Southern Sudan
Jul 14, 2006 | 5:22 am
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nairobi • London
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Posts: 358
Southern Sudan
The following is the journal I am keeping in Sudan. I am out here at the behest of an organisation called Winrock (www.winrock.org), which has recruited a team of three to come out here and work through VEGA (www.vegaalliance.org) with the local Crop Training Centre (CTC) to work with growers, traders, transporters, and millers in the agricultural sector in Southern Sudan to better understand the chain from farmer to consumer. We are based in a town called Yei, and I will eventually make my way up to Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. On our way I will stop in Arua, in Northern Uganda. Our output will be a directory of the key players in the agricultural sector, with the hope that the CTC and VEGA will be able to assist them further after our departure.
This is a world far away from the one you are in, so if you have the time and interest, have a quick read...
This is a world far away from the one you are in, so if you have the time and interest, have a quick read...
Last edited by AAmerican_in_London; Jul 14, 2006 at 5:38 am
Jul 14, 2006 | 5:23 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nairobi • London
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum • AA Gold [1MM]
Posts: 358
Day 1: Saturday, July 8th 2006
Nairobi, Kenya to Yei, Bahr al Jebel State, Southern Sudan (Latitude: 4 5' 29N, Longitude: 30 40' 43E, Altitude: 830m, Time Zone: GMT+3)
Still groggy from a late night telephone conversation, my 6:15am pick-up seemed so much earlier than it actually was. Leaving my grandmothers house with luggage and a box of biscuits shoved into my hands at the last minute, we were on our way to Wilson, Nairobis other airport. Although historically the preserve of upmarket tourists on their way to exclusive lodges in one of Kenyas famed game reserves, the last few years have also seen a spurt in the number of relief flights to hard-to-reach places in Sudan and Somalia accessible only by air.
The flight we took was a long way from those filled with excited, camera-wielding tourists snapping the giraffes in Nairobi National Park and everything in between until they reached their destination. Unsurprisingly, it was easy to differentiate between them and the rest of us heading somewhere even more remote for relief work or business. After checking in, I found myself in the company of two Nairobi-based contractors on their way to Rumbek to build a girls secondary school and the UNs offices in the Southern Sudanese town. Their stories of stranded trucks, deserting workmen, impassable rivers, and the lack of anything to do except work, eat, and sleep kept me entertained until our flight left at 8:30am, only an hour behind schedule. Kindly, they left me with their satellite phone number should I find myself in Rumbek, or just crave an Indian meal, although trekking it hundreds of miles for a bite seems a tad much.
I managed to snag the co-pilots seat next to Sameer, a seasoned pilot who had been flying this route for a few years with Delta Connection (a far cry from the US carrier, but at least we got peanuts, biscuits, chocolate and water for our $425 ticket, which is more than can be said for the US airline!). Our 11-seater Beechcraft was filled to the brim with relief workers, volunteers, local traders, and NGO-bound cargo. After my fascination with the dizzying dials wore off, I dozed off as the grey clouds couldnt keep me entertained a second longer. About 20-minutes before landing, I wake up with a jolt of slight turbulence, and was immediately inclined to grab the yoke, but my senses got the better of me, and I left it to Sameer, who I was pleased to see was still awake.
On the approach into Yeis murrum landing strip, all one can see around for miles is dense forest, green as emerald, and so dense it looks uninhabited. Our driver, Sungura, took our passports and had them processed at what was supposedly an immigration check-point. While waiting for him and wandering around the strip, I pick-up my first souvenir, a spent bullet cartridge that probably came from one of the Kalashnikovs that everyone around here seems to have. Sungura tells us we are lucky, as the SPLM/A (Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army) hadnt yet started charging for registration in Yei as they have in Juba, saving us $2 and a few passport photos I am convinced would be used for target practise.
Making our way down the 10km stretch of murram, we pass numerous UN and NGO vehicles coming or going to/from town. The closer we get to the town centre - if a collection of mud huts, makeshift shelters, and the odd steel-roofed orifaces can be called that - we see more and more people walking along the street, going about their daily tasks of gathering wood, selling something, buying something, or just walking. Almost everyone I make eye-contact with smiles, young children wave, and older children are curious I am not sure how many ethnically-Indian people the Sudanese have seen, but I dont suspect it to be very high.
We finally enter our home for the next fortnight, slightly on the outskirts of town, the SSARP (Southern Sudan Agricultural Revitalization Programme) compound. After taking some time to settle into my circular hut with its own toilet and shower, I have a quick lunch consisting of rice, ketchup, chilli sauce an some boiled mushrooms and carrots and a banana.
We make our way to the CTC (Crop Training Centre), whose guests we are, to meet our local counterparts we will be working with for the next two weeks or so. Unfortunately, we learn after waiting for some time that there was miscommunication - emblematic of Africa - and they were waiting for us at 10:30am instead of 3:00pm; no matter, we can try and see them tomorrow. On our walk back to the compound, we are passed by a man riding his bike with three goats strapped to the back THREE! Not a sight I have seen before; I would barely be able to balance on the dirt track on my own, let alone with three screeching goats!
Once we get back, I go for a jog on the compounds road, which is roughly the shape of a track. On my third or fourth lap, I am joined by a little girl of eight, Salama, who is content running a few feet behind me. After half a round, she has the courage to run next to me, stopping when I do to catch my breath. In fact, she mirrors my every move, even spitting when I do to clear my throat. I learn that she goes to a school just outside the compound, has two brothers and a sister, and her favourite subject is SST, although I have yet to learn what that is perhaps tomorrow; I was pleased to hear that she also learns English, Mathematics, and Science.
After my 30-minute jog, I notice some boys playing football across the road, and make my way over there to join them. After introducing myself, they let me play, and laugh when I miss, clap when I shoot, and cheer when I score. Although there are no official teams, those that are helping one another are obvious, and I am relegated to the team with the younger, weaker players, but we have fun. I kept passing the ball to a young shy boy, who refused to shoot, and in fact, kept passing back to me. After about half an hour, the humidity and my general unfitness led to me heading back to the compound, promising the boys that I would be back tomorrow. As I walked away, the younger boy who was on my team smiled and waved, which made my day!
As I couldnt take a shower until the generator came on at 7:30pm, I decided to go to Josephs office. Joseph is the Deputy Chief of Party here in Yei, a Kenyan accountant and teacher turned development officer. In his office, I manage to connect to the Internet using the V-Sat that was recently installed here. Now, I am truly impressed: first, with the fact that in the middle of nowhere, we have an Internet connection at all, but second, with its speed, which is faster than anywhere in Nairobi, and actually seems faster than my connection at home in London. After checking my e-mail and seeing who won the womens final at Wimbledon (and this truly is a long way from Wimbledon I cant believe I was there two weeks ago sipping Pimms and eating strawberries), I decided to take my shower before heading to dinner.
Now, as nice and new as my little bungalow is, the shower system is interesting. The shower head looks as normal as any in Africa, but attached is a little spout that connects to a pipe with a fitting at the end. If for whatever reason the spout comes off the head, or the fitting comes of the pipe, the hot water turns instantaneously cold. So, I spent most of the shower holding this pipe into place with one hand, while scrubbing myself with the other. I finally managed to get it to hold for about a minute before it popped out again. I think on my final attempt, I was able to get it in place, and complete my shower in peace.
After all the hard work of trying to take a shower (at least the water was hot), I take a nap before heading over to dinner, which consisted of a banana as I wasnt very hungry (nor could I tell which dish was vegetarian). After watching a little World Cup history on DSTV (yes, they have satellite TV here), I went back to my room in darkness, fumbling with the key and barely managing to get it in the keyhole.
Youd be amazed how quickly ones senses adapt to the local environment; the only unnatural sounds was from the generator otherwise all I could here were the crickets chirping, other insects mimicking one another, some crashing into my windows or wall, others closing in around my mosquito net. And see, well, I couldnt see a thing once the generator went off, the whole place was pitch black. I mean everything; never before have I had the sensation that there is no difference whether my eyes are open or closed; what a strange feeling! I must have dozed off at some point, but I suspect it was after at least an hour or two of tossing and turning and getting used to the natural sounds outside and just thinking about the fortnight ahead.
Still groggy from a late night telephone conversation, my 6:15am pick-up seemed so much earlier than it actually was. Leaving my grandmothers house with luggage and a box of biscuits shoved into my hands at the last minute, we were on our way to Wilson, Nairobis other airport. Although historically the preserve of upmarket tourists on their way to exclusive lodges in one of Kenyas famed game reserves, the last few years have also seen a spurt in the number of relief flights to hard-to-reach places in Sudan and Somalia accessible only by air.
The flight we took was a long way from those filled with excited, camera-wielding tourists snapping the giraffes in Nairobi National Park and everything in between until they reached their destination. Unsurprisingly, it was easy to differentiate between them and the rest of us heading somewhere even more remote for relief work or business. After checking in, I found myself in the company of two Nairobi-based contractors on their way to Rumbek to build a girls secondary school and the UNs offices in the Southern Sudanese town. Their stories of stranded trucks, deserting workmen, impassable rivers, and the lack of anything to do except work, eat, and sleep kept me entertained until our flight left at 8:30am, only an hour behind schedule. Kindly, they left me with their satellite phone number should I find myself in Rumbek, or just crave an Indian meal, although trekking it hundreds of miles for a bite seems a tad much.
I managed to snag the co-pilots seat next to Sameer, a seasoned pilot who had been flying this route for a few years with Delta Connection (a far cry from the US carrier, but at least we got peanuts, biscuits, chocolate and water for our $425 ticket, which is more than can be said for the US airline!). Our 11-seater Beechcraft was filled to the brim with relief workers, volunteers, local traders, and NGO-bound cargo. After my fascination with the dizzying dials wore off, I dozed off as the grey clouds couldnt keep me entertained a second longer. About 20-minutes before landing, I wake up with a jolt of slight turbulence, and was immediately inclined to grab the yoke, but my senses got the better of me, and I left it to Sameer, who I was pleased to see was still awake.
On the approach into Yeis murrum landing strip, all one can see around for miles is dense forest, green as emerald, and so dense it looks uninhabited. Our driver, Sungura, took our passports and had them processed at what was supposedly an immigration check-point. While waiting for him and wandering around the strip, I pick-up my first souvenir, a spent bullet cartridge that probably came from one of the Kalashnikovs that everyone around here seems to have. Sungura tells us we are lucky, as the SPLM/A (Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army) hadnt yet started charging for registration in Yei as they have in Juba, saving us $2 and a few passport photos I am convinced would be used for target practise.
Making our way down the 10km stretch of murram, we pass numerous UN and NGO vehicles coming or going to/from town. The closer we get to the town centre - if a collection of mud huts, makeshift shelters, and the odd steel-roofed orifaces can be called that - we see more and more people walking along the street, going about their daily tasks of gathering wood, selling something, buying something, or just walking. Almost everyone I make eye-contact with smiles, young children wave, and older children are curious I am not sure how many ethnically-Indian people the Sudanese have seen, but I dont suspect it to be very high.
We finally enter our home for the next fortnight, slightly on the outskirts of town, the SSARP (Southern Sudan Agricultural Revitalization Programme) compound. After taking some time to settle into my circular hut with its own toilet and shower, I have a quick lunch consisting of rice, ketchup, chilli sauce an some boiled mushrooms and carrots and a banana.
We make our way to the CTC (Crop Training Centre), whose guests we are, to meet our local counterparts we will be working with for the next two weeks or so. Unfortunately, we learn after waiting for some time that there was miscommunication - emblematic of Africa - and they were waiting for us at 10:30am instead of 3:00pm; no matter, we can try and see them tomorrow. On our walk back to the compound, we are passed by a man riding his bike with three goats strapped to the back THREE! Not a sight I have seen before; I would barely be able to balance on the dirt track on my own, let alone with three screeching goats!
Once we get back, I go for a jog on the compounds road, which is roughly the shape of a track. On my third or fourth lap, I am joined by a little girl of eight, Salama, who is content running a few feet behind me. After half a round, she has the courage to run next to me, stopping when I do to catch my breath. In fact, she mirrors my every move, even spitting when I do to clear my throat. I learn that she goes to a school just outside the compound, has two brothers and a sister, and her favourite subject is SST, although I have yet to learn what that is perhaps tomorrow; I was pleased to hear that she also learns English, Mathematics, and Science.
