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
vendredi 30 janvier 2009
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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