. We sat there watching it, getting ready to get off the court, but the rain never moved towards us, and so we continued playing another 30 minutes before it finally started, and then stopped almost as soon as it started! It was very amusing! But, this is not good, as the rains have destroyed every crop that is planted for dry season, so while things like papaya, carrots, and other things that like the rain have done well, these things have run out, and the dry season crops like millet, yam, potatoe, etc have all been destroyed and cannot be salvaged…so what does this mean, it means a huge famine is to come, as there won’t be any food to feed the people. Even me, in safe Abuja, who has money to buy fruits and vegetables, cannot find the food to buy, there is literally nothing to buy, and Nigeria does not import fresh foods…so it is a lot of canned goods and pasta. So, to echo my brother’s comments, please pay very close attention to the upcoming Climate Change meeting scheduled for early December in Denmark. This is serious, and to see it first hand in its full magnitude, really makes you question the stance of our world leaders, and the countries we live in!
Anyways, enough for now. Hope to see some of you over the holidays!
Take care, Andrea
Nigeria is somewhat on track and the experts are saying that Nigeria will actually eradicate before India, but the difference being that in India the government will just call on the military and they will go and force families to immunize children (the problems in India are not about compliance, as the families accept vaccines, it is just the population is soooo huge that it is hard to get every child, in every small village…). So, we’ll see what happens!
In some exciting news, I will be home in Canada for at least a month before I have to take off again for a little bit! It will be nice to be home for winter and of course Christmas. It will also be nice as after nine long months (for my brother and his wife), their new son, and my new nephew should soon be making his way into the world! So, will be nice to see him, as it will be awhile again before I see him. Good thing with babies, the first few years they hardly recognize you, so as long as I head home once a year or so, he should know who I am.
In other exciting news, looks like will be out supporting the India polio project from time to time! A great opportunity came up that I just can’t pass up at this time, so instead of settling down, getting an office job and whatever else, I have decided that my “African adventure” will just need to be extended to my “Asian adventure”!! It won't be a permanent thing, but from time to time, I will spend a large chunk of time over there, and if anyone wants to see polio eradication campaigns, you are welcome to come visit and I can bring you out with us! India is truly an amazingly beautiful country that everyone should see once in their lives!
Rainy season here has yet to end, and in fact is the worst on record! The storms are massive, with amazing lightning and thunder…but it is very temperamental. Just the other day we were playing tennis, and literally we were completely dry, continuing to play on the court, and not 20 feet from us, it was a total and absolute downpour. We sat there watching it, getting ready to get off the court, but the rain never moved towards us, and so we continued playing another 30 minutes before it finally started, and then stopped almost as soon as it started! It was very amusing! But, this is not good, as the rains have destroyed every crop that is planted for dry season, so while things like papaya, carrots, and other things that like the rain have done well, these things have run out, and the dry season crops like millet, yam, potatoe, etc have all been destroyed and cannot be salvaged…so what does this mean, it means a huge famine is to come, as there won’t be any food to feed the people. Even me, in safe Abuja, who has money to buy fruits and vegetables, cannot find the food to buy, there is literally nothing to buy, and Nigeria does not import fresh foods…so it is a lot of canned goods and pasta. So, to echo my brother’s comments, please pay very close attention to the upcoming Climate Change meeting scheduled for early December in Denmark. This is serious, and to see it first hand in its full magnitude, really makes you question the stance of our world leaders, and the countries we live in!
Anyways, enough for now. Hope to see some of you over the holidays!
Take care, Andrea
mardi 3 novembre 2009
Almost there...
NB: This post was actually written about 3 weeks ago, but did not have time or access to upload it!! I will give an update this week...
The good news…we have not have a new case of polio in over 10 days here in Nigeria!!! Sounds like something so minor, but for a country that usually has 2-4 cases a day at this point of the year, this is very good news indeed! It is not so say that there really has not been a case of polio, but we have yet to find one recently! So, all the work and money is slowing starting to pya off….however, the big question is really, “How do we sustain this momentum?”, but really we ask ourselves “Is it even possible to sustain?”…our last meeting with all of the who’s who in Nigeria, WHO, international NGOs, and other countries (USA, UK, Europe, etc.), sat around the meeting table and basically shamed the leaders of Nigeria, saying that countries that are in the middle of war (Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan) are actually eradicating, while Nigeria (which is considered relatively peaceful), cannot come close to getting their act together and eradicate one simple disease that is basically eradicated everywhere else in the world!! And, shaming has proved to have some effect, as Nigerians, and especially the religious and political leaders do not like to be shamed!! So, there has been some impact of this, and some good results, but we are a far way off. However, the next year will be tough. 2011 is a presidential election year, with campaigning for president and state governors start early in 2010. Many of our high risk states are areas of risk due to political issues, therefore once campaigning starts we will not be allowed into those areas. Nigeria, and basically Africa as a whole, is never a good place to be during political campaigns…there is no such thing as democracy! So, only time will tell, but at least it is getting interesting and actually there is some hope for us!
I have spent the last 9 days in the field…specifically in northern Nigeria and southwestern Chad….the sights were incredible, but not necessarily in a good way, but in a way that really opened my eyes (yet again), to the challenges of life in sub Saharan Africa. Every year at home, you may read the bottom right corner of a newspaper with a 20-40 word statement or see a very brief clip on the news about the floods and eventual famine, in west Africa. Well, I saw it first hand, and it was beyond anything I could even imagine. These are the worst floods in over 40 years…By floods, they don’t just mean a couple of centimeters of water in the fields…we are talking 6-10 feet of floods in the fields…houses are buried, complete crops lost, animals and people killed in the thousands…and then of course, the outbreaks of disease that follow…cholera, meningitis, measles, and malaria especially, so anyone left, then ultimately suffers even more. I have seen a lot in my 16 months in Africa, but this was one of the most overwhelming times. Here we were trying to immunize kids on polio, but there were many more pressing issues to these families. It was exhausting work, but it is also incredible to see how families come together and support one another, even if they have very little to give, they may still have something to give that could help someone that has nothing.
Rainy season, however, is almost over…for us here in Abuja, it means that the hot, horrible Hamattan season is just around the corner. But, hard to feel sorry for myself…it is what it is!!!! But, good thing and bad thing, is that I will be traveling so much out of Nigeria for work, so I will miss most of the heat…it is that time of year with lots of meetings, so I will be visiting more African countries, as well as again going to Geneva and Malaysia, but then it will be Christmas holidays…and this year, Christmas will be spent in Canada! I will be home for Christmas and possibly longer. Still no set plans for what I will do after Christmas, but I intend to just take some time and figure it out! But looking forward to time with friends and family, and hopefully some good cross country skiing or snowshoeing!!
I will write when I can, but things will be hectic and not very exciting…as UN meetings are the worst!!
A bientot,
Andrea
The good news…we have not have a new case of polio in over 10 days here in Nigeria!!! Sounds like something so minor, but for a country that usually has 2-4 cases a day at this point of the year, this is very good news indeed! It is not so say that there really has not been a case of polio, but we have yet to find one recently! So, all the work and money is slowing starting to pya off….however, the big question is really, “How do we sustain this momentum?”, but really we ask ourselves “Is it even possible to sustain?”…our last meeting with all of the who’s who in Nigeria, WHO, international NGOs, and other countries (USA, UK, Europe, etc.), sat around the meeting table and basically shamed the leaders of Nigeria, saying that countries that are in the middle of war (Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan) are actually eradicating, while Nigeria (which is considered relatively peaceful), cannot come close to getting their act together and eradicate one simple disease that is basically eradicated everywhere else in the world!! And, shaming has proved to have some effect, as Nigerians, and especially the religious and political leaders do not like to be shamed!! So, there has been some impact of this, and some good results, but we are a far way off. However, the next year will be tough. 2011 is a presidential election year, with campaigning for president and state governors start early in 2010. Many of our high risk states are areas of risk due to political issues, therefore once campaigning starts we will not be allowed into those areas. Nigeria, and basically Africa as a whole, is never a good place to be during political campaigns…there is no such thing as democracy! So, only time will tell, but at least it is getting interesting and actually there is some hope for us!
I have spent the last 9 days in the field…specifically in northern Nigeria and southwestern Chad….the sights were incredible, but not necessarily in a good way, but in a way that really opened my eyes (yet again), to the challenges of life in sub Saharan Africa. Every year at home, you may read the bottom right corner of a newspaper with a 20-40 word statement or see a very brief clip on the news about the floods and eventual famine, in west Africa. Well, I saw it first hand, and it was beyond anything I could even imagine. These are the worst floods in over 40 years…By floods, they don’t just mean a couple of centimeters of water in the fields…we are talking 6-10 feet of floods in the fields…houses are buried, complete crops lost, animals and people killed in the thousands…and then of course, the outbreaks of disease that follow…cholera, meningitis, measles, and malaria especially, so anyone left, then ultimately suffers even more. I have seen a lot in my 16 months in Africa, but this was one of the most overwhelming times. Here we were trying to immunize kids on polio, but there were many more pressing issues to these families. It was exhausting work, but it is also incredible to see how families come together and support one another, even if they have very little to give, they may still have something to give that could help someone that has nothing.
Rainy season, however, is almost over…for us here in Abuja, it means that the hot, horrible Hamattan season is just around the corner. But, hard to feel sorry for myself…it is what it is!!!! But, good thing and bad thing, is that I will be traveling so much out of Nigeria for work, so I will miss most of the heat…it is that time of year with lots of meetings, so I will be visiting more African countries, as well as again going to Geneva and Malaysia, but then it will be Christmas holidays…and this year, Christmas will be spent in Canada! I will be home for Christmas and possibly longer. Still no set plans for what I will do after Christmas, but I intend to just take some time and figure it out! But looking forward to time with friends and family, and hopefully some good cross country skiing or snowshoeing!!
I will write when I can, but things will be hectic and not very exciting…as UN meetings are the worst!!
A bientot,
Andrea
vendredi 25 septembre 2009
Gorilla trekking..and yes, a little bit of work!
Well, I am back from my most recent adventure…this time it was a very successful mission. I was sent to Uganda both on mission, and of course, to have a little bit of pleasure.
I was totally surprised by Uganda and what a beautiful country it is! Having only recently recovered from some crazy human atrocities caused by Idi Amin (see The Last King of Scotland if you don’t know about this former President of Uganda and all the crazy stuff he did to the people of Uganda), you would think that the country would still be a bit of a disaster, but not so much. The people are very friendly, have no interest in you because you are white, and don’t call you out by your skin colour! Not knowing too much about the country, besides Idi Amin and the recent rioting that happened there just 2 days before landing, I was not sure what to expect…but I was very pleasantly surprised. The country used to have one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Africa, with over 20% of its population infected, but now, in just 10 short years, it has been decreased to about 6%! This just goes to show you what a little commitment, money, and government loyalty can actually do for a country! While there is poverty, it is not as much in your face poverty as what you see in west Africa. Those that are considered poor don’t live in mud/straw huts, they actually have stone houses, with toilets, and wells nearby. The average person only has to walk less than a kilometer for water, rather than miles! There are health facilities everywhere, and peop[le pay what they can afford, and child/infant and maternity treatment is free for all Ugandans! I attended some really positive meetings, where pen is actually put to paper and names are assigned to projects, and they are ACTUALLY held accountable for the outcomes (now in my north American mentality, this should be normal, but I have gotten used to things over here, and it is just not the case)!
Uganda has also always been on my list of places to visit, really only because of the gorillas! I had heard you could do some trekking to see gorillas in their natural habitat, so I of course looked into this and told a few people that I was interested in this. Before I knew it, everything had been organized for me, and I was now on a mission with UNESCO! While traveling I was told it is the “Year of the Gorillas”, where extra effort is going into saving the gorillas from poaching and disease. So, off we went from Kampala for what the driver said would be a 4-5 hour drive (having recently done a safari, you realize that this usually means 10 hours!), and exactly 9.5 hrs later (after blowing a tyre, and losing our exhaust) we ended up in Bwindi National Forest (aka. The Impenetrable Forest) on the southern border of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo! It was a very impressive drive, many mountains to go over, only to come to these beautiful tea and banana plantations. We even got to have free safaris along the way, as you need to pass through Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls area to get to the gorillas…so got to see lots of elephants, antelopes, baboons, and even a lion as we went!
We finally arrived at the lodge we would be staying at, and it was absolutely stunning, and a full eco-lodge, which is nice to see after all this time in Africa! A lovely, small and simple lodge, but service was incredible and rooms were beautiful…this lodge even had gorillas on the property the week before we were there, so some lucky people didn’t even have to trek to find them! The sunset and sunrise were both incredible. Finally, it was time to see the gorillas! We had our briefing by the trackers (who are all former poachers), and were given clear instructions on what we could and could not do while on the trek…it was extremely well organized, and these people are truly committed to preservation of these creatures. In Bwindi, there are over 23 families of mountain gorillas (ranging from 8-32 gorillas in each family), however only 7 of them have been habituated to humans. Therefore, while these gorillas have grown accustomed to human beings around them, they are still completely wild. The other families are completely wild, and have very little contact with humans (it is usually these gorillas that are being poached). The trek then begins, and you are told that you are heading straight up the mountain to find the family you have been assigned to (only 6 groups of 8 people are allowed to trek each day, one group per family, as the 7th family is only for research), and only allowed to spend one hour with each family! It was shockingly well organized…I can only imagine if Nigeria were ever to introduce tourism to Nigeria (Nigeria actually has over 10,000 gorillas in the south south – border of Cameroon, but they aren’t mountain gorillas and are not endangered at this time – although Nigerians do keep eating them!!). We started at about 1,000 meters, and trekked up to about 1,700 meters, when we were told that the family of gorillas we were looking for had already come down the mountain and were hanging around the river bed! So, we took a short cut down, bushwaking our way through some crazy terrain, and then all of a sudden our tracker stopped our movement, turned around and said that we had to remove all of our bags, jewellery, etc, so we did, and within a minute of this, the first gorilla came into sight!! It was crazy, as it totally came out of nowhere, and she was only about 3 feet away from us (even though the rule is supposed to be 7 meters, but when they come to you, you cannot move), so it was crazy, and I actually got goosebumps seeing her! And then you noticed she had a newborn with her, which not even the tracker knew about! From there, you just started to see them everywhere. The family we visited had 23 gorillas in total – 1 newborn, 2 infants, 11 juveniles, 5 grown females, 2 blackbacks (which are soon to be silver backs, and will have to leave the group and form their own families), and one silverback (the senior guy of the group). You basically then just follow the family as it moves along the forest, they never just sit and eat, and they will eat and move almost at the same time. The tracker is able to communicate with the silver back through grunting sounds, just to say to him, yes, we are just here to observe and will not harm. This is done every 3-4 minutes just to keep the silverback calm! The funny thing is that even though the silver back is huge, he keeps himself mostly hidden!
They are truly amazing creatures to see in the wild! And you see why we are 98.7% related! They play games, pull pranks on eachother, and cuddle and show emotion just like humans do! One of the women I was with actually started crying watching them, as this was basically her dream come true! In all, we spent just over 2 hours with them (I think we got special treatment, as we were with 2 people from BBC filming this, as well, one of the ladies I was traveling with is the Ambassador to Argentina!)! So, it was an amazing and exhausting day! BBC is putting together a special for the Year of the Gorillas, so look out for it, as I am on camera! All in all an amazing day, that I will not forget!
The only funny thing that happened, was when we got back to camp in the late afternoon, and all the groups get together to discuss. In one of the groups, there were 2 people that looked really familiar, but as is what usually happens when you travel a lot, you think that people you see resemble people from home, or work. Figuring they were other UN staff, or something, I started talking to them…it was only the day after when I saw the newspaper, that it was the guy from American Pie (sorry, can’t remember his name, but he was the star)who I had been talking to and who had been invited to come and promote the Year of the Gorillas! There were a few others, but not so sure who they were, as I am a little disconnected from American television and movies these days! Pretty funny, as we were just hanging out comparing stories of the different families we had visited!
Anyways, a really good getaway and really amazing experience. I think I needed the break from the chaos of Nigeria!
I am now back in Nigeria and was immediately sent on mission…literally, I got off one plane from Uganda and within 2 hours was back n the next flight to the south of Nigeria! I got there, and was immediately called back to Abuja to deal with some things in the office, so luckily I only stayed for 23 hours! Funny thing about the place though – it is well known for kidnappings in the area I had been in – just the week before, some guys accidentally kidnapped a poor African albino, thinking he was a white man – this has made many of us laugh for days now!! Clearly, they were first timers! So, I am back in Abuja and finally will get to play some tennis again. This time of year is great because the rains have mostly stopped and it is not too hot…although Harmattan season is again only a few short months away!
Hope everyone is well!
Baci, Andrea
I was totally surprised by Uganda and what a beautiful country it is! Having only recently recovered from some crazy human atrocities caused by Idi Amin (see The Last King of Scotland if you don’t know about this former President of Uganda and all the crazy stuff he did to the people of Uganda), you would think that the country would still be a bit of a disaster, but not so much. The people are very friendly, have no interest in you because you are white, and don’t call you out by your skin colour! Not knowing too much about the country, besides Idi Amin and the recent rioting that happened there just 2 days before landing, I was not sure what to expect…but I was very pleasantly surprised. The country used to have one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Africa, with over 20% of its population infected, but now, in just 10 short years, it has been decreased to about 6%! This just goes to show you what a little commitment, money, and government loyalty can actually do for a country! While there is poverty, it is not as much in your face poverty as what you see in west Africa. Those that are considered poor don’t live in mud/straw huts, they actually have stone houses, with toilets, and wells nearby. The average person only has to walk less than a kilometer for water, rather than miles! There are health facilities everywhere, and peop[le pay what they can afford, and child/infant and maternity treatment is free for all Ugandans! I attended some really positive meetings, where pen is actually put to paper and names are assigned to projects, and they are ACTUALLY held accountable for the outcomes (now in my north American mentality, this should be normal, but I have gotten used to things over here, and it is just not the case)!
Uganda has also always been on my list of places to visit, really only because of the gorillas! I had heard you could do some trekking to see gorillas in their natural habitat, so I of course looked into this and told a few people that I was interested in this. Before I knew it, everything had been organized for me, and I was now on a mission with UNESCO! While traveling I was told it is the “Year of the Gorillas”, where extra effort is going into saving the gorillas from poaching and disease. So, off we went from Kampala for what the driver said would be a 4-5 hour drive (having recently done a safari, you realize that this usually means 10 hours!), and exactly 9.5 hrs later (after blowing a tyre, and losing our exhaust) we ended up in Bwindi National Forest (aka. The Impenetrable Forest) on the southern border of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo! It was a very impressive drive, many mountains to go over, only to come to these beautiful tea and banana plantations. We even got to have free safaris along the way, as you need to pass through Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls area to get to the gorillas…so got to see lots of elephants, antelopes, baboons, and even a lion as we went!
We finally arrived at the lodge we would be staying at, and it was absolutely stunning, and a full eco-lodge, which is nice to see after all this time in Africa! A lovely, small and simple lodge, but service was incredible and rooms were beautiful…this lodge even had gorillas on the property the week before we were there, so some lucky people didn’t even have to trek to find them! The sunset and sunrise were both incredible. Finally, it was time to see the gorillas! We had our briefing by the trackers (who are all former poachers), and were given clear instructions on what we could and could not do while on the trek…it was extremely well organized, and these people are truly committed to preservation of these creatures. In Bwindi, there are over 23 families of mountain gorillas (ranging from 8-32 gorillas in each family), however only 7 of them have been habituated to humans. Therefore, while these gorillas have grown accustomed to human beings around them, they are still completely wild. The other families are completely wild, and have very little contact with humans (it is usually these gorillas that are being poached). The trek then begins, and you are told that you are heading straight up the mountain to find the family you have been assigned to (only 6 groups of 8 people are allowed to trek each day, one group per family, as the 7th family is only for research), and only allowed to spend one hour with each family! It was shockingly well organized…I can only imagine if Nigeria were ever to introduce tourism to Nigeria (Nigeria actually has over 10,000 gorillas in the south south – border of Cameroon, but they aren’t mountain gorillas and are not endangered at this time – although Nigerians do keep eating them!!). We started at about 1,000 meters, and trekked up to about 1,700 meters, when we were told that the family of gorillas we were looking for had already come down the mountain and were hanging around the river bed! So, we took a short cut down, bushwaking our way through some crazy terrain, and then all of a sudden our tracker stopped our movement, turned around and said that we had to remove all of our bags, jewellery, etc, so we did, and within a minute of this, the first gorilla came into sight!! It was crazy, as it totally came out of nowhere, and she was only about 3 feet away from us (even though the rule is supposed to be 7 meters, but when they come to you, you cannot move), so it was crazy, and I actually got goosebumps seeing her! And then you noticed she had a newborn with her, which not even the tracker knew about! From there, you just started to see them everywhere. The family we visited had 23 gorillas in total – 1 newborn, 2 infants, 11 juveniles, 5 grown females, 2 blackbacks (which are soon to be silver backs, and will have to leave the group and form their own families), and one silverback (the senior guy of the group). You basically then just follow the family as it moves along the forest, they never just sit and eat, and they will eat and move almost at the same time. The tracker is able to communicate with the silver back through grunting sounds, just to say to him, yes, we are just here to observe and will not harm. This is done every 3-4 minutes just to keep the silverback calm! The funny thing is that even though the silver back is huge, he keeps himself mostly hidden!
They are truly amazing creatures to see in the wild! And you see why we are 98.7% related! They play games, pull pranks on eachother, and cuddle and show emotion just like humans do! One of the women I was with actually started crying watching them, as this was basically her dream come true! In all, we spent just over 2 hours with them (I think we got special treatment, as we were with 2 people from BBC filming this, as well, one of the ladies I was traveling with is the Ambassador to Argentina!)! So, it was an amazing and exhausting day! BBC is putting together a special for the Year of the Gorillas, so look out for it, as I am on camera! All in all an amazing day, that I will not forget!
The only funny thing that happened, was when we got back to camp in the late afternoon, and all the groups get together to discuss. In one of the groups, there were 2 people that looked really familiar, but as is what usually happens when you travel a lot, you think that people you see resemble people from home, or work. Figuring they were other UN staff, or something, I started talking to them…it was only the day after when I saw the newspaper, that it was the guy from American Pie (sorry, can’t remember his name, but he was the star)who I had been talking to and who had been invited to come and promote the Year of the Gorillas! There were a few others, but not so sure who they were, as I am a little disconnected from American television and movies these days! Pretty funny, as we were just hanging out comparing stories of the different families we had visited!
Anyways, a really good getaway and really amazing experience. I think I needed the break from the chaos of Nigeria!
I am now back in Nigeria and was immediately sent on mission…literally, I got off one plane from Uganda and within 2 hours was back n the next flight to the south of Nigeria! I got there, and was immediately called back to Abuja to deal with some things in the office, so luckily I only stayed for 23 hours! Funny thing about the place though – it is well known for kidnappings in the area I had been in – just the week before, some guys accidentally kidnapped a poor African albino, thinking he was a white man – this has made many of us laugh for days now!! Clearly, they were first timers! So, I am back in Abuja and finally will get to play some tennis again. This time of year is great because the rains have mostly stopped and it is not too hot…although Harmattan season is again only a few short months away!
Hope everyone is well!
Baci, Andrea
mercredi 9 septembre 2009
I am a Nigerian car owner!!!
Two things to apologize for….
1. Delay in posting anything here for such a long time
2. Sending spam from my old email account – changed it, so new one is andrea_thompson@live.com
So much has happened in the last few weeks since coming back to Nigeria, that I really have not even had a minute to think, let alone write! I have been back in Nigeria one month yesterday, but really I have been everywhere but Nigeria. Lots of traveling happening at this time of year, as next year is a new biennium for our budget, so we have to go around to lots of governments to kindly “beg/request” for money to fund our programs for the next two years!
Including fund raising, I have acted as crime scene investigator, grave digger, financial auditor and a few other things in the last few weeks….long story short, a staff member was recently murdered (still unproven, but we know it was his wife and her lover who killed him). I had to go find the body, take it to the morgue, beg the autopsy guy to actually do the autopsy (and pay him a lot of money), and then, once ready to bury the body, and because his brothers were too drunk to complete the grave digging process, my colleague and I had to take over, although this did not last too long as the brothers were so totally intoxicated on local palm wine (probably about 90% proof) and started shooting the guns they just so happened to have on them, that we felt it best to leave…of course, only about 2 hours later we received a call that the one brother shot himself in the foot! Not a staff member, so nothing I could do about it, nor did I want to! To prove how corrupt this country is, the staff member had clearly been murdered (as indicated by the stab wounds in his stomach, and oh yes, the toilet bowl that was still around his neck, which was used to strangle him…the pathologist and police have both listed the death as “natural causes”!!?? Interesting until we are told they have both bought new cars and a new house for their families…and they are related to both the wife and her lover! So, clearly money exchanged hands… Sadly, it seems that we have a lot of death in our offices, and we do, as there have been 5 people since August and is becoming a bit of a concern here, but hard to figure out any solution to it…
I am now an official car owner in Nigeria, although I have no interest in actually driving it. Again, this is a very long story, but trying to be nice, I lent money to my housegirl Mary’s husband so that he can start a taxi business, and well, he became a little lazy, and I think enjoyed having a car to just drive his friends around in all day. So, it sounds cruel, but as of today, the car is now in my possession, and I have hired a full time driver…not sure what the poor guy will do all day while I am at work, and I am away so often on work missions, but good to keep someone else employed here. There is a much longer version to this, but even my Nigerian colleagues told me I had to do it…as well as something like “…never trust an Ibo man, EVER…”, so too bad for him. It was a really funny experience, but some guy from the Driving and Highways agency comes to see me and asked if I wanted to change ownership of the vehicle, I said yes, and within 4 hours, I had paperwork sitting on my desk. The former owner, Chika (my housegirl’s husband) did not sign anything, did not agree to anything, nothing…I just now own the car that up until 8am this morning was his. Seems a little bizarre, but as they said, a “white woman would never steal”!! Paid my little monies to the guy and now I own a black Toyota, with who knows how much mileage, as the odometer only has 5 digit spaces, but it is in decent shape, and should last a while! I will attempt to drive it over the weekend, only because Abuja is so quiet, but during the week, I would never do it.
Good news, however, polio and our dream of eradicating it, is moving forward, somewhat. We still have hundreds of cases, but about 200 less than last year at this time! So, there is hope, yet again, in our dream of eradication!! We have this year to prove ourselves, or I am sure we will lose all funding. I look forward to the day I lose my job because we were actually able to eradicate and the international people here are no longer needed! Hope is renewed, and big meetings are happening all over the place, to move funds to our program, as it is looking so close! Even the Gates foundation is starting to have faith in us again! “In sh’allah”!!
Not sure how long I am back for, but really hoping I won’t be here much longer! I did get asked to move to another office, however, it is worse than Nigeria…the place…Papua New Guinea, most people would think this would be great, as it is in the middle of the ocean (off the coast of Australia – by Brisbane) , with beautiful white, sandy beaches, aqua marine water and year round warmth…however, there are also major problems there, and as one colleague of mine from Geneva said (who used to work in Vanauatu and PNG), “you think there are savages here in Africa, just wait until you get over there!” and finished with saying that “Abuja is like paradise compared to Port Moresby (capital of PNG)”!. So, I am still in the process of negotiating my way out of it, but time will tell….sad to think that it can actually get worse than Nigeria!!! I am still holding out for NYC, but that is looking more and more unlikely…so at this point I am hoping that something happens somewhere!
It is again Ramadan here, so most of our regular field activities have come to a standstill, as most people to sleep and relax all day, so nothing really gets done. I am hoping to be celebrating Sallah(the last day of Ramadan) outside of Nigeria, ideally with gorillas (plans are in the works to do a 3 day trek to see the mountain gorillas of Rwanda or Uganda in 2 weeks time)! Hopefully, it happens this time! Other than that, there is a lot of work to do by us that don’t get to use Ramadan as the reason behind our inability to work.
But all is good! Hope that everyone at home had great summers…it was great to get to spend 5 weeks at home. So nice to catch up and spend time with family and friends, and I look forward to doing it again soon..at this point, I should be home by Christmas!
See you all soon, take care,
ange
1. Delay in posting anything here for such a long time
2. Sending spam from my old email account – changed it, so new one is andrea_thompson@live.com
So much has happened in the last few weeks since coming back to Nigeria, that I really have not even had a minute to think, let alone write! I have been back in Nigeria one month yesterday, but really I have been everywhere but Nigeria. Lots of traveling happening at this time of year, as next year is a new biennium for our budget, so we have to go around to lots of governments to kindly “beg/request” for money to fund our programs for the next two years!
Including fund raising, I have acted as crime scene investigator, grave digger, financial auditor and a few other things in the last few weeks….long story short, a staff member was recently murdered (still unproven, but we know it was his wife and her lover who killed him). I had to go find the body, take it to the morgue, beg the autopsy guy to actually do the autopsy (and pay him a lot of money), and then, once ready to bury the body, and because his brothers were too drunk to complete the grave digging process, my colleague and I had to take over, although this did not last too long as the brothers were so totally intoxicated on local palm wine (probably about 90% proof) and started shooting the guns they just so happened to have on them, that we felt it best to leave…of course, only about 2 hours later we received a call that the one brother shot himself in the foot! Not a staff member, so nothing I could do about it, nor did I want to! To prove how corrupt this country is, the staff member had clearly been murdered (as indicated by the stab wounds in his stomach, and oh yes, the toilet bowl that was still around his neck, which was used to strangle him…the pathologist and police have both listed the death as “natural causes”!!?? Interesting until we are told they have both bought new cars and a new house for their families…and they are related to both the wife and her lover! So, clearly money exchanged hands… Sadly, it seems that we have a lot of death in our offices, and we do, as there have been 5 people since August and is becoming a bit of a concern here, but hard to figure out any solution to it…
I am now an official car owner in Nigeria, although I have no interest in actually driving it. Again, this is a very long story, but trying to be nice, I lent money to my housegirl Mary’s husband so that he can start a taxi business, and well, he became a little lazy, and I think enjoyed having a car to just drive his friends around in all day. So, it sounds cruel, but as of today, the car is now in my possession, and I have hired a full time driver…not sure what the poor guy will do all day while I am at work, and I am away so often on work missions, but good to keep someone else employed here. There is a much longer version to this, but even my Nigerian colleagues told me I had to do it…as well as something like “…never trust an Ibo man, EVER…”, so too bad for him. It was a really funny experience, but some guy from the Driving and Highways agency comes to see me and asked if I wanted to change ownership of the vehicle, I said yes, and within 4 hours, I had paperwork sitting on my desk. The former owner, Chika (my housegirl’s husband) did not sign anything, did not agree to anything, nothing…I just now own the car that up until 8am this morning was his. Seems a little bizarre, but as they said, a “white woman would never steal”!! Paid my little monies to the guy and now I own a black Toyota, with who knows how much mileage, as the odometer only has 5 digit spaces, but it is in decent shape, and should last a while! I will attempt to drive it over the weekend, only because Abuja is so quiet, but during the week, I would never do it.
Good news, however, polio and our dream of eradicating it, is moving forward, somewhat. We still have hundreds of cases, but about 200 less than last year at this time! So, there is hope, yet again, in our dream of eradication!! We have this year to prove ourselves, or I am sure we will lose all funding. I look forward to the day I lose my job because we were actually able to eradicate and the international people here are no longer needed! Hope is renewed, and big meetings are happening all over the place, to move funds to our program, as it is looking so close! Even the Gates foundation is starting to have faith in us again! “In sh’allah”!!
Not sure how long I am back for, but really hoping I won’t be here much longer! I did get asked to move to another office, however, it is worse than Nigeria…the place…Papua New Guinea, most people would think this would be great, as it is in the middle of the ocean (off the coast of Australia – by Brisbane) , with beautiful white, sandy beaches, aqua marine water and year round warmth…however, there are also major problems there, and as one colleague of mine from Geneva said (who used to work in Vanauatu and PNG), “you think there are savages here in Africa, just wait until you get over there!” and finished with saying that “Abuja is like paradise compared to Port Moresby (capital of PNG)”!. So, I am still in the process of negotiating my way out of it, but time will tell….sad to think that it can actually get worse than Nigeria!!! I am still holding out for NYC, but that is looking more and more unlikely…so at this point I am hoping that something happens somewhere!
It is again Ramadan here, so most of our regular field activities have come to a standstill, as most people to sleep and relax all day, so nothing really gets done. I am hoping to be celebrating Sallah(the last day of Ramadan) outside of Nigeria, ideally with gorillas (plans are in the works to do a 3 day trek to see the mountain gorillas of Rwanda or Uganda in 2 weeks time)! Hopefully, it happens this time! Other than that, there is a lot of work to do by us that don’t get to use Ramadan as the reason behind our inability to work.
But all is good! Hope that everyone at home had great summers…it was great to get to spend 5 weeks at home. So nice to catch up and spend time with family and friends, and I look forward to doing it again soon..at this point, I should be home by Christmas!
See you all soon, take care,
ange
mardi 23 juin 2009
okay...now really just one more week....
So, I jumped the gun a little..So, I am now actually only leaving in one week from now. But, at least my ticket home is booked, so it is “definite” that I am going home. The only thing that has changed, is that I will be coming back again to Nigeria, but it is not for a long time, just a short time, in order to hand over everything and hopefully find something else, somewhere!
But, in the interim, I will be home the entire month of July, and a few weeks in August! The perks of a job in Africa is you get lots of holidays, and when you really don’t want to come back, but will do so as a favour, you get as much time off as you want!
I have been doing lots of traveling since my last posting, and am really all over the place. As a reminder that I am in Africa still, and a bon voyage gift, I have malaria again, but I think my body is so used to it now, that really the effects have been relatively small, but it just makes for tiring days…but I will have lots of time in Canada to just rest and recuperate.
HINI Influenza A (Swine Flu) is keeping us very busy. While there are no confirmed cases in sub sahara Africa, we know that there are probably cases of it, but people just don’t go to doctors, and symptoms are so similar to malaria in some ways, that they will just self treat. If they die, no autopsies or anything are done, they are just buried, typically within 24 hours. But, we are ready for it here, and are preparing all countries around us for possible infections! Just a little note to most people who aren’t totally familiar with this whole “Pandemic level”…as I think there is a lot of confusion. Pandemic does not mean Pandemonia. WHO has raised the level of the infection to Pandemic 6, but this is purely for scientific purposes, and by no means implies that this virus is so deadly and out of control that everyone should be worried. It is a systematic process, where once the exact same strain of the virus (as is the case with HINI) has spread to beyond 20 countries, and because of this, it must be raised to level 6. It does not mean that people are dying everywhere from the virus, this is in fact the opposite. Very few people have died from it, it is no more serious than the regular flu season, which does in fact kill thousands every year (for us in North America). The other reason it is raised to Pandemic level 6 is so countries with strong pharmaceutical companies (namely Europe and North America) are mandated to work on an antivirus for the illness. So, bottom line is don’t get too overly crazed about this virus. The media makes it out to be the end of the world…like small pox and Spanish influenza all over again…this is so far from the truth. Just like in regular flu season, take precautions, like wash your hands as often as possible, avoid huge gatherings of people (especially public crowds of strangers), and if you feel sick, go to the doctor and/or stay home. There is no need to stop traveling, or stop eating pork (no proof that this came from pigs at this point). There is no real crisis at this point, so no one should be overly concerned by it!
So, enough from me for now. I will be home in a week’s time, and will be all over the place, so best place to find me, is by email or at my parent’s house. I am looking forward to many bbqs, and patio evenings with cold beer, and no malaria infected mosquitos!
Take care,
Andrea
But, in the interim, I will be home the entire month of July, and a few weeks in August! The perks of a job in Africa is you get lots of holidays, and when you really don’t want to come back, but will do so as a favour, you get as much time off as you want!
I have been doing lots of traveling since my last posting, and am really all over the place. As a reminder that I am in Africa still, and a bon voyage gift, I have malaria again, but I think my body is so used to it now, that really the effects have been relatively small, but it just makes for tiring days…but I will have lots of time in Canada to just rest and recuperate.
HINI Influenza A (Swine Flu) is keeping us very busy. While there are no confirmed cases in sub sahara Africa, we know that there are probably cases of it, but people just don’t go to doctors, and symptoms are so similar to malaria in some ways, that they will just self treat. If they die, no autopsies or anything are done, they are just buried, typically within 24 hours. But, we are ready for it here, and are preparing all countries around us for possible infections! Just a little note to most people who aren’t totally familiar with this whole “Pandemic level”…as I think there is a lot of confusion. Pandemic does not mean Pandemonia. WHO has raised the level of the infection to Pandemic 6, but this is purely for scientific purposes, and by no means implies that this virus is so deadly and out of control that everyone should be worried. It is a systematic process, where once the exact same strain of the virus (as is the case with HINI) has spread to beyond 20 countries, and because of this, it must be raised to level 6. It does not mean that people are dying everywhere from the virus, this is in fact the opposite. Very few people have died from it, it is no more serious than the regular flu season, which does in fact kill thousands every year (for us in North America). The other reason it is raised to Pandemic level 6 is so countries with strong pharmaceutical companies (namely Europe and North America) are mandated to work on an antivirus for the illness. So, bottom line is don’t get too overly crazed about this virus. The media makes it out to be the end of the world…like small pox and Spanish influenza all over again…this is so far from the truth. Just like in regular flu season, take precautions, like wash your hands as often as possible, avoid huge gatherings of people (especially public crowds of strangers), and if you feel sick, go to the doctor and/or stay home. There is no need to stop traveling, or stop eating pork (no proof that this came from pigs at this point). There is no real crisis at this point, so no one should be overly concerned by it!
So, enough from me for now. I will be home in a week’s time, and will be all over the place, so best place to find me, is by email or at my parent’s house. I am looking forward to many bbqs, and patio evenings with cold beer, and no malaria infected mosquitos!
Take care,
Andrea
lundi 15 juin 2009
one more week to go....
Well, I have again been very busy moving all over the place, mainly west Africa, but very soon that will all come to an end!
We had yet another polio and measles campaign all over west Africa, so I had to go out and support in Nigeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso! It was crazy, but also totally interesting. The countries are so close together, but miles apart in terms of culture, acceptance (or not) of the vaccine and many, many other things.
Nigeria is still by far the worst country of acceptance of the vaccine, that it is rather embarrassing. Even countries that are “more muslim” accept the vaccinations freely, but Nigeria still seems to have issues with it. I think that really just goes to show you how poor the health system is here, where as the other above mentioned countries have really enforced and educated their people on the benefits of the vaccine!
As mentioned earlier, I am leaving Nigeria in……exactly one week! I can’t believe a year has already passed, but it has (of course, not including the deportation)! It went by really fast at times, and other times, not fast enough! I have learned a lot here, and while there is still a lot of work to do here, I just feel it is time to leave. I actually don’t have anything specifically planned for my next move, but I am really looking forward to taking at least a month to two months off to just relax and see what else is available out “there”. I am also strongly thinking of staying in Canada and getting a “real” job, but we will see, it just depends on what really is out there and interesting to do. I am sometimes afraid that I will get bored at a desk job, but I also think it will be a bit of relief. My body is also telling me I need a break…here is the list of diseases during my time in Nigeria…malaria x2, dysentery (more than I count), typhoid x2 or 3 (third time is still to be decided),…no polio though, so clearly I can say that the 300 doses of polio or so I have taken since I arrived here has helped (although that vaccine as a child is really what did it)! It sounds worse than it is, and it really isn’t all that bad…it is kind of like just having flu/cold off and on throughout the year. My system is now either really weak, or will be able to fight off whatever north American virus there is out there (HINI Influenza A being one of them – aka. Swine Flu)!!! Nigeria has been a tough place to live, but I am sure I will miss the chaosness of it all. Not having electricity, power, hot water, etc, has become so normal to me that I cannot imagine having them all day, every day whenever I just turn the lights, tv, etc on! But, on the other hand, I have become very spoiled….i have a driver that takes me and accompanies me everywhere, my housegirl does not allow me to lift a finger ( I haven’t done laundry, washed a dish, or mopped a floor in over 12 months), and everywhere I go, we are treated like these amazing creatures that will bring fortune to all (which is of course totally not true)!
As previously mentioned, polio in Nigeria has yet to be interrupted, and therefore it is not eradicated…and as much as I am usually an optimist, I don’t think we are anywhere near it ever happening here in Nigeria…there are just too many cultural and religious issues inhibiting from us to do the job, and do it well. Basically, every other country that has polio (i.e., Afghanistan, India, Pakistan) have come very close to interrupting the virus (this means no new spreads of the disease) and have a few years until they can officially say it is eradicated! So donors are a little fed us with us folks in Nigeria and are losing faith in “our” abilities. I personally think my colleagues in WHO have run themselves flat out fighting this battle, and we are beyond being able to continue at this pace. So, if anyone has any suggestions for eradicating this disease, please share.
Did I mention that I met the man who has discovered the “cure” for AIDS?!?! I met the whack job who has written an article that he has been able to “cure” AIDS in over 56% of those individuals he tested it on…he is total quack, but totally believes he has done “it”! It is sad because he is out there promising false hope to so, so many people who want to believe they can be saved. On this same note, if you remember my whole crazy situation with our staff member with AIDS…well, he died on Tuesday. As sad as it was, it was a long time coming. He was so incredibly sick in his last few days that this is a relief for everyone that had been dealing with him. We buried him the same day, so took him back to his village for the burial, and again, yet another adventure…4 hour journey into village life…during rainy season!!! So, the dirt “roads” we used so many months back have now turned into river beds, with craters filled with water at least 3 feet deep, which made for an even more adventurous experience! We finally made it, and as the body was with us, as soon as the villagers saw us arriving, you could hear the wailing begin. It was actually a really chilling experience. Hearing these women instantly brought me to tears and I felt these peoples loss. It became obvious that not only was he a provider for his family, but he was the provider of the village. He built the village house (where all went to share meals, church, school, market, etc.). So, his own small family was actually about 500 people or so. Who would think that on a salary of about $1000 USD per month, that you can safely provide for more than 500 people! Pretty incredible ! It was an incredible experience that I will again never forget, and don’t want to forget…it truly makes our anglo-saxon funerals seem so pitiful/emotionless (for lack of a better word). But, it is over, and I am sure he is in a better place, however his young son is now an orphan, which is the reality in most African countries…grandparents taking care of their grandbabies, and while the UN takes care of its staff who die while employed, this poor child will grow up in his village, with little chance to education or proper healthcare. I just hope the money they receive will be appropriately spent…we have another driver in WHO from a nearby village and he has promised to continue to follow up on him…as they say here “In Sh’Allah” (By god's will).
Well, that is it for now….I will again write with an update on what will be my next adventure. I never say never to Nigeria again, but it is very unlikely…but Africa holds a special place in my heart….
A bientot, Andrea
We had yet another polio and measles campaign all over west Africa, so I had to go out and support in Nigeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso! It was crazy, but also totally interesting. The countries are so close together, but miles apart in terms of culture, acceptance (or not) of the vaccine and many, many other things.
Nigeria is still by far the worst country of acceptance of the vaccine, that it is rather embarrassing. Even countries that are “more muslim” accept the vaccinations freely, but Nigeria still seems to have issues with it. I think that really just goes to show you how poor the health system is here, where as the other above mentioned countries have really enforced and educated their people on the benefits of the vaccine!
As mentioned earlier, I am leaving Nigeria in……exactly one week! I can’t believe a year has already passed, but it has (of course, not including the deportation)! It went by really fast at times, and other times, not fast enough! I have learned a lot here, and while there is still a lot of work to do here, I just feel it is time to leave. I actually don’t have anything specifically planned for my next move, but I am really looking forward to taking at least a month to two months off to just relax and see what else is available out “there”. I am also strongly thinking of staying in Canada and getting a “real” job, but we will see, it just depends on what really is out there and interesting to do. I am sometimes afraid that I will get bored at a desk job, but I also think it will be a bit of relief. My body is also telling me I need a break…here is the list of diseases during my time in Nigeria…malaria x2, dysentery (more than I count), typhoid x2 or 3 (third time is still to be decided),…no polio though, so clearly I can say that the 300 doses of polio or so I have taken since I arrived here has helped (although that vaccine as a child is really what did it)! It sounds worse than it is, and it really isn’t all that bad…it is kind of like just having flu/cold off and on throughout the year. My system is now either really weak, or will be able to fight off whatever north American virus there is out there (HINI Influenza A being one of them – aka. Swine Flu)!!! Nigeria has been a tough place to live, but I am sure I will miss the chaosness of it all. Not having electricity, power, hot water, etc, has become so normal to me that I cannot imagine having them all day, every day whenever I just turn the lights, tv, etc on! But, on the other hand, I have become very spoiled….i have a driver that takes me and accompanies me everywhere, my housegirl does not allow me to lift a finger ( I haven’t done laundry, washed a dish, or mopped a floor in over 12 months), and everywhere I go, we are treated like these amazing creatures that will bring fortune to all (which is of course totally not true)!
As previously mentioned, polio in Nigeria has yet to be interrupted, and therefore it is not eradicated…and as much as I am usually an optimist, I don’t think we are anywhere near it ever happening here in Nigeria…there are just too many cultural and religious issues inhibiting from us to do the job, and do it well. Basically, every other country that has polio (i.e., Afghanistan, India, Pakistan) have come very close to interrupting the virus (this means no new spreads of the disease) and have a few years until they can officially say it is eradicated! So donors are a little fed us with us folks in Nigeria and are losing faith in “our” abilities. I personally think my colleagues in WHO have run themselves flat out fighting this battle, and we are beyond being able to continue at this pace. So, if anyone has any suggestions for eradicating this disease, please share.
Did I mention that I met the man who has discovered the “cure” for AIDS?!?! I met the whack job who has written an article that he has been able to “cure” AIDS in over 56% of those individuals he tested it on…he is total quack, but totally believes he has done “it”! It is sad because he is out there promising false hope to so, so many people who want to believe they can be saved. On this same note, if you remember my whole crazy situation with our staff member with AIDS…well, he died on Tuesday. As sad as it was, it was a long time coming. He was so incredibly sick in his last few days that this is a relief for everyone that had been dealing with him. We buried him the same day, so took him back to his village for the burial, and again, yet another adventure…4 hour journey into village life…during rainy season!!! So, the dirt “roads” we used so many months back have now turned into river beds, with craters filled with water at least 3 feet deep, which made for an even more adventurous experience! We finally made it, and as the body was with us, as soon as the villagers saw us arriving, you could hear the wailing begin. It was actually a really chilling experience. Hearing these women instantly brought me to tears and I felt these peoples loss. It became obvious that not only was he a provider for his family, but he was the provider of the village. He built the village house (where all went to share meals, church, school, market, etc.). So, his own small family was actually about 500 people or so. Who would think that on a salary of about $1000 USD per month, that you can safely provide for more than 500 people! Pretty incredible ! It was an incredible experience that I will again never forget, and don’t want to forget…it truly makes our anglo-saxon funerals seem so pitiful/emotionless (for lack of a better word). But, it is over, and I am sure he is in a better place, however his young son is now an orphan, which is the reality in most African countries…grandparents taking care of their grandbabies, and while the UN takes care of its staff who die while employed, this poor child will grow up in his village, with little chance to education or proper healthcare. I just hope the money they receive will be appropriately spent…we have another driver in WHO from a nearby village and he has promised to continue to follow up on him…as they say here “In Sh’Allah” (By god's will).
Well, that is it for now….I will again write with an update on what will be my next adventure. I never say never to Nigeria again, but it is very unlikely…but Africa holds a special place in my heart….
A bientot, Andrea
vendredi 22 mai 2009
Brian is born…
Well, my house girl Mary’s baby has finally been born…and thankfully, they changed the name, and really surprising in honour of my brother Brian…so the little boy’s name is Brian Fabulous (another indigenous name still to be determined) Chika! I thought it sweet of them to name him after my brother…and honestly it is after my brother, as they asked what my brothers names were and then decided they liked Brian best!
The baby boy was born 32 hours after her water broke…and from what I witnessed it must have been sheer hell! He weighed a very healthy 3.2 kgs, and after a few days of being a relatively “white” brown baby, he is getting his full brown pigment in all his extremities! Full head of hair and perfectly healthy, which also really surprises me with all the chaos that she went through having him.
Having seen a few births in my time, this one was by far the worst thing I have seen to date, and was concerned at some point that maybe it would have been best to have just had the baby at home, as the hospital provided very little in the way of support or assistance. The story is not pretty, so I will not give too many details, but what I saw really angered me about the “systems” in Nigeria….I have many times ranted about this country and how it operates, but the healthcare system truly is deplorable. I went with Mary to the hospital to help her, as her mom or sisters could not be there or I didi not want her to be alone for the first baby, and her husband Chika could not be there (this is normal as men aren’t even allowed in the maternity ward). From the minute we entered, we experienced complete chaos and inefficiency and total disregard for human life. Mary was immediately given a “bed” as she was in active labour, but before she could occupy the bed she had to first go down to the lab for test results and blood donations (this took us about 5 hours to do). However, if I go back to our first entering the maternity ward, there were 2 women giving birth on the dirty, nonsterile floor, as they could not afford the roughly 1000 naira ($6 usd) for the “bed”…I keep putting “bed” this way, as really you have to bring your own mat and sterile blanket to put on top of the basic cushion you are given to lie on…on top of the bed you have to bring, you also have to bring your own sterile gloves, mucous extractors, clamps, etc. (yes, everything you essentially need to help birth a healthy baby – the hospital does not provide any items and if you don’t bring them, you are not allowed to use a “bed”!!!). The room where the ladies deliver each has 4 “beds” and all were full with women in full labour (an average day at this hospital is 5 babies an hour – with one nurse on duty and no doctor!!!). Women are not allowed to have anyone help them with the birth, so they are completely alone, and told to labour silently (which, somehow they actually manage to do, all WITHOUT pain medicine!!!!). At the same time, in the room where Mary was given, in the fourth “bed” lay a woman who died in childbirth…they refused to move her because the family could not afford the money to pay for the removal of her body, so there she lay, while other women were right beside her giving birth as if it was no big deal. I felt really bad for Mary at this time as she was now even more scared for what was to come…on top of this, as so many women are giving birth basically at the same time, and there is only one nurse, the ladies cleaning the floors are then delivering the babies with their dirty hands…one poor woman was having to give birth in a bucket as there was nobody with free hands to help her out. As I was not allowed to stay in the room, I did not see the full conclusion to this, but I did hear a healthy, crying baby a few minutes later from her, so I assume babies born in buckets are healthy and normal! Fai and I left as it was late, and as we were not allowed back in the delivery area to stay there was no point in staying and one of Mary’s friend’s came to support from outside. From this point, Mary experience20 more hours of labour before Brian was finally born! After all this is over, you still have to pay for using the hospital (not very much, but still with more than 60% making less than a dollar a day, the $18 dollars is significant), plus you are sent home within 4 hours of giving birth!
Mary was fortunate as she has a job and ways to afford things, but many others don’t have the same opportunities as her. While at first I was getting very frustrated and angry that the nurses would not remove the ladies giving birth on the floor or the dead woman from her bed, but really I realized that it is just impossible to do anything, as they are so overworked as it is, and if they help one lady they have to do the same for everyone else that shows up at the hospital….so it really is the system and the politicians who are to blame for this mess.
Nigeria has the highest rate of infant mortality and mother mortality rate in the world!!! Yes, the world! 25% of all children die before their 5th birthday here…shocking, isn’t?!!?!?! No wonder WHO is here working! But also in this is that more than 75% of women do not give birth in hospitals, but at home, sometimes under the care of a trained midwife, but usually it is just a village lady who claims to be a mid wife. They use very dirty medical utensils (sometimes just wooden spoons, and burning logs to sever the umbilical cord)…so you can only imagine the types of infections the mother and baby get! But, this is really how it works in 60% of the world…not many people are as fortunate as us in the developed world to have good, working hospitals and qualified medical staff to support us, and be offered lots of drugs to assist : )
All in all, a crazy experience, but at least Mary and her baby are healthy. She is now reconsidering ever having another baby, as I think this scared her more than she thought. Tomorrow is the naming ceremony, and as the “Auntie” I have to give him an official second name…not quite sure what to choose as I really don’t know any local names, besides those of my drivers, and not sure I really want to name a baby Cola, Bimbo, Sunday, Monday, etc. SO, will have to come up with something unique at the very least!
I have just come back from mission, where I went to the north (again)…sharia law exists where I went, but not totally enforced, so not need for full body wrapping, just hair and legs. It was a great trip and really wish I had remembered my camera, as I got to visit the famous 4 thousand year old tie dye pits of Kano! I bought quite a bit of stuff, as it is really beautiful materials, so will try to get some photos of it, and then if anyone is interested in more of it, I will be back up there in a couple of weeks again!
Anyways, I hope all is well…and remember, I am home as of the end of June, and look forward to seeing everyone!
Bye for now,
Andrea
The baby boy was born 32 hours after her water broke…and from what I witnessed it must have been sheer hell! He weighed a very healthy 3.2 kgs, and after a few days of being a relatively “white” brown baby, he is getting his full brown pigment in all his extremities! Full head of hair and perfectly healthy, which also really surprises me with all the chaos that she went through having him.
Having seen a few births in my time, this one was by far the worst thing I have seen to date, and was concerned at some point that maybe it would have been best to have just had the baby at home, as the hospital provided very little in the way of support or assistance. The story is not pretty, so I will not give too many details, but what I saw really angered me about the “systems” in Nigeria….I have many times ranted about this country and how it operates, but the healthcare system truly is deplorable. I went with Mary to the hospital to help her, as her mom or sisters could not be there or I didi not want her to be alone for the first baby, and her husband Chika could not be there (this is normal as men aren’t even allowed in the maternity ward). From the minute we entered, we experienced complete chaos and inefficiency and total disregard for human life. Mary was immediately given a “bed” as she was in active labour, but before she could occupy the bed she had to first go down to the lab for test results and blood donations (this took us about 5 hours to do). However, if I go back to our first entering the maternity ward, there were 2 women giving birth on the dirty, nonsterile floor, as they could not afford the roughly 1000 naira ($6 usd) for the “bed”…I keep putting “bed” this way, as really you have to bring your own mat and sterile blanket to put on top of the basic cushion you are given to lie on…on top of the bed you have to bring, you also have to bring your own sterile gloves, mucous extractors, clamps, etc. (yes, everything you essentially need to help birth a healthy baby – the hospital does not provide any items and if you don’t bring them, you are not allowed to use a “bed”!!!). The room where the ladies deliver each has 4 “beds” and all were full with women in full labour (an average day at this hospital is 5 babies an hour – with one nurse on duty and no doctor!!!). Women are not allowed to have anyone help them with the birth, so they are completely alone, and told to labour silently (which, somehow they actually manage to do, all WITHOUT pain medicine!!!!). At the same time, in the room where Mary was given, in the fourth “bed” lay a woman who died in childbirth…they refused to move her because the family could not afford the money to pay for the removal of her body, so there she lay, while other women were right beside her giving birth as if it was no big deal. I felt really bad for Mary at this time as she was now even more scared for what was to come…on top of this, as so many women are giving birth basically at the same time, and there is only one nurse, the ladies cleaning the floors are then delivering the babies with their dirty hands…one poor woman was having to give birth in a bucket as there was nobody with free hands to help her out. As I was not allowed to stay in the room, I did not see the full conclusion to this, but I did hear a healthy, crying baby a few minutes later from her, so I assume babies born in buckets are healthy and normal! Fai and I left as it was late, and as we were not allowed back in the delivery area to stay there was no point in staying and one of Mary’s friend’s came to support from outside. From this point, Mary experience20 more hours of labour before Brian was finally born! After all this is over, you still have to pay for using the hospital (not very much, but still with more than 60% making less than a dollar a day, the $18 dollars is significant), plus you are sent home within 4 hours of giving birth!
Mary was fortunate as she has a job and ways to afford things, but many others don’t have the same opportunities as her. While at first I was getting very frustrated and angry that the nurses would not remove the ladies giving birth on the floor or the dead woman from her bed, but really I realized that it is just impossible to do anything, as they are so overworked as it is, and if they help one lady they have to do the same for everyone else that shows up at the hospital….so it really is the system and the politicians who are to blame for this mess.
Nigeria has the highest rate of infant mortality and mother mortality rate in the world!!! Yes, the world! 25% of all children die before their 5th birthday here…shocking, isn’t?!!?!?! No wonder WHO is here working! But also in this is that more than 75% of women do not give birth in hospitals, but at home, sometimes under the care of a trained midwife, but usually it is just a village lady who claims to be a mid wife. They use very dirty medical utensils (sometimes just wooden spoons, and burning logs to sever the umbilical cord)…so you can only imagine the types of infections the mother and baby get! But, this is really how it works in 60% of the world…not many people are as fortunate as us in the developed world to have good, working hospitals and qualified medical staff to support us, and be offered lots of drugs to assist : )
All in all, a crazy experience, but at least Mary and her baby are healthy. She is now reconsidering ever having another baby, as I think this scared her more than she thought. Tomorrow is the naming ceremony, and as the “Auntie” I have to give him an official second name…not quite sure what to choose as I really don’t know any local names, besides those of my drivers, and not sure I really want to name a baby Cola, Bimbo, Sunday, Monday, etc. SO, will have to come up with something unique at the very least!
I have just come back from mission, where I went to the north (again)…sharia law exists where I went, but not totally enforced, so not need for full body wrapping, just hair and legs. It was a great trip and really wish I had remembered my camera, as I got to visit the famous 4 thousand year old tie dye pits of Kano! I bought quite a bit of stuff, as it is really beautiful materials, so will try to get some photos of it, and then if anyone is interested in more of it, I will be back up there in a couple of weeks again!
Anyways, I hope all is well…and remember, I am home as of the end of June, and look forward to seeing everyone!
Bye for now,
Andrea
mercredi 13 mai 2009
Updates...
Well, I have been lazy over the last few weeks, but good news is that there is nothing really new to report.
The kidnapped Canadian woman was freed a few weeks ago, but still not allowed to the city she was kidnapped, because there are ongoing threats against expats…so the last few meetings in Kaduna have been held without me!
I have only 5 weeks left in Nigeria! I can’t believe how fast my time has gone here, but one year has come and gone very fast! Not that I actually know what I am doing or where I am going next!! I have been asked to come back to Nigeria to work on a different project, as Polio Eradication will just not happen, but not so sure about that. Nigeria is a really tough place to live…but I never say never, especially as this role will involve a lot more travel to other west African countries, which could be fun and tiring. I am also looking at maybe even coming back home…which I know is the preference for some, but I don’t quite know if I am really done with Africa or the UN yet. There is a lot of good work happening over here, some that I want to be a part of and others not so much, so it is all to be decided. But, I am in no real hurry. I am going to come home for the month of July and just see what happens and then decide in August what to do and where to go! But, as I haven’t ruled out Canada…if you know of any one hiring a Change Management/Organizational Development specialist, let me know! But, I do have quite a few opportunities both within WHO and with other UN agencies, just none that had be as interested as the New York role did…but as they say here, you need to do your time in the field first before you can get a cushy “city” job!
H1N1 Influenza A (aka. Swine Flu – although WHO staff are not allowed to call it this, and must use only the H1N1…) has been keeping us pretty busy…having to get ready for a pandemic should
I have been doing some really interesting reading…in particular this one book Michael Fairbank’s “In the River They Swim”—essentially it is a book of essays written by various African leaders, archbishops, UN leaders, etc, regarding development in Africa. But the concepts are really interesting and sort of open your mind to the problems here, and how impossible it is to really help with problems over here. The other book is a little controversial, but very eye opening “Capitalist Nigger” written by a Nigerian, who is now American (he was the leader of the Biafran war here in Nigeria – where they wanted independence from Nigeria – similar to Quebec wanting independence from Canada, but with a whole lot of bloodshed). Anyways, it is essentially about how Africans need to become more capitalist in thinking and not just rely on everybody else for everything they need and want. A little controversial in sections, but overall a good read, and somewhat true!!
My housegirl Mary has yet to have her baby, but it is basically any day now. It has been interesting dealing with her, as just the other night I had her over to talk, and I asked her how prepared she is for the baby (by the way his name will be….Fabulous Mario…I am not kidding!!!) She has no clue what to expect when she is in labour, all she was told is that her back would hurt!!! Now I haven’t had a baby yet, but I imagine a few more things hurt than just your back! No clue that her “water” would “break”, and that she even had “water” inside her! After we talked about that she said “Is that why water came out my mouth and water the other day when I stood up really fast?!”…we were all a little taken back by this. But, this is truly a small look into the “health care” system in Nigeria. She goes for weekly neonatal appointments, but all they do is take her weight and blood pressure…she doesn’t even know where the head is sitting or anything! Both my flatmate (a medical doctor) and Fai were in shock at how little she knew, but that is Nigeria for you…not that it is much different elsewhere, but for a country with so much money, and where people have so many babies, one would think there would be more education! But, looking forward to meeting Fabulous very shortly…as soon as he is born I will get some photos up!
I will be home briefly in June for a friend’s wedding, but for anyone who reads this and has baby/kids stuff (not the bulky stuff, but clothes, unused diapers, etc) that they no longer need, I would be more than happy to bring back to Nigeria with me. There is an orphanage very close to my house that I visit occasionally, bringing formula and other things that they could need (because if I brought money, it would be used by the wrong people for the wrong things). But, I will then be back full time, at least for a month and half or so in July-August. So, hopefully, I will get to catch up with all of you I have not seen in over a year by then…I am really looking forward to being home for a while, where things are probably too efficient and effective…and where there is power, water and electricity more than 6 hours a day! And, please if you are planning to have me over for dinner, no cooked spinach, white overboiled rice, or moi moi…I think I need a little break from the stuff for a while!
The other exciting news is that I will be an aunt…one of my brothers (not going to say which one just in case he hasn’t told some of you) is going to be a dad! Finally, my parents can be grandparents, no more pressure to deliver the grandkid, and good thing, because I think they will be waiting a long time for the second grandkid. So, congrats to them, I know everyone is excited, I look forward to seeing the little person come November some time!
I am off on mission until I come home in 3 weeks, so will be kept busy running around Nigeria...as well as Timbuktu (literally, it is a city in Mali where I have to go!).
See you all very soon,
Andrea
The kidnapped Canadian woman was freed a few weeks ago, but still not allowed to the city she was kidnapped, because there are ongoing threats against expats…so the last few meetings in Kaduna have been held without me!
I have only 5 weeks left in Nigeria! I can’t believe how fast my time has gone here, but one year has come and gone very fast! Not that I actually know what I am doing or where I am going next!! I have been asked to come back to Nigeria to work on a different project, as Polio Eradication will just not happen, but not so sure about that. Nigeria is a really tough place to live…but I never say never, especially as this role will involve a lot more travel to other west African countries, which could be fun and tiring. I am also looking at maybe even coming back home…which I know is the preference for some, but I don’t quite know if I am really done with Africa or the UN yet. There is a lot of good work happening over here, some that I want to be a part of and others not so much, so it is all to be decided. But, I am in no real hurry. I am going to come home for the month of July and just see what happens and then decide in August what to do and where to go! But, as I haven’t ruled out Canada…if you know of any one hiring a Change Management/Organizational Development specialist, let me know! But, I do have quite a few opportunities both within WHO and with other UN agencies, just none that had be as interested as the New York role did…but as they say here, you need to do your time in the field first before you can get a cushy “city” job!
H1N1 Influenza A (aka. Swine Flu – although WHO staff are not allowed to call it this, and must use only the H1N1…) has been keeping us pretty busy…having to get ready for a pandemic should
I have been doing some really interesting reading…in particular this one book Michael Fairbank’s “In the River They Swim”—essentially it is a book of essays written by various African leaders, archbishops, UN leaders, etc, regarding development in Africa. But the concepts are really interesting and sort of open your mind to the problems here, and how impossible it is to really help with problems over here. The other book is a little controversial, but very eye opening “Capitalist Nigger” written by a Nigerian, who is now American (he was the leader of the Biafran war here in Nigeria – where they wanted independence from Nigeria – similar to Quebec wanting independence from Canada, but with a whole lot of bloodshed). Anyways, it is essentially about how Africans need to become more capitalist in thinking and not just rely on everybody else for everything they need and want. A little controversial in sections, but overall a good read, and somewhat true!!
My housegirl Mary has yet to have her baby, but it is basically any day now. It has been interesting dealing with her, as just the other night I had her over to talk, and I asked her how prepared she is for the baby (by the way his name will be….Fabulous Mario…I am not kidding!!!) She has no clue what to expect when she is in labour, all she was told is that her back would hurt!!! Now I haven’t had a baby yet, but I imagine a few more things hurt than just your back! No clue that her “water” would “break”, and that she even had “water” inside her! After we talked about that she said “Is that why water came out my mouth and water the other day when I stood up really fast?!”…we were all a little taken back by this. But, this is truly a small look into the “health care” system in Nigeria. She goes for weekly neonatal appointments, but all they do is take her weight and blood pressure…she doesn’t even know where the head is sitting or anything! Both my flatmate (a medical doctor) and Fai were in shock at how little she knew, but that is Nigeria for you…not that it is much different elsewhere, but for a country with so much money, and where people have so many babies, one would think there would be more education! But, looking forward to meeting Fabulous very shortly…as soon as he is born I will get some photos up!
I will be home briefly in June for a friend’s wedding, but for anyone who reads this and has baby/kids stuff (not the bulky stuff, but clothes, unused diapers, etc) that they no longer need, I would be more than happy to bring back to Nigeria with me. There is an orphanage very close to my house that I visit occasionally, bringing formula and other things that they could need (because if I brought money, it would be used by the wrong people for the wrong things). But, I will then be back full time, at least for a month and half or so in July-August. So, hopefully, I will get to catch up with all of you I have not seen in over a year by then…I am really looking forward to being home for a while, where things are probably too efficient and effective…and where there is power, water and electricity more than 6 hours a day! And, please if you are planning to have me over for dinner, no cooked spinach, white overboiled rice, or moi moi…I think I need a little break from the stuff for a while!
The other exciting news is that I will be an aunt…one of my brothers (not going to say which one just in case he hasn’t told some of you) is going to be a dad! Finally, my parents can be grandparents, no more pressure to deliver the grandkid, and good thing, because I think they will be waiting a long time for the second grandkid. So, congrats to them, I know everyone is excited, I look forward to seeing the little person come November some time!
I am off on mission until I come home in 3 weeks, so will be kept busy running around Nigeria...as well as Timbuktu (literally, it is a city in Mali where I have to go!).
See you all very soon,
Andrea
vendredi 17 avril 2009
Africa's Costa Rica....Sao Tome!!!
The good stuff first…I spent Easter on probably one of the world’s best kept secrets….Sao Tome!!
It is Africa’s smallest island, located in the Gulf of Guinea, which is basically on the west coast of Africa, in between Angola and Cameroun. The people, the food, the drinks, the water, the beaches, the resort….everything was AMAZING!!!! I have been to many beaches, in many countries, on many continents, and this was really one of my best trips…. EVER! Not quite sure exactly why, but really after being in Africa, traveling in very overpopulated countries, it was just nice to be in a small country, with a very small population (120,000) and all the people were just so nice. It is also a country that gets not quite 120 visitors…a year! Pretty incredible, but they are trying to become a tourist resort of sorts, so while I hope it achieves this, I also hope it remains a little piece of undiscovered paradise, with very few visitors. A few crazy things about the island…well not so much the island, but about what it made me think…Now that my plans for moving to New York are seemingly falling apart, I am thinking, why not just stay in Nigeria for another year, buy a house in Sao Tome, and then when I do go, rent it out to the tourists or oil companies that will eventually end up there! It only takes 5 hours to get to flying (literally I left my house in Abuja at 6am, and was sitting on the beach with a pina colada by 11am in Sao Tome!)…not bad…although, it is not the easiest place to get to. The only international flights, besides the monthly flight from Nigeria, is via Lisbon, Portugal or Libreville, Gabon, but the place is just so amazing that I would learn to deal with it! And, I am sure many people would want to come visit…although it’s in Africa, it really feels like you are on an island so far removed from society…no cell phones, televisions or noise. Just the fresh smell of flowers, fruit and ocean in the air!
Enough of all that, as I am sure you are all a little upset with me now! It is now rainy season in west Africa…finally, after 7 months of no rain, the heavens have opened up and we are getting rain like you would not believe. So, while this is good for disease like measles and other airborne diseases, it is horrible for polio…so it just means we will see a huge increase in the number of polio cases. We are doing well in the north, with 40% fewer cases this year up there compared to this time last year, however, in the south, where polio has been a non issue for years, we now have a 60% increase in cases, with some states reporting actual cases, when they have not had any in 20 years…so one step forwards, and many, many back! This is our make or break year, so if it continues its trend, we will be out of funding by mid next year! So, lots of pressure to produce results!
A funny story to end this entry….i came home late Sunday night (From my amazing Sao Tome weekend), and I hear these noises in my kitchen! I turn on the light, and what do I find…………..FROG!!!! And not just small ones, but pretty big ones (bigger than my fist)! 4 of them just sitting there looking back at me, like “What do you want…”, I do a quick search around the house and find at least 6 more! I have no problems with frogs, so I just picked them up and put them outside, thinking that is the end to that….but sure enough, they came back….My (very pregnant) house girl Mary came over the next day and I told her about it, and I think she thought I was crazy, but she started to do some stuff around the house (I am not cruel, I told her to go on maternity leave, but she refuses until the baby actually comes out)…so she is sweeping and sure enough she finds more frogs! We think they are coming up the drain, as I am on the ground floor they are probably just looking for a dry place from the rain, and with all the mosquitos and cockroaches in my place, they can eat for years! I think I have fixed the problem, by taping all the drains, and so far, 24 hours and no frogs!!
That’s it for now….I will give more of an update on the upcoming job prospects in the next entry….but I will be home for a few days in early June, and then again in July, so hopefully I will see many of you then. If not, I will expect to see you at my new home that I hope to buy in Sao Tome!!
It is Africa’s smallest island, located in the Gulf of Guinea, which is basically on the west coast of Africa, in between Angola and Cameroun. The people, the food, the drinks, the water, the beaches, the resort….everything was AMAZING!!!! I have been to many beaches, in many countries, on many continents, and this was really one of my best trips…. EVER! Not quite sure exactly why, but really after being in Africa, traveling in very overpopulated countries, it was just nice to be in a small country, with a very small population (120,000) and all the people were just so nice. It is also a country that gets not quite 120 visitors…a year! Pretty incredible, but they are trying to become a tourist resort of sorts, so while I hope it achieves this, I also hope it remains a little piece of undiscovered paradise, with very few visitors. A few crazy things about the island…well not so much the island, but about what it made me think…Now that my plans for moving to New York are seemingly falling apart, I am thinking, why not just stay in Nigeria for another year, buy a house in Sao Tome, and then when I do go, rent it out to the tourists or oil companies that will eventually end up there! It only takes 5 hours to get to flying (literally I left my house in Abuja at 6am, and was sitting on the beach with a pina colada by 11am in Sao Tome!)…not bad…although, it is not the easiest place to get to. The only international flights, besides the monthly flight from Nigeria, is via Lisbon, Portugal or Libreville, Gabon, but the place is just so amazing that I would learn to deal with it! And, I am sure many people would want to come visit…although it’s in Africa, it really feels like you are on an island so far removed from society…no cell phones, televisions or noise. Just the fresh smell of flowers, fruit and ocean in the air!
Enough of all that, as I am sure you are all a little upset with me now! It is now rainy season in west Africa…finally, after 7 months of no rain, the heavens have opened up and we are getting rain like you would not believe. So, while this is good for disease like measles and other airborne diseases, it is horrible for polio…so it just means we will see a huge increase in the number of polio cases. We are doing well in the north, with 40% fewer cases this year up there compared to this time last year, however, in the south, where polio has been a non issue for years, we now have a 60% increase in cases, with some states reporting actual cases, when they have not had any in 20 years…so one step forwards, and many, many back! This is our make or break year, so if it continues its trend, we will be out of funding by mid next year! So, lots of pressure to produce results!
A funny story to end this entry….i came home late Sunday night (From my amazing Sao Tome weekend), and I hear these noises in my kitchen! I turn on the light, and what do I find…………..FROG!!!! And not just small ones, but pretty big ones (bigger than my fist)! 4 of them just sitting there looking back at me, like “What do you want…”, I do a quick search around the house and find at least 6 more! I have no problems with frogs, so I just picked them up and put them outside, thinking that is the end to that….but sure enough, they came back….My (very pregnant) house girl Mary came over the next day and I told her about it, and I think she thought I was crazy, but she started to do some stuff around the house (I am not cruel, I told her to go on maternity leave, but she refuses until the baby actually comes out)…so she is sweeping and sure enough she finds more frogs! We think they are coming up the drain, as I am on the ground floor they are probably just looking for a dry place from the rain, and with all the mosquitos and cockroaches in my place, they can eat for years! I think I have fixed the problem, by taping all the drains, and so far, 24 hours and no frogs!!
That’s it for now….I will give more of an update on the upcoming job prospects in the next entry….but I will be home for a few days in early June, and then again in July, so hopefully I will see many of you then. If not, I will expect to see you at my new home that I hope to buy in Sao Tome!!
mardi 7 avril 2009
Salam Allah'eku
I am back from my most recent mission…all the way to the far north of Nigeria and southern part of Niger (country). West Africa has this month planned an integrated polio campaign in most west African countries (particularly Niger, Nigeria, Cameroun, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana, Benin), as polio is spreading beyond belief at this point. So, I was sent up north, to the very muslim, sharia law part of the country, as well as into Niger, to help supervise the process! As a female I am sent to the north, because only women are allowed into the homes of local villagers, so even though I speak maybe 7 or 8 words (including the above meaning, “hello, kind greetings and regards” of Hausa (local language), I still had to go and try!
It is beyond hot up here…daily temperatures are as high as 49 degrees…did I mention I am walking around the Sahara desert from 6am-3pm daily trying to convince families to immunize their children? Also, meeting with heads of households, religious leaders and village leaders to explain the importance of vaccinations. I have prayed more in these last few weeks than I have ever in my entire life. As I am not a muslim, it was interesting, as I have never picked up the Koran, nor do I really know what it says, but I mentioned Allah and Mohammed as often as I could in order to get them to approve! Iit is shocking just how many families still refuse vaccinations, of the 34,000 or so children we were supposed to immunize, we probably did about 14,000 or so, for various reasons like the husband wasn’t home, so women not allowed to do anything without husband’s permission, to Allah saying vaccinations are not allowed, to the vaccination being unsafe (sterilization, HIV/AIDS), and many, many other reasons. I myself took the vaccine at least 9 or 10 times to prove that it is in fact safe, so I think I am safe for a while now! Great experience, with lots of really sad, but also encouraging incidences. In one settlement (a settlement is where a group of women live together in one compound all married to the same man – in the muslim religion, men can have up to 4 wives, but up here, they have many more), all the 11 children under 5 had died the previous month due to the meningitis outbreak, heartbreaking as it is one of the vaccines we give children on our rounds, so really had they accepted in previous rounds, the children would still be alive. But, this is normal here – they have many children, knowing that they will lose at least 50% of their kids before the age of 5! I also went to a wedding, and besides the bride, I was the only female. The traditional ceremony is only for the men of the village to attend. In this case, it was the Local government area chairman’s daughter who was being married off (I think she was about 15 or 16, and the husband at least 40, and his third wife)!! And she was crying, not tears of happiness as far as I could see, so can’t say it was an enjoyable wedding. I also along the way of my 7 days in the field started an animal farm! The village heads were gifting me with live animals, to thank me for coming all this way – so I collected 3 chickens and a newborn lamb! As I was living in a hotel, and my compound in Abuja isn’t quite animal friendly, I just gifted it to the local villagers! I was also offered a newborn baby boy – he had been born 3 or so days earlier and the woman gave him to me to hold or so I thought, and then she just walked away! So, I vaccinated him and then tried to give him back, and the translator said she wanted me to “take him back to my country and give him a better life”…crazy, but really, she would have rather have done this then keep him knowing that he would probably die within a few years! Crazy shit! But, we did convince some families that refused, and for me that is a big win, even if we didn’t reach our target.
It was actually nice to come back to Abuja. I was exhausted from being woken up daily at 4.40am by the call to the mosque right outside my hotel window, and then having to drag my very tired body out of bed to wrap myself from head to toe in my burka and head and body scarves! Did I mention I was outside walking around the Sahara desert for 8-10 hours a day dressed like this?! And, then I would come back to my hotel late at night, for the nightly dinner of rice, semovita and cow tongue or cow tail! Delicious!!!
The good news this week is that after almost 7 months of no rain in Nigeria, we had our first rain storm…and I do I mean rain – it was a downpour for about 5 hours. Rainy season will soon be starting, as we will no longer be faced with the daily high 30’s, low 40s weather! It will still be warm, but at least the rain helps cool it down a bit! It also means fruits and vegetables will again be available…no more potatoes, carrots, and yams only!!
I am off to Sao Tome (the second smallest country in Africa), which is a former Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean for the Easter holiday! A friend and I from the office have a need to get out of Abuja for the long weekend and just sit on the beach for a few days, so we are off on Thursday for 4 days of mojitos and fresh seafood, swimming and sitting on the white, sandy beaches!! I can’t wait! Once I get back, I will have exactly 2 months left in Abuja! Crazy how fast time flies! As is typical of the UN, plans are always changing here, so while I had a new role planned for July, it looks like it might be changing slightly, but won’t say too much until everything is all settled, but looking like New York may not be happening : (, but who knows really?!?!
So, enough for now. I have quite a bit of work to catch up on before I leave for the weekend, but once back I will start on organizing where I will be off to next! I will be home the first weekend of June, although heading to Winnipeg for my very good friend Heather’s wedding!! Can’t wait for the Roma reunion! But, I will spend at least a night or two in TO…I must meet Ella, and all the other babies my friends will have or have had while I have been away! For those I don’t see in June, I will be back in early July for my brother and Maggie’s wedding, and will stick around for a couple of weeks then!
See you all soon,
Andrea
It is beyond hot up here…daily temperatures are as high as 49 degrees…did I mention I am walking around the Sahara desert from 6am-3pm daily trying to convince families to immunize their children? Also, meeting with heads of households, religious leaders and village leaders to explain the importance of vaccinations. I have prayed more in these last few weeks than I have ever in my entire life. As I am not a muslim, it was interesting, as I have never picked up the Koran, nor do I really know what it says, but I mentioned Allah and Mohammed as often as I could in order to get them to approve! Iit is shocking just how many families still refuse vaccinations, of the 34,000 or so children we were supposed to immunize, we probably did about 14,000 or so, for various reasons like the husband wasn’t home, so women not allowed to do anything without husband’s permission, to Allah saying vaccinations are not allowed, to the vaccination being unsafe (sterilization, HIV/AIDS), and many, many other reasons. I myself took the vaccine at least 9 or 10 times to prove that it is in fact safe, so I think I am safe for a while now! Great experience, with lots of really sad, but also encouraging incidences. In one settlement (a settlement is where a group of women live together in one compound all married to the same man – in the muslim religion, men can have up to 4 wives, but up here, they have many more), all the 11 children under 5 had died the previous month due to the meningitis outbreak, heartbreaking as it is one of the vaccines we give children on our rounds, so really had they accepted in previous rounds, the children would still be alive. But, this is normal here – they have many children, knowing that they will lose at least 50% of their kids before the age of 5! I also went to a wedding, and besides the bride, I was the only female. The traditional ceremony is only for the men of the village to attend. In this case, it was the Local government area chairman’s daughter who was being married off (I think she was about 15 or 16, and the husband at least 40, and his third wife)!! And she was crying, not tears of happiness as far as I could see, so can’t say it was an enjoyable wedding. I also along the way of my 7 days in the field started an animal farm! The village heads were gifting me with live animals, to thank me for coming all this way – so I collected 3 chickens and a newborn lamb! As I was living in a hotel, and my compound in Abuja isn’t quite animal friendly, I just gifted it to the local villagers! I was also offered a newborn baby boy – he had been born 3 or so days earlier and the woman gave him to me to hold or so I thought, and then she just walked away! So, I vaccinated him and then tried to give him back, and the translator said she wanted me to “take him back to my country and give him a better life”…crazy, but really, she would have rather have done this then keep him knowing that he would probably die within a few years! Crazy shit! But, we did convince some families that refused, and for me that is a big win, even if we didn’t reach our target.
It was actually nice to come back to Abuja. I was exhausted from being woken up daily at 4.40am by the call to the mosque right outside my hotel window, and then having to drag my very tired body out of bed to wrap myself from head to toe in my burka and head and body scarves! Did I mention I was outside walking around the Sahara desert for 8-10 hours a day dressed like this?! And, then I would come back to my hotel late at night, for the nightly dinner of rice, semovita and cow tongue or cow tail! Delicious!!!
The good news this week is that after almost 7 months of no rain in Nigeria, we had our first rain storm…and I do I mean rain – it was a downpour for about 5 hours. Rainy season will soon be starting, as we will no longer be faced with the daily high 30’s, low 40s weather! It will still be warm, but at least the rain helps cool it down a bit! It also means fruits and vegetables will again be available…no more potatoes, carrots, and yams only!!
I am off to Sao Tome (the second smallest country in Africa), which is a former Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean for the Easter holiday! A friend and I from the office have a need to get out of Abuja for the long weekend and just sit on the beach for a few days, so we are off on Thursday for 4 days of mojitos and fresh seafood, swimming and sitting on the white, sandy beaches!! I can’t wait! Once I get back, I will have exactly 2 months left in Abuja! Crazy how fast time flies! As is typical of the UN, plans are always changing here, so while I had a new role planned for July, it looks like it might be changing slightly, but won’t say too much until everything is all settled, but looking like New York may not be happening : (, but who knows really?!?!
So, enough for now. I have quite a bit of work to catch up on before I leave for the weekend, but once back I will start on organizing where I will be off to next! I will be home the first weekend of June, although heading to Winnipeg for my very good friend Heather’s wedding!! Can’t wait for the Roma reunion! But, I will spend at least a night or two in TO…I must meet Ella, and all the other babies my friends will have or have had while I have been away! For those I don’t see in June, I will be back in early July for my brother and Maggie’s wedding, and will stick around for a couple of weeks then!
See you all soon,
Andrea
mardi 24 mars 2009
A new Andrew in the world!!!
Well, just a short one, as it has been an interesting few days.
My housegirl Mary was over, as she usually is when I get home, and I notice that she has put on a bit of weight, and mainly in the belly area...so I ask, Mary are you pregnant? And, she gives me a look of, well, I don't really know? So, I ask how she has been feeling and all that stuff and all signs point to pregnant! So, I arrange to take her to the doctor and have her checked out.
Not only is she pregnant, but she is due in about 6 weeks!!!! She really had no clue, but was quite excited by it, once the idea sunk in. She was told she will be having a boy! (In all honesty, you could barely make out the scan, as the machine was from 1978, so we will see for sure in a few weeks)...I can't imagine A: Being told I am pregnant; B: Being told I am due in 6 weeks; and C: Being told the sex, all at once! I can imagine it was overwhelming...i wish I had a camera with me, as her expression was just freaked/happy/stunned! But, I think it is setting in now!
I asked her why she did not say anything earlier about maybe thinking she may be and she said she thought I would be ashamed and ask her to stop working for me...no way, I said. She then said she wanted a girl, as most women here do, as she wanted to name it Andrea (how sweet, eh!), but instead she will name him Andrew! She is due anytime between late April and mid May...hard to tell, seeing as she really does not know when she got pregnant or really even how she got pregnant! And so far, her belly is quite small, but the scan showed a healthy baby, so really that is all that matters!
Now a few things crossed my mind at this point...she only met my driver a few months ago, so if I do the math, she was already pregnant...hmmmm, interesting! But, she swears it is his, and so does he, so as long as they are happy, then why should I care. The poor girl barely knows how she got pregnant, let alone really worry about whose baby it actually is. It has been an interesting couple of days talking with her, as I have come to realize that she has absolutely no clue about "the birds and the bees" and while she admits to having sex, she does not really see how the two play a role in making her pregnant! But, she is happy, and is now preparing for the baby. There is no such thing as maternity leave here, but I have told her that she cannot work, and that I will continue to pay her while she is off. She will arrange to have one of her 8 sisters come to help out instead...at this point I don't know if she is still in shock, or just really concerned that my house stay clean?!
Crazy, eh? Can't imagine getting to 7 months pregnant and only just finding out!
My housegirl Mary was over, as she usually is when I get home, and I notice that she has put on a bit of weight, and mainly in the belly area...so I ask, Mary are you pregnant? And, she gives me a look of, well, I don't really know? So, I ask how she has been feeling and all that stuff and all signs point to pregnant! So, I arrange to take her to the doctor and have her checked out.
Not only is she pregnant, but she is due in about 6 weeks!!!! She really had no clue, but was quite excited by it, once the idea sunk in. She was told she will be having a boy! (In all honesty, you could barely make out the scan, as the machine was from 1978, so we will see for sure in a few weeks)...I can't imagine A: Being told I am pregnant; B: Being told I am due in 6 weeks; and C: Being told the sex, all at once! I can imagine it was overwhelming...i wish I had a camera with me, as her expression was just freaked/happy/stunned! But, I think it is setting in now!
I asked her why she did not say anything earlier about maybe thinking she may be and she said she thought I would be ashamed and ask her to stop working for me...no way, I said. She then said she wanted a girl, as most women here do, as she wanted to name it Andrea (how sweet, eh!), but instead she will name him Andrew! She is due anytime between late April and mid May...hard to tell, seeing as she really does not know when she got pregnant or really even how she got pregnant! And so far, her belly is quite small, but the scan showed a healthy baby, so really that is all that matters!
Now a few things crossed my mind at this point...she only met my driver a few months ago, so if I do the math, she was already pregnant...hmmmm, interesting! But, she swears it is his, and so does he, so as long as they are happy, then why should I care. The poor girl barely knows how she got pregnant, let alone really worry about whose baby it actually is. It has been an interesting couple of days talking with her, as I have come to realize that she has absolutely no clue about "the birds and the bees" and while she admits to having sex, she does not really see how the two play a role in making her pregnant! But, she is happy, and is now preparing for the baby. There is no such thing as maternity leave here, but I have told her that she cannot work, and that I will continue to pay her while she is off. She will arrange to have one of her 8 sisters come to help out instead...at this point I don't know if she is still in shock, or just really concerned that my house stay clean?!
Crazy, eh? Can't imagine getting to 7 months pregnant and only just finding out!
jeudi 19 mars 2009
Relaxed after a nice long holiday....
Well, it has been a few weeks since I last wrote, so lots to report!
I have been away on holidays for 3 glorious weeks in east Africa, specifically Kenya and Tanzania! It was absolutely fantastic. I spent time with my parents, aunt and uncle and Fai, and we all had a really great time. Mornings started with safari drives in whatever park we were located, followed by a great breakfast, and then cocktail hour daily at noon, followed by time at the pool just relaxing, getting ready for the late afternoon safari drive again! No two days were the same…always seeing different animals doing different things everyday, in the various parks we visited.
This was the first trip to Africa for my family that came to visit, and so it was great to be able to experience it with them. After being here a few times in the past, and now living here the last year, you forget that some things are just so different from home…I almost forget how good roads are supposed to be for driving on, and that it isn’t normal to have hundreds of people selling things you never thought a person could need at every street light, in the lane ways of highway traffic, and just about anywhere else a person could end up, or that women use their heads and not their hands for carrying things like water, wood, food, etc for miles on end! I think the family was “impressed” with the Kenyan roads…if you call them that. Most were basically dried up river beds, 30 kms of driving took over an hour on the good roads! I think my father especially truly enjoyed the driving, not quite getting that some of these “bad” roads would actually be considered good roads in other areas of Africa (namely west Africa)! We traveled all over Kenya, from Samburu national park (named after the masai people who live there), Mount Kenya area, where I finally felt cold weather (10 degrees or so at night) again, to Masai Mara park where it was pretty hot everyday, but nothing like the 42 degree weather in Nigeria that I had left behind, to Lake Nakuru, famous for its millions of flamingos and white rhinos! We then headed for Tanzania where we visited the Serengetti and got to witness the beginning of the wildebeest and zebra migration…thousands upon thousands of these animals migrating back to water sources, for new food and water, to raise the newborns! I can only imagine what the true migration would be like! Masai Mara We then headed to Ngorongoro Crater, which is a huge crater at the base of a mountain, where the “Big 5” live (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo) freely, as there are good sources of water and food year round for them!
Now, I am not one who is known for taking extravagant holidays, where everything is catered and planned for, but this was well worth the money spent! The lodges we stayed at where incredible. It seemed the more difficult the roads were to get there, the more amazing the lodges were! Some of them were right in the parks, so wild animals running all over the place. The rooms had incredible views into the craters, and into the river beds (albeit most were dry at this time of year). The food was also pretty good wherever we went. While similar to resorts in Cuba, Jamaica, etc, where everything is buffet, it was all very high quality with a good mix of everything you want, including local foods that I have become accustomed to (ugali, boiled spinach, etc). The trip definitely exceeded my expectations in terms of the places we stayed, and the food we ate, so definitely made for an amazing trip. We even crossed the equator, and did in fact witness that water does in fact turn opposite ways…even have it on video! Pretty amazing to see…having lived on both sides, I never really thought about it, until I say the Simpsons episode where Bart asked if it was true, and then I forgot all about it…but it is in fact true!
Now, onto the animals! We literally saw everything you can imagine seeing in Africa, except for most large primates as they are mostly only in the forest, mountain areas. On the first day alone we say 4 of the big 5…everything but the elusive leopard, and from there it just got better and better!. Seeing these animals up close and completely unaware of your existence is pretty awesome experience. They just sit there looking back at you, as thought you are the strangest thing they have ever seen! The funniest/cutest are the baby elephants who confuse the safari trucks you are driving around in for their mothers! But if you were to get in the way of the baby and its mother, she would literally just flip the truck with her trunk, as we saw them do to big trees all over the place! The lions walk right up to the cars, sort of sniffing them out wondering if there is any food they could eat. But also, you see a lot of lion fornication! We learned that lions have sex over 20,000 times in their lives (with multiple partners), and the lioness is always the initiator, otherwise if she didn’t, there would be no cubs, as the lions are too lazy to do anything (and the whole thing last all of about 6 seconds!) .The rhinos slowly slaunter by the vehicles, just looking to eat the good grass or whatever it is they are looking for underneath! The hyenas are pretty dumb in that they just run in front of the vehicle, trying to “escape” this big creature following them! The giraffes are everywhere, and you would thing that at 12 feet tall that you would always be able to spot them, but they blend in so well that it is almost impossible to spot the 20 or so of them eating in the trees. The buffalos are everywhere, just chewing on cud…cant saw they impressed me all the much, as they are just like cows really, but everytime I saw one, I just thought of buffalo mozzarella! Still don’t really know the difference between the antlered deer like animals (gazelles, antelope, taupes, etc.), but still neat to see them! All in all, a great trip. And, highly recommend to anyone thinking of it, to just do it!
Apart from that, it is now back to work. It is hard to believe that I have only 3 months left to go on this current assignment! I have a few things in the works for where I am heading next, but will let you know once it is all confirmed, but it will definitely be a place more accessible to most of you out there! Polio and now meningitis is completely out of control in west Africa. While we make strides in some locations, others are exploding. The weather does not help, as right now, most days in Nigeria reach at least 43 degrees! And in the north, where I am shortly heading, it is on average 51 degrees (all in celcius)!!! So, you the heat plays a role in how these diseases are spread, but also just poor sanitary conditions.
The other thing that has caused a bit of a mess this week, is the dear Pope has paid a visit to Africa, specifically Cameroon, and after just getting off the plane, his first speech was to declare that condom distribution should be stopped, as they “increase” the incidence of HIV/AIDS!!! What the f*&k is all I have to say. WHO and UNAIDS have a clear deal with the Vatican charity, the Pontifical, that the Pope would only promote abstinence and not even discuss condoms in his speeches, especially in African countries (where Catholocism in some African countries is the primary religion – Cameroon being one of them!). South Africa in the early 2000’s refused the Pope at that time entry due to their stance on condoms. We were all in a bit of shock that he would say that, especially at such a crucial time, where there is a lot of positive work being done on combating HIV/AIDS…now we have been pushed back at least 20 years, at least in west Africa, where the message has spread. People listen to his messages and take them to heart – in Yaounde and other areas condoms were being blown up and hung on trees, or packages being destroyed, so that they would be ineffective for those who chose to use them. One thing to note, especially in west Africa is that sex is typically not a pleasurable activity – it is transactional, an exchange of services for money, often even happening between husband and wife. I am not saying this is always the case, the for a significant number of women and men (especially those in very rural, poor areas), this is how it works. Young girls are out prostituting themselves to pay for their education or to pay for families they have to support. So, the Pope’s visit has not been well received by us UN people and the other NGO agencies doing HIV/AIDS education/sensitization…hopefully, he soon returns to the Vatican and is never again invited back. There is my rant of the week….feel free to protest or disagree, just my opinion!
Well, enough for now. Lots of work to do! I am off on mission the next couple of weeks, so may not be able to post for a bit, but I will try. I plan to be away again for Easter somewhere, likely in Africa, just not sure where yet!
Hope you are all well, and looking forward to Northern Hemisphere weather!
a bientot, ange
I have been away on holidays for 3 glorious weeks in east Africa, specifically Kenya and Tanzania! It was absolutely fantastic. I spent time with my parents, aunt and uncle and Fai, and we all had a really great time. Mornings started with safari drives in whatever park we were located, followed by a great breakfast, and then cocktail hour daily at noon, followed by time at the pool just relaxing, getting ready for the late afternoon safari drive again! No two days were the same…always seeing different animals doing different things everyday, in the various parks we visited.
This was the first trip to Africa for my family that came to visit, and so it was great to be able to experience it with them. After being here a few times in the past, and now living here the last year, you forget that some things are just so different from home…I almost forget how good roads are supposed to be for driving on, and that it isn’t normal to have hundreds of people selling things you never thought a person could need at every street light, in the lane ways of highway traffic, and just about anywhere else a person could end up, or that women use their heads and not their hands for carrying things like water, wood, food, etc for miles on end! I think the family was “impressed” with the Kenyan roads…if you call them that. Most were basically dried up river beds, 30 kms of driving took over an hour on the good roads! I think my father especially truly enjoyed the driving, not quite getting that some of these “bad” roads would actually be considered good roads in other areas of Africa (namely west Africa)! We traveled all over Kenya, from Samburu national park (named after the masai people who live there), Mount Kenya area, where I finally felt cold weather (10 degrees or so at night) again, to Masai Mara park where it was pretty hot everyday, but nothing like the 42 degree weather in Nigeria that I had left behind, to Lake Nakuru, famous for its millions of flamingos and white rhinos! We then headed for Tanzania where we visited the Serengetti and got to witness the beginning of the wildebeest and zebra migration…thousands upon thousands of these animals migrating back to water sources, for new food and water, to raise the newborns! I can only imagine what the true migration would be like! Masai Mara We then headed to Ngorongoro Crater, which is a huge crater at the base of a mountain, where the “Big 5” live (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo) freely, as there are good sources of water and food year round for them!
Now, I am not one who is known for taking extravagant holidays, where everything is catered and planned for, but this was well worth the money spent! The lodges we stayed at where incredible. It seemed the more difficult the roads were to get there, the more amazing the lodges were! Some of them were right in the parks, so wild animals running all over the place. The rooms had incredible views into the craters, and into the river beds (albeit most were dry at this time of year). The food was also pretty good wherever we went. While similar to resorts in Cuba, Jamaica, etc, where everything is buffet, it was all very high quality with a good mix of everything you want, including local foods that I have become accustomed to (ugali, boiled spinach, etc). The trip definitely exceeded my expectations in terms of the places we stayed, and the food we ate, so definitely made for an amazing trip. We even crossed the equator, and did in fact witness that water does in fact turn opposite ways…even have it on video! Pretty amazing to see…having lived on both sides, I never really thought about it, until I say the Simpsons episode where Bart asked if it was true, and then I forgot all about it…but it is in fact true!
Now, onto the animals! We literally saw everything you can imagine seeing in Africa, except for most large primates as they are mostly only in the forest, mountain areas. On the first day alone we say 4 of the big 5…everything but the elusive leopard, and from there it just got better and better!. Seeing these animals up close and completely unaware of your existence is pretty awesome experience. They just sit there looking back at you, as thought you are the strangest thing they have ever seen! The funniest/cutest are the baby elephants who confuse the safari trucks you are driving around in for their mothers! But if you were to get in the way of the baby and its mother, she would literally just flip the truck with her trunk, as we saw them do to big trees all over the place! The lions walk right up to the cars, sort of sniffing them out wondering if there is any food they could eat. But also, you see a lot of lion fornication! We learned that lions have sex over 20,000 times in their lives (with multiple partners), and the lioness is always the initiator, otherwise if she didn’t, there would be no cubs, as the lions are too lazy to do anything (and the whole thing last all of about 6 seconds!) .The rhinos slowly slaunter by the vehicles, just looking to eat the good grass or whatever it is they are looking for underneath! The hyenas are pretty dumb in that they just run in front of the vehicle, trying to “escape” this big creature following them! The giraffes are everywhere, and you would thing that at 12 feet tall that you would always be able to spot them, but they blend in so well that it is almost impossible to spot the 20 or so of them eating in the trees. The buffalos are everywhere, just chewing on cud…cant saw they impressed me all the much, as they are just like cows really, but everytime I saw one, I just thought of buffalo mozzarella! Still don’t really know the difference between the antlered deer like animals (gazelles, antelope, taupes, etc.), but still neat to see them! All in all, a great trip. And, highly recommend to anyone thinking of it, to just do it!
Apart from that, it is now back to work. It is hard to believe that I have only 3 months left to go on this current assignment! I have a few things in the works for where I am heading next, but will let you know once it is all confirmed, but it will definitely be a place more accessible to most of you out there! Polio and now meningitis is completely out of control in west Africa. While we make strides in some locations, others are exploding. The weather does not help, as right now, most days in Nigeria reach at least 43 degrees! And in the north, where I am shortly heading, it is on average 51 degrees (all in celcius)!!! So, you the heat plays a role in how these diseases are spread, but also just poor sanitary conditions.
The other thing that has caused a bit of a mess this week, is the dear Pope has paid a visit to Africa, specifically Cameroon, and after just getting off the plane, his first speech was to declare that condom distribution should be stopped, as they “increase” the incidence of HIV/AIDS!!! What the f*&k is all I have to say. WHO and UNAIDS have a clear deal with the Vatican charity, the Pontifical, that the Pope would only promote abstinence and not even discuss condoms in his speeches, especially in African countries (where Catholocism in some African countries is the primary religion – Cameroon being one of them!). South Africa in the early 2000’s refused the Pope at that time entry due to their stance on condoms. We were all in a bit of shock that he would say that, especially at such a crucial time, where there is a lot of positive work being done on combating HIV/AIDS…now we have been pushed back at least 20 years, at least in west Africa, where the message has spread. People listen to his messages and take them to heart – in Yaounde and other areas condoms were being blown up and hung on trees, or packages being destroyed, so that they would be ineffective for those who chose to use them. One thing to note, especially in west Africa is that sex is typically not a pleasurable activity – it is transactional, an exchange of services for money, often even happening between husband and wife. I am not saying this is always the case, the for a significant number of women and men (especially those in very rural, poor areas), this is how it works. Young girls are out prostituting themselves to pay for their education or to pay for families they have to support. So, the Pope’s visit has not been well received by us UN people and the other NGO agencies doing HIV/AIDS education/sensitization…hopefully, he soon returns to the Vatican and is never again invited back. There is my rant of the week….feel free to protest or disagree, just my opinion!
Well, enough for now. Lots of work to do! I am off on mission the next couple of weeks, so may not be able to post for a bit, but I will try. I plan to be away again for Easter somewhere, likely in Africa, just not sure where yet!
Hope you are all well, and looking forward to Northern Hemisphere weather!
a bientot, ange
vendredi 6 février 2009
Malaria and Bill Gates...
Well, yet another "fun filled" week in Nigeria.
Because of all the stress 2 weeks ago, my body decided the best thing to happen would be to have a very nasty case of malaria. It was not fun, but I will again say that the hallucinations are pretty hilarious after the fact, as at the time they just seem so real and legitimate! It was 5 days of hell, but I am finally on the mend and would even say, 100% better! So, it is time to go out to celebrate by drinking beer and eating pizza!
The other news is that Bill Gates was here again doing a visit to see how we are using "his" money to support Polio Eradication. This man is truly one of the most down to earth, yet uber intelligent people I have ever met. He really knows his stuff, and is a fully informed donor and human being. He has a way of working with the families, albeit illiterate and uneducated, and still have an impact...no one in these villages know who he is, as he is really just "another" white guy from somewhere here to give vaccinations, but he really works with the families and asks them questions, and understands their needs. So, pretty incredible to see. But, as predicted, his visit was a circus. Every town he visited, there was this enormous celebratory welcoming, where he was given umpteen gifts (of things I am sure he can't really use) and was just so gracious in receiving them. Even put on one of the outfits he was given and wore it throughout the day! So, really good to see...but the media was insane, they were everywhere and tripping all over eachother trying to get his photo, and as he is somewhat media shy, it was interesting to see him managing it! but, it went well, and just glad to be back in Abuja again!
Other than that, not much new or exciting here. Only 2 more weeks until my holiday! Definitely looking forward to seeing everyone and just getting to relax for a couple of weeks!
Just a quick one this week, as I hope to have a more exciting week next week, but you just never know here!
take care, love ange
ps..update on the family, the mother died last week, and our staff member, he is on the mend...gained at least 30 pounds in the last 2 weeks and taking his medication!! (It is the little wins you have to celebrate here)
Because of all the stress 2 weeks ago, my body decided the best thing to happen would be to have a very nasty case of malaria. It was not fun, but I will again say that the hallucinations are pretty hilarious after the fact, as at the time they just seem so real and legitimate! It was 5 days of hell, but I am finally on the mend and would even say, 100% better! So, it is time to go out to celebrate by drinking beer and eating pizza!
The other news is that Bill Gates was here again doing a visit to see how we are using "his" money to support Polio Eradication. This man is truly one of the most down to earth, yet uber intelligent people I have ever met. He really knows his stuff, and is a fully informed donor and human being. He has a way of working with the families, albeit illiterate and uneducated, and still have an impact...no one in these villages know who he is, as he is really just "another" white guy from somewhere here to give vaccinations, but he really works with the families and asks them questions, and understands their needs. So, pretty incredible to see. But, as predicted, his visit was a circus. Every town he visited, there was this enormous celebratory welcoming, where he was given umpteen gifts (of things I am sure he can't really use) and was just so gracious in receiving them. Even put on one of the outfits he was given and wore it throughout the day! So, really good to see...but the media was insane, they were everywhere and tripping all over eachother trying to get his photo, and as he is somewhat media shy, it was interesting to see him managing it! but, it went well, and just glad to be back in Abuja again!
Other than that, not much new or exciting here. Only 2 more weeks until my holiday! Definitely looking forward to seeing everyone and just getting to relax for a couple of weeks!
Just a quick one this week, as I hope to have a more exciting week next week, but you just never know here!
take care, love ange
ps..update on the family, the mother died last week, and our staff member, he is on the mend...gained at least 30 pounds in the last 2 weeks and taking his medication!! (It is the little wins you have to celebrate here)
vendredi 30 janvier 2009
Eye opening week...
So, I said last week was a little dull, and like all things, I think I jinxed myself. This has been by far the hardest and most horrifying few days I have spent in Nigeria.
I have really seen how religion, culture, stigma, lying, poverty, lack of education, illiteracy, etc has truly impacted the African continent, and especially this country and the devastation it causes. The story is this…we have a staff member dying of Aids, he is, I am sure, one of many, but he is truly in his final days. Too proud to admit he has been sick, he has been hiding it for years, and has never sought out treatment. He has had two different wives die, calling them “witches” for casting a spell on him. His third wife will die any day, and their 4 week old daughter Favour died in my arms on the way to the hospital yesterday, watching a human being, even a 4 week old, take a last breath is nothing I can ever describe or want to ever experience again. An adult is one thing, but a brand new baby is a whole other thing. And for some reason, their 3 year old boy Godsend was spared, or has not yet had any effects of HIV, but hopefully, with a name like Godsend, he will be spared.
But, the most interesting experience in all of this, if I can see it from a different angle, is the whole cultural process. This man had gone back to his village, and by village, I mean 5 hour drive through bushland, where there is no network (for mobiles), no gas stations, no restaurants, no hotels, nothing. The roads, if you can call them that, are whatever is left from what rainy season did not destroy. Good thing we travel in huge 4x4 Rovers that are made for this terrain. But even then it was a bit treacherous and a few times we had to get out of the car and have the driver go through as there was fear the truck would roll over…not sure why my life is more important than his, but that is for another day’s discussion. After 4 hours on very dusty “roads” we finally made it to the village, just in time for the monthly market. For those that have not been to Africa, the markets is where life happens, so you can only imagine how things are when there is only one market a month where families have to buy everything they need for the 30 or so days ahead….chaos…one would never think there could be so many people in the middle of nowhere, but there were thousands of people. I finally got my first glimpse of the notoriously secluded Furlani people, as they were selling cattle at the market, and they are a sight. Had I been able to plan better, I would have brought a camera, but it also did not seem appropriate, as the purpose of the trip was to force our staff member back to hospital and off the traditional medicines he was on…more on this later. I was clearly the first white person to ever visit these areas, and while we were there to try to convince, coax, beg, plead with this staff member to come back to Abuja and go to a private hospital where he and his family would get the proper care, it was not that easy. We first had to meet with the family members, and explain the situation and urgency. Once they say us, we were sent on the village elder, who again sat and listened to us, and who then sent for the state leader…absolutely chaotic process, only for them to say they want to continue with the local “medicines”. At this point, our staff member is lying on the dirt ground, ingesting dirty sand and other things, as he could no longer walk, the wife, was in even worse shape, but exposed in the sunlight, because she did not deserve the precious shade that the men needed. Luckily, the sons and younger boys were sitting in on these meetings and they have had a bit more exposure to some sort of education, and managed to convince their elders that their “brother” needed medical attention only a hospital could provide. After much thanking and paying our respects and showing gratitude, we were on our way back to Abuja….only to be stopped a few minutes later….as the white woman I was given 3 live chickens to thank me for coming all this way and for helping out with their family and seeing that they come back alive and well. The last thing we needed was three live chickens in the truck, with 2 very sick adults and 2 small babies, one very sick. So, we decided it best that we just slaughter the chickens on the spot and have a village cookout, as this is really what was expected of us…I again had the honour of slicing the chickens neck….i should also point out that in this area there have been reports of Avian Influenza, so not only am I now having to be worried about exposure to active tuberculosis, but here I am hands covered in chicken blood, which could be contaminated!! In all honesty, TB is not really an issue, as I am healthy so the risk is incredibly low, so nothing to really worry about. After a very long journey back to Abuja, because the roads are so bad, and our staff member and his wife were in so much pain, we had to drive back very slooooowly, so instead of 5 hours, it was over 9!! We got to the hospital in the middle of the night, none of us having slept in more than 24 hours, and 3 very sick people in the truck.
Now, Nigerian hospitals are a sight to never be seen. Hospitals are just a place where you are lucky if you get an actual bed, where basically it is up to your family to do everything…food, medicine, bathing is provided by the family…so what, if anything, makes it different from staying at home? Good question, and one I am still trying to figure out myself, as they just get more and more sick in the hospital being around all other sick people…. It seems that hospitals are where you go to die and not get better, as was described by one patient in there. Very scary sight, with very little support or staff to help the patients.
While this week was horrible and miserable, it has only renewed my interest in working in developing countries, where problems like this are not unique, where it is the little things you can do that could improve one person’s life. So, for anyone interested in working abroad, there is lots to do in Africa, and while there are problems and it is not easy, it is a really great experience, where you learn a lot about everything!
Hope you are all well…I will not write again for a few weeks, as I am off on mission after mission these next few weeks. Bill Gates arrives on the weekend, and it has really turned into a bit of a circus, and feel bad that the media sensitive/shy guy, will literally be harassed by hundreds of journalists! But after that it is holiday time for me…3 weeks in Kenya and Tanzania!!!
love, ange
I have really seen how religion, culture, stigma, lying, poverty, lack of education, illiteracy, etc has truly impacted the African continent, and especially this country and the devastation it causes. The story is this…we have a staff member dying of Aids, he is, I am sure, one of many, but he is truly in his final days. Too proud to admit he has been sick, he has been hiding it for years, and has never sought out treatment. He has had two different wives die, calling them “witches” for casting a spell on him. His third wife will die any day, and their 4 week old daughter Favour died in my arms on the way to the hospital yesterday, watching a human being, even a 4 week old, take a last breath is nothing I can ever describe or want to ever experience again. An adult is one thing, but a brand new baby is a whole other thing. And for some reason, their 3 year old boy Godsend was spared, or has not yet had any effects of HIV, but hopefully, with a name like Godsend, he will be spared.
But, the most interesting experience in all of this, if I can see it from a different angle, is the whole cultural process. This man had gone back to his village, and by village, I mean 5 hour drive through bushland, where there is no network (for mobiles), no gas stations, no restaurants, no hotels, nothing. The roads, if you can call them that, are whatever is left from what rainy season did not destroy. Good thing we travel in huge 4x4 Rovers that are made for this terrain. But even then it was a bit treacherous and a few times we had to get out of the car and have the driver go through as there was fear the truck would roll over…not sure why my life is more important than his, but that is for another day’s discussion. After 4 hours on very dusty “roads” we finally made it to the village, just in time for the monthly market. For those that have not been to Africa, the markets is where life happens, so you can only imagine how things are when there is only one market a month where families have to buy everything they need for the 30 or so days ahead….chaos…one would never think there could be so many people in the middle of nowhere, but there were thousands of people. I finally got my first glimpse of the notoriously secluded Furlani people, as they were selling cattle at the market, and they are a sight. Had I been able to plan better, I would have brought a camera, but it also did not seem appropriate, as the purpose of the trip was to force our staff member back to hospital and off the traditional medicines he was on…more on this later. I was clearly the first white person to ever visit these areas, and while we were there to try to convince, coax, beg, plead with this staff member to come back to Abuja and go to a private hospital where he and his family would get the proper care, it was not that easy. We first had to meet with the family members, and explain the situation and urgency. Once they say us, we were sent on the village elder, who again sat and listened to us, and who then sent for the state leader…absolutely chaotic process, only for them to say they want to continue with the local “medicines”. At this point, our staff member is lying on the dirt ground, ingesting dirty sand and other things, as he could no longer walk, the wife, was in even worse shape, but exposed in the sunlight, because she did not deserve the precious shade that the men needed. Luckily, the sons and younger boys were sitting in on these meetings and they have had a bit more exposure to some sort of education, and managed to convince their elders that their “brother” needed medical attention only a hospital could provide. After much thanking and paying our respects and showing gratitude, we were on our way back to Abuja….only to be stopped a few minutes later….as the white woman I was given 3 live chickens to thank me for coming all this way and for helping out with their family and seeing that they come back alive and well. The last thing we needed was three live chickens in the truck, with 2 very sick adults and 2 small babies, one very sick. So, we decided it best that we just slaughter the chickens on the spot and have a village cookout, as this is really what was expected of us…I again had the honour of slicing the chickens neck….i should also point out that in this area there have been reports of Avian Influenza, so not only am I now having to be worried about exposure to active tuberculosis, but here I am hands covered in chicken blood, which could be contaminated!! In all honesty, TB is not really an issue, as I am healthy so the risk is incredibly low, so nothing to really worry about. After a very long journey back to Abuja, because the roads are so bad, and our staff member and his wife were in so much pain, we had to drive back very slooooowly, so instead of 5 hours, it was over 9!! We got to the hospital in the middle of the night, none of us having slept in more than 24 hours, and 3 very sick people in the truck.
Now, Nigerian hospitals are a sight to never be seen. Hospitals are just a place where you are lucky if you get an actual bed, where basically it is up to your family to do everything…food, medicine, bathing is provided by the family…so what, if anything, makes it different from staying at home? Good question, and one I am still trying to figure out myself, as they just get more and more sick in the hospital being around all other sick people…. It seems that hospitals are where you go to die and not get better, as was described by one patient in there. Very scary sight, with very little support or staff to help the patients.
While this week was horrible and miserable, it has only renewed my interest in working in developing countries, where problems like this are not unique, where it is the little things you can do that could improve one person’s life. So, for anyone interested in working abroad, there is lots to do in Africa, and while there are problems and it is not easy, it is a really great experience, where you learn a lot about everything!
Hope you are all well…I will not write again for a few weeks, as I am off on mission after mission these next few weeks. Bill Gates arrives on the weekend, and it has really turned into a bit of a circus, and feel bad that the media sensitive/shy guy, will literally be harassed by hundreds of journalists! But after that it is holiday time for me…3 weeks in Kenya and Tanzania!!!
love, ange
mercredi 21 janvier 2009
No news is good news!!!
Good day to all,
So, it has been a little while since I wrote, not because I have been on any more exciting adventures, but because for once, there is not a whole lot going on, besides a lot of meetings here in Abuja and in Lagos! It is actually nice to be a bit bored, but also a little bit boring.
February should pick up though as I will be back on mission a lot. Bill Gates and his foundation are coming for a visit. Not sure why I have to go on mission with him, but I think it is an image thing…who knows? There will be about 20 of us from WHO traveling in convoys going to the North to do some immunizations….i will also use the opportunity to ask him why the hell he created this Vista system, as it is useless. All jokes aside, Bill Gates is actually totally informed and knows exactly what is going on. He actually knows exactly how and where his money is being spent, and will make decisions to change things when he sees things aren’t working, so as much as many of my colleagues are complaining, he is at least efficient and makes things happen!
I now have my new flatmate, a very nice Italian girl from Naples. So far, so good…she hasn’t traveled much, so if finding Nigeria a bit chaotic and boring. I told unlike many of the other countries she could have been posted to, she should consider herself lucky! There are at least Italian restaurants here!
An update on my house girl Mary….she is now engaged to Ishaku (my driver)!!! I still find the whole situation bizarre, but whatever works. They are planning to be married in May, and I will get to be a guest of honour…although I don’t know if this is actually a good thing, or if it means I have to pay for the whole wedding…I will need to figure this out, as I am not sure I want to be paying for a wedding that is not my own!!
Only one more month until the big Thompson safari extravaganza!!! Really looking forward to 3 weeks of work, finally!! …we will just pray that the March rains hold off in east Africa, but good thing is that the rains usually arrive in late March, and we are going in early March so I think it will be fine!
I have posted some photos from my Roma Christmas trip, but only the good ones!
I hope you are all well, and enjoying the cold in your in North America…it has been pretty cold and snowy from I have heard…here it is always over 35 degrees (100+) everyday and still very dusty from the Hamattan sands! I can’t imagine it getting any hotter, but this is the “cool” season….we will soon be into the 40’s everyday!!! Can’t wait to be in full burka then!
Anyways, I hope you are all well! I am starting to plan for where I will end up next after my time is up in June…so confirmation on anything just yet, but I think it will be somewhere good…where you would actually want to come to visit!
Baci, Andrea
So, it has been a little while since I wrote, not because I have been on any more exciting adventures, but because for once, there is not a whole lot going on, besides a lot of meetings here in Abuja and in Lagos! It is actually nice to be a bit bored, but also a little bit boring.
February should pick up though as I will be back on mission a lot. Bill Gates and his foundation are coming for a visit. Not sure why I have to go on mission with him, but I think it is an image thing…who knows? There will be about 20 of us from WHO traveling in convoys going to the North to do some immunizations….i will also use the opportunity to ask him why the hell he created this Vista system, as it is useless. All jokes aside, Bill Gates is actually totally informed and knows exactly what is going on. He actually knows exactly how and where his money is being spent, and will make decisions to change things when he sees things aren’t working, so as much as many of my colleagues are complaining, he is at least efficient and makes things happen!
I now have my new flatmate, a very nice Italian girl from Naples. So far, so good…she hasn’t traveled much, so if finding Nigeria a bit chaotic and boring. I told unlike many of the other countries she could have been posted to, she should consider herself lucky! There are at least Italian restaurants here!
An update on my house girl Mary….she is now engaged to Ishaku (my driver)!!! I still find the whole situation bizarre, but whatever works. They are planning to be married in May, and I will get to be a guest of honour…although I don’t know if this is actually a good thing, or if it means I have to pay for the whole wedding…I will need to figure this out, as I am not sure I want to be paying for a wedding that is not my own!!
Only one more month until the big Thompson safari extravaganza!!! Really looking forward to 3 weeks of work, finally!! …we will just pray that the March rains hold off in east Africa, but good thing is that the rains usually arrive in late March, and we are going in early March so I think it will be fine!
I have posted some photos from my Roma Christmas trip, but only the good ones!
I hope you are all well, and enjoying the cold in your in North America…it has been pretty cold and snowy from I have heard…here it is always over 35 degrees (100+) everyday and still very dusty from the Hamattan sands! I can’t imagine it getting any hotter, but this is the “cool” season….we will soon be into the 40’s everyday!!! Can’t wait to be in full burka then!
Anyways, I hope you are all well! I am starting to plan for where I will end up next after my time is up in June…so confirmation on anything just yet, but I think it will be somewhere good…where you would actually want to come to visit!
Baci, Andrea
vendredi 2 janvier 2009
Another year over, and another one begins!!
Well, another year over! I can’t believe I have already done over 6 months in Africa, which is also good as it also means I only have a few more months left in Nigeria. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like Nigeria, I just don’t enjoy the daily living circumstances….while it is relatively safe and everything, I can’t do anything or go anywhere without security (I know sort of a contradiction, but hard to explain), anything I want or ask for is a negotiation, but there are also the things I love about it here…the people, the diversity and the culture! But, I think it will be time to move on…and not wanting to jinx it, I think I will definitely be in a more hospitable and visitor friendly location in the next 3-6 months (I will keep you posted)!!
The last few weeks of the year have been a little nuts, with a lot of traveling within Africa and to Europe, and so I am very tired, and sick of planes! The worldwide economic crisis is hitting the UN, and especially WHO very hard. Donors will not be able to give as much because they need to bail out their own country, and therefore they have started to cut back. Things are not looking good for our polio program as donors are getting frustrated that we aren’t producing results (i.e., eradicating polio) and in fact polio is now worse than ever. So, we basically have one year to prove ourselves and if no results by mid 2009, most of the major funding will be pulled and will be used elsewhere to support projects that are achieving, like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Guinea Worm, Avian Flu, etc….so we have a big challenge ahead, and I am no pessimist, but after pumping in more than $4 billion dollars in the last 5 years, not sure if we will make the kind of headway that is required. Not sure it is possible to truly convince the Muslim population that vaccinations are good and beneficial to their communities, and not harmful, so it will be tough. But, the countries who continue to have outbreaks, Nigeria (with 98% of the world’s cases), Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, are really putting their resources together and seem to be agreeing that it is this year or never! So, it has been a really amazing learning experience, one which will help in any career I get into, I hope! But, I have got to travel quite a bit and see quite a lot…some good, some really painful. The last few weeks of December had me in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Harare (Zimbabwe), Kinshasa and Djoule DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo – yes where the civil war continues – however I was nowhere near the fighting), Brazzaville (other Congo), and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Rome (Italy)!!! Lots of year end meetings, trying to strategize and gather our thoughts – not sure why they plan meetings at the end of the year, as it is a well known fact in UN world that December basically clears out in UN offices, as everyone takes leave to celebrate Eid, Christmas, Quanza, Hannukah, etc and those that remain are so bitter or getting ready to go on leave that no one is capable of thinking straight (myself included)!
Harare, as has been heard in the news, is in really bad shape. While in most cases it is just another African city, when you really go around the city and into the suburbs, you really can see the deterioration of the country. President Mugabe is essentially sacrificing his people so that he can stay in power, when really he should be taken to the Hague (Human Rights) and charged with genocide-type killings of his people. Cholera is beyond epidemic proportions, HIV/Aids rates are soaring, anti-Mugabe protestors are being beaten, raped, burned and killed. While issues are being raised around the world about him, Mugabe refuses to allow help to come in, as there “is nothing wrong in Zimbabwe”. I can only imagine how beautiful the country once was, and now it is a shell of its former self and the people are completed defeated. From what I have seen and experienced in my travels in Africa so far, it is an amazing continent, with a lot of potential. The problem in that it lacks in proper education, employment opportunities, and leadership. Corruption is its biggest problems, as the largest and most powerful countries here, like Libya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Kenya are essentially run by dictatorial, autocratic leaders, where it will take a major and bloody coup to see any change. Most of the world superpowers (US, China and Russia namely) essentially use Africa as its dumping ground…coming here only to get what it can take from it and then leave all the garbage behind. For example, the Chinese have the contracts to fix and build roads all over Africa, wherever you go, you see them dynamiting their way through, but the question is really why? The majority of Africans live in very rural communities and don’t have a need for cars, however “we” need to get to their resources, so “we” need to build the roads, destroying their farmland, forests, animals, etc. The money being paid to do such things does not benefit the people, but rather the leaders who put the money into their pockets and buy new Porshe’s, BMWs, etc! Overall, while I have seen a lot of things I never expected to see or hoped to see, it has been a really good experience, with lots of heartbreak. The continent is incredibly diverse. Going from west, to east, to central Africa, you can truly see just how different the cultures are, so it has also been wonderful.
So, enough of the bad news and doom and gloom of Africa. I am really looking forward to my safari holiday with my parents and my aunt and uncle at the end of February. We will be going to Kenya and Tanzania on a 2 week safari staying in really nice lodges and camps. I am sure we will relax at night with good food and more importantly, good drinks, as we always have a good time together, and doing it in Africa will be no different! Unlike Christmas where I had plans to travel, but work interfered forcing me to cancel my Christmas plans, I WILL NOT be cancelling this trip. I have been given the guarantee of both my local boss and my high up boss (he is somewhere in Geneva) that I will be able to go! Christmas was awesome! After quite some heavy negotiation I was able to get a few days off for Christmas, and so I ended up in Rome, Italy!!! I have some very good friends there that I never get to see, so off I went for about 3 days! It was worth it, as we had a blast and celebrated Christmas together…just the way I like it, good food, good drink and good friends! No running around buying gifts, wondering if the person really wanted or needed the item, wrapping them, and then cleaning up afterwards! It was also nice to be back in a city that I know so well, and could just walk around all day and night without any hassle from anyone! I had considered going home to Canada, but for the short amount of time I had, and being a little sick of flying, I opted for the 5 hour flight instead of the 20 hour flight! I got to immerse myself in wine, pizza, more wine, suppli, pasta and a bit more wine, while dancing it all off! Just how Christmas should be. I then flew back to Ethiopia as we were supposed to go to meetings in Geneva, but (luckily) they were canceled, so my consellation was having to go back to Harare, where I spent my New Years…partying with all the expats left in the city at the Irish Embassy…good people, a swimming pool, vast amounts of alcohol and hot weather always equals a good time (sorry, not going to publish these photos)!! It is now the evening of 02 January (I wrote this sitting in the business lounge in Addis Ababa again…heading) and I am back in Abuja, and I am still feeling the effects, but the photos on my camera are a good reminder of why one should not drink hard liquor…especially Rye/Whiskey (those who know me, know that Rye+Andrea=TROUBLE)l! So, I will end it here…2008 was an interesting and eventful year, and hopefully 2009 will bring more excitement and miracles to the Polio program!
I hope that everyone had a great festive season, depending on whatever it is you celebrate, and hope that 2009 will be the best year for you! Feel free to plan some trips to Africa…I still have A LOT of leave time left, so need to start planning some new adventures! My other news is I have a flatmate, after years of living alone. A new Italian girl has joined WHO here, so figured why not, I have the space and housing is so hard to find, and I can continue to practice my Italian! So, it will be fun…as she is a lot of fun!
Anyways, I hope this finds you all well and not suffering from holiday withdrawal already!
Love ange
The last few weeks of the year have been a little nuts, with a lot of traveling within Africa and to Europe, and so I am very tired, and sick of planes! The worldwide economic crisis is hitting the UN, and especially WHO very hard. Donors will not be able to give as much because they need to bail out their own country, and therefore they have started to cut back. Things are not looking good for our polio program as donors are getting frustrated that we aren’t producing results (i.e., eradicating polio) and in fact polio is now worse than ever. So, we basically have one year to prove ourselves and if no results by mid 2009, most of the major funding will be pulled and will be used elsewhere to support projects that are achieving, like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Guinea Worm, Avian Flu, etc….so we have a big challenge ahead, and I am no pessimist, but after pumping in more than $4 billion dollars in the last 5 years, not sure if we will make the kind of headway that is required. Not sure it is possible to truly convince the Muslim population that vaccinations are good and beneficial to their communities, and not harmful, so it will be tough. But, the countries who continue to have outbreaks, Nigeria (with 98% of the world’s cases), Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, are really putting their resources together and seem to be agreeing that it is this year or never! So, it has been a really amazing learning experience, one which will help in any career I get into, I hope! But, I have got to travel quite a bit and see quite a lot…some good, some really painful. The last few weeks of December had me in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Harare (Zimbabwe), Kinshasa and Djoule DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo – yes where the civil war continues – however I was nowhere near the fighting), Brazzaville (other Congo), and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Rome (Italy)!!! Lots of year end meetings, trying to strategize and gather our thoughts – not sure why they plan meetings at the end of the year, as it is a well known fact in UN world that December basically clears out in UN offices, as everyone takes leave to celebrate Eid, Christmas, Quanza, Hannukah, etc and those that remain are so bitter or getting ready to go on leave that no one is capable of thinking straight (myself included)!
Harare, as has been heard in the news, is in really bad shape. While in most cases it is just another African city, when you really go around the city and into the suburbs, you really can see the deterioration of the country. President Mugabe is essentially sacrificing his people so that he can stay in power, when really he should be taken to the Hague (Human Rights) and charged with genocide-type killings of his people. Cholera is beyond epidemic proportions, HIV/Aids rates are soaring, anti-Mugabe protestors are being beaten, raped, burned and killed. While issues are being raised around the world about him, Mugabe refuses to allow help to come in, as there “is nothing wrong in Zimbabwe”. I can only imagine how beautiful the country once was, and now it is a shell of its former self and the people are completed defeated. From what I have seen and experienced in my travels in Africa so far, it is an amazing continent, with a lot of potential. The problem in that it lacks in proper education, employment opportunities, and leadership. Corruption is its biggest problems, as the largest and most powerful countries here, like Libya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Kenya are essentially run by dictatorial, autocratic leaders, where it will take a major and bloody coup to see any change. Most of the world superpowers (US, China and Russia namely) essentially use Africa as its dumping ground…coming here only to get what it can take from it and then leave all the garbage behind. For example, the Chinese have the contracts to fix and build roads all over Africa, wherever you go, you see them dynamiting their way through, but the question is really why? The majority of Africans live in very rural communities and don’t have a need for cars, however “we” need to get to their resources, so “we” need to build the roads, destroying their farmland, forests, animals, etc. The money being paid to do such things does not benefit the people, but rather the leaders who put the money into their pockets and buy new Porshe’s, BMWs, etc! Overall, while I have seen a lot of things I never expected to see or hoped to see, it has been a really good experience, with lots of heartbreak. The continent is incredibly diverse. Going from west, to east, to central Africa, you can truly see just how different the cultures are, so it has also been wonderful.
So, enough of the bad news and doom and gloom of Africa. I am really looking forward to my safari holiday with my parents and my aunt and uncle at the end of February. We will be going to Kenya and Tanzania on a 2 week safari staying in really nice lodges and camps. I am sure we will relax at night with good food and more importantly, good drinks, as we always have a good time together, and doing it in Africa will be no different! Unlike Christmas where I had plans to travel, but work interfered forcing me to cancel my Christmas plans, I WILL NOT be cancelling this trip. I have been given the guarantee of both my local boss and my high up boss (he is somewhere in Geneva) that I will be able to go! Christmas was awesome! After quite some heavy negotiation I was able to get a few days off for Christmas, and so I ended up in Rome, Italy!!! I have some very good friends there that I never get to see, so off I went for about 3 days! It was worth it, as we had a blast and celebrated Christmas together…just the way I like it, good food, good drink and good friends! No running around buying gifts, wondering if the person really wanted or needed the item, wrapping them, and then cleaning up afterwards! It was also nice to be back in a city that I know so well, and could just walk around all day and night without any hassle from anyone! I had considered going home to Canada, but for the short amount of time I had, and being a little sick of flying, I opted for the 5 hour flight instead of the 20 hour flight! I got to immerse myself in wine, pizza, more wine, suppli, pasta and a bit more wine, while dancing it all off! Just how Christmas should be. I then flew back to Ethiopia as we were supposed to go to meetings in Geneva, but (luckily) they were canceled, so my consellation was having to go back to Harare, where I spent my New Years…partying with all the expats left in the city at the Irish Embassy…good people, a swimming pool, vast amounts of alcohol and hot weather always equals a good time (sorry, not going to publish these photos)!! It is now the evening of 02 January (I wrote this sitting in the business lounge in Addis Ababa again…heading) and I am back in Abuja, and I am still feeling the effects, but the photos on my camera are a good reminder of why one should not drink hard liquor…especially Rye/Whiskey (those who know me, know that Rye+Andrea=TROUBLE)l! So, I will end it here…2008 was an interesting and eventful year, and hopefully 2009 will bring more excitement and miracles to the Polio program!
I hope that everyone had a great festive season, depending on whatever it is you celebrate, and hope that 2009 will be the best year for you! Feel free to plan some trips to Africa…I still have A LOT of leave time left, so need to start planning some new adventures! My other news is I have a flatmate, after years of living alone. A new Italian girl has joined WHO here, so figured why not, I have the space and housing is so hard to find, and I can continue to practice my Italian! So, it will be fun…as she is a lot of fun!
Anyways, I hope this finds you all well and not suffering from holiday withdrawal already!
Love ange
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