After my 30-minute jog, I notice some boys playing football across the road, and make my way over there to join them. After introducing myself, they let me play, and laugh when I miss, clap when I shoot, and cheer when I score. Although there are no official teams, those that are helping one another are obvious, and I am relegated to the team with the younger, weaker players, but we have fun. I kept passing the ball to a young shy boy, who refused to shoot, and in fact, kept passing back to me. After about half an hour, the humidity and my general unfitness led to me heading back to the compound, promising the boys that I would be back tomorrow. As I walked away, the younger boy who was on my team smiled and waved, which made my day!
As I couldnt take a shower until the generator came on at 7:30pm, I decided to go to Josephs office. Joseph is the Deputy Chief of Party here in Yei, a Kenyan accountant and teacher turned development officer. In his office, I manage to connect to the Internet using the V-Sat that was recently installed here. Now, I am truly impressed: first, with the fact that in the middle of nowhere, we have an Internet connection at all, but second, with its speed, which is faster than anywhere in Nairobi, and actually seems faster than my connection at home in London. After checking my e-mail and seeing who won the womens final at Wimbledon (and this truly is a long way from Wimbledon I cant believe I was there two weeks ago sipping Pimms and eating strawberries), I decided to take my shower before heading to dinner.
Now, as nice and new as my little bungalow is, the shower system is interesting. The shower head looks as normal as any in Africa, but attached is a little spout that connects to a pipe with a fitting at the end. If for whatever reason the spout comes off the head, or the fitting comes of the pipe, the hot water turns instantaneously cold. So, I spent most of the shower holding this pipe into place with one hand, while scrubbing myself with the other. I finally managed to get it to hold for about a minute before it popped out again. I think on my final attempt, I was able to get it in place, and complete my shower in peace.
After all the hard work of trying to take a shower (at least the water was hot), I take a nap before heading over to dinner, which consisted of a banana as I wasnt very hungry (nor could I tell which dish was vegetarian). After watching a little World Cup history on DSTV (yes, they have satellite TV here), I went back to my room in darkness, fumbling with the key and barely managing to get it in the keyhole.
Youd be amazed how quickly ones senses adapt to the local environment; the only unnatural sounds was from the generator otherwise all I could here were the crickets chirping, other insects mimicking one another, some crashing into my windows or wall, others closing in around my mosquito net. And see, well, I couldnt see a thing once the generator went off, the whole place was pitch black. I mean everything; never before have I had the sensation that there is no difference whether my eyes are open or closed; what a strange feeling! I must have dozed off at some point, but I suspect it was after at least an hour or two of tossing and turning and getting used to the natural sounds outside and just thinking about the fortnight ahead.
Last edited by AAmerican_in_London; Jul 14, 2006 at 5:33 am
Jul 14, 2006 | 5:26 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nairobi • London
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum • AA Gold [1MM]
Posts: 358
Day 2: Sunday, July 9th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan
Despite falling asleep relatively early, I woke up because the roosters and goats were making a racket, but I couldnt be sure if it was because it was so early or because they knew they were going to be consumed for lunch! In any case, I dragged myself out of bed, pleased to know that I hadnt been bitten by mosquitoes or other foreign insects or small animals. Given that the generator does not go on until 9:00am, I made my way to the breakfast room to have some baked potatoes with ketchup and chilli sauce. Thank God my grandmother gave me those biscuits two of those and I was a happy camper.
As I had an hour to kill before we went into town, I freshened up and read a little, enjoying the choir singing in a nearby church, and the Lingala music blaring from the various speakers. Before I knew it, it was time to go, and Sungura (our driver) took us into town. Joseph (our Kenyan team leader), Rita & John (the American couple who are my colleagues on this exercise) and I made our way into town, via the back and side roads so that we got a true feeling of Yeis size (or lack thereof). I dont think anyone can call it a city by conventional means; estimates in 2005 put the population at just over 4,000, but my hosts advise me that it is significantly higher than that, although no one dares to speculate; I suspect it cant be more than 10,000 but Ill try and find out in the next few days.
Our first stop was a local wholesaler, who also doubled as a forex bureau, where I managed to change US$100 for 179,000 Uganda Shillings. [Note: Yei is only 40 miles from the Uganda border, and most of the goods that come in are from there, hence the currency of choice being Uganda Shillings.] It is interesting that most of the wholesalers double as forex bureaus for all the aid workers and UN staff; there wasnt much disparity between the rate quoted, the lowest being 177,000 Uganda Shillings for US$100, and the highest being 179,000. Perhaps those of you looking for something new to do might want to set up a hedge fund trading on this currency arbitrage, although I suspect volumes will be low. Oh, and you wouldnt have the problems of SEC/FSA regulation...
After feeling like a million shillings (well, 17.9% of it!) because of the wads of notes in my pocket, we walked through the town past the little shops selling everything from rubber slippers from Kenya, briefcases from China, oil from Uganda (which recently replaced the USAID-labelled oil I am told, which shows that market forces really do work). We eventually found ourselves in the main market, where traders were selling everything from dried fish to tomatoes to sesame seed (called sim sim locally, and one of Sudans major exports). We finally came to a halt at a mill, that was turning maize, cassava, sorghum, other vegetables into flour using a car engine. Read that again a CAR ENGINE. Talk about being resourceful: this guy had built his own mill using a diesel engine stripped from a car, his own cooling system using jerry cans, and an exhaust system built with a hose pipe ingenious! This guy told me that he milled 500kgs of grain at 300 Uganda Shillings a day, earning himself close to US$100 a day!!! I was impressed to say the least. Anyway, he is one of the guys I will interview on Tuesday as part of our survey.
On our way back to the compound, I managed to convince a local trader to waive the deposit on the three bottles of Fanta I bought. For those of you not familiar with the way things work in Africa, most carbonated drinks are sold in crates of glass bottles, and a deposit is normally required on the bottles. I did not have small enough change, hence the need to convince him that I would return them. What is more telling though, is the trusting nature of most people here when you tell them you will pay later, or the way they welcome you into their humble homes and lives. People who have nothing, or who have lost it all because of war and famine have the biggest hearts; just remember that as you live your daily lives.
By the time we got back, ate [lunch today was better rice, potato salad, ketchup and chilli sauce (a recurring trend, you can see)], read a little, and I prepared for our first session with the locals, I decided to go for my evening jog. First, let me begin by saying that I was wrong yesterday, as it was not Salama who ran with me, but her sister, Suawwrs. I heard her say Salama early in our jog and assumed it was her name, but she was actually calling her sister and I mistook it for her name. Anyway, so Salama joined us today; she is 10 years old and in P4. She studies the same subjects as her sister, and her favourite is Science. I also learnt that SST is Social Studies, so thats one less mystery.
Oh, before I forget, I made progress with the showerhead I fought with yesterday; instead of battling with the silly little pipe-that-has-no-purpose, I managed to plug the hole with a spare bar of soap so that I could take a shower in peace without water spraying all over the place except on me. So, I now have as regular a shower as one can have in the south of Sudan.
Dinner was fairly uneventful, with cold onions, capsicums, and tomatoes spread over bread and doused with ketchup and chilli sauce (okay, no longer a recurring trend the norm to make anything edible) for the main course ;dessert was bread with Nutella. At least the entertainment was good the World Cup Final. Yes sir,, even the Southern Sudanese enjoy their football, taking bets on the winner and glued to the TV; it seems as though football really is the global sport that brings people and countries together.
Anyway, I wandered off to bed at halftime, and am slowly getting used to the strange sounds and complete darkness. Lets see what Monday holds...
Despite falling asleep relatively early, I woke up because the roosters and goats were making a racket, but I couldnt be sure if it was because it was so early or because they knew they were going to be consumed for lunch! In any case, I dragged myself out of bed, pleased to know that I hadnt been bitten by mosquitoes or other foreign insects or small animals. Given that the generator does not go on until 9:00am, I made my way to the breakfast room to have some baked potatoes with ketchup and chilli sauce. Thank God my grandmother gave me those biscuits two of those and I was a happy camper.
As I had an hour to kill before we went into town, I freshened up and read a little, enjoying the choir singing in a nearby church, and the Lingala music blaring from the various speakers. Before I knew it, it was time to go, and Sungura (our driver) took us into town. Joseph (our Kenyan team leader), Rita & John (the American couple who are my colleagues on this exercise) and I made our way into town, via the back and side roads so that we got a true feeling of Yeis size (or lack thereof). I dont think anyone can call it a city by conventional means; estimates in 2005 put the population at just over 4,000, but my hosts advise me that it is significantly higher than that, although no one dares to speculate; I suspect it cant be more than 10,000 but Ill try and find out in the next few days.
Our first stop was a local wholesaler, who also doubled as a forex bureau, where I managed to change US$100 for 179,000 Uganda Shillings. [Note: Yei is only 40 miles from the Uganda border, and most of the goods that come in are from there, hence the currency of choice being Uganda Shillings.] It is interesting that most of the wholesalers double as forex bureaus for all the aid workers and UN staff; there wasnt much disparity between the rate quoted, the lowest being 177,000 Uganda Shillings for US$100, and the highest being 179,000. Perhaps those of you looking for something new to do might want to set up a hedge fund trading on this currency arbitrage, although I suspect volumes will be low. Oh, and you wouldnt have the problems of SEC/FSA regulation...
After feeling like a million shillings (well, 17.9% of it!) because of the wads of notes in my pocket, we walked through the town past the little shops selling everything from rubber slippers from Kenya, briefcases from China, oil from Uganda (which recently replaced the USAID-labelled oil I am told, which shows that market forces really do work). We eventually found ourselves in the main market, where traders were selling everything from dried fish to tomatoes to sesame seed (called sim sim locally, and one of Sudans major exports). We finally came to a halt at a mill, that was turning maize, cassava, sorghum, other vegetables into flour using a car engine. Read that again a CAR ENGINE. Talk about being resourceful: this guy had built his own mill using a diesel engine stripped from a car, his own cooling system using jerry cans, and an exhaust system built with a hose pipe ingenious! This guy told me that he milled 500kgs of grain at 300 Uganda Shillings a day, earning himself close to US$100 a day!!! I was impressed to say the least. Anyway, he is one of the guys I will interview on Tuesday as part of our survey.
On our way back to the compound, I managed to convince a local trader to waive the deposit on the three bottles of Fanta I bought. For those of you not familiar with the way things work in Africa, most carbonated drinks are sold in crates of glass bottles, and a deposit is normally required on the bottles. I did not have small enough change, hence the need to convince him that I would return them. What is more telling though, is the trusting nature of most people here when you tell them you will pay later, or the way they welcome you into their humble homes and lives. People who have nothing, or who have lost it all because of war and famine have the biggest hearts; just remember that as you live your daily lives.
By the time we got back, ate [lunch today was better rice, potato salad, ketchup and chilli sauce (a recurring trend, you can see)], read a little, and I prepared for our first session with the locals, I decided to go for my evening jog. First, let me begin by saying that I was wrong yesterday, as it was not Salama who ran with me, but her sister, Suawwrs. I heard her say Salama early in our jog and assumed it was her name, but she was actually calling her sister and I mistook it for her name. Anyway, so Salama joined us today; she is 10 years old and in P4. She studies the same subjects as her sister, and her favourite is Science. I also learnt that SST is Social Studies, so thats one less mystery.
Oh, before I forget, I made progress with the showerhead I fought with yesterday; instead of battling with the silly little pipe-that-has-no-purpose, I managed to plug the hole with a spare bar of soap so that I could take a shower in peace without water spraying all over the place except on me. So, I now have as regular a shower as one can have in the south of Sudan.
Dinner was fairly uneventful, with cold onions, capsicums, and tomatoes spread over bread and doused with ketchup and chilli sauce (okay, no longer a recurring trend the norm to make anything edible) for the main course ;dessert was bread with Nutella. At least the entertainment was good the World Cup Final. Yes sir,, even the Southern Sudanese enjoy their football, taking bets on the winner and glued to the TV; it seems as though football really is the global sport that brings people and countries together.
Anyway, I wandered off to bed at halftime, and am slowly getting used to the strange sounds and complete darkness. Lets see what Monday holds...
Jul 14, 2006 | 5:28 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nairobi • London
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum • AA Gold [1MM]
Posts: 358
Day 3: Monday, July 10th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan
Waking up today was tough; I couldnt be bothered to get out of bed, and its only my third day here. I eventually did, and dragged myself to the dining hall only to find nothing of interest to eat, not even anything I could douse with ketchup and chilli sauce; even the bananas were rotting. I spent the first hour of the morning on my computer, catching up with family and friends, and replying the e-mails many of you sent; thank you!
We eventually made our way to CTC (Crop Training Centre), where we were to meet our set of recruits, comprising of two university and six high school graduates, mostly educated in Uganda. Perhaps it makes sense to explain the project I am working on at this point. We (another couple and I, whom I will describe later) have volunteered to work with SSARP (South Sudan Agricultural Revitalization Program) on a USAID-funded project to identify traders, wholesalers, shippers, and millers in the strategic towns of Yei, Juba, and Arua (in Northern Uganda) to help identify who the players are, what agricultural products are being imported from Uganda that could be produced locally, as well as the difficulties faced by local entrepreneurs. The goal is to create a directory for CTC so that they (and NGOs) can further work with these people to help them develop and expand the range of products they sell, as well as how they manage their businesses.
I was impressed that all eight of our local people (mainly from the Kakua tribe) were on time at 9:00am; this is completely unheard of in Africa people being on time! Anyway, we were off to a good start, and after introducing ourselves, the project, learning more about our recruits, and asking for their input for the questionnaire we had put together, we broke for lunch. After a few days, the food here always seems to involve rice, ketchup, and chilli sauce the vegetable(s) used are the only variable.
After lunch, we made our way to see the County Commissioner of Yei, David Lokonga Moses. This guys office, the equivalent of a mayor, was interesting. The floor was bare concrete, he had a grey IKEA-like desk covered with a moss green wool rug, two sets of sofas clearly made somewhere in Asia and not matching by any stretch of imagination, empty cabinets (which left me wondering what he does all day), a non-working fan despite the heat, a wooden rooster, and the requisite flag of Southern Sudan. Now, wait for this... (drum roll please)... His desk, chair, and surrounding area was elevated by almost two feet off the ground by a layer of concrete!!! TWO FEET! Talk about power trip; this guy was literally able to talk down at us. However, I do have to say that he was nice enough, if not a tad formal, individually thanking us and our governments and aid agencies for coming, as if the CNN cameras were present in the corner of the room. With his blessing, we could continue our survey of all the local traders. A part of me was secretly hoping he would send us packing, but truth be told, I was pleased that we were welcome in his county and could proceed without hindrance. These little nuances are things we dont even think about in the west, but that are vital to any business success in the developing world.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with our volunteers, having them practise interviewing people and completing the survey. At first, many seemed shy, but with a little encouragement and a few examples, they all slowly blossomed. In a situation like this, the natural leaders quickly emerge, with Cyprus being my favourite. Unfortunately for them, my American colleagues from the world of academia tend to drop difficult words and phrases into conversation, expecting everyone to get them; I felt for these poor souls. Dont get me wrong expect the best from people and assume the best and they will perform but not when dropping in terms like hard copy or sample survey or passing the ball to people struggling to understand your accent! In fact, the mesmerised looks on the locals faces were worth a million shillings, but they did finally understand in my simplified English. Those of you familiar with my ability to change my accent at will will be pleased to hear that my Kenyan one came in handy, especially as most of these guys speak Swahili!
Today went much faster than the weekend, which was good, as there isnt a whole lot to do here outside of the project. I ended up in front of my computer longer than I planned, and then walked for a while (no jogging my muscles were aching, and hence, no sign of the girls!) with Joelle, the Chief of Party, an American banker by profession who found his home milking (I mean working for) NGOs 14 years ago. After a quick dinner of ketchup and chilli sauce with rice, mushrooms, and onions, I was pleased to see that my quick-fix shower-solution was still working. Although I crawled into bed at 9:00pm, I dont think I slept until 10:30pm. God knows why, especially as the sounds and darkness dont bother me anymore as I have created a fail-safe no-bug zone around my bed. More tomorrow.
Waking up today was tough; I couldnt be bothered to get out of bed, and its only my third day here. I eventually did, and dragged myself to the dining hall only to find nothing of interest to eat, not even anything I could douse with ketchup and chilli sauce; even the bananas were rotting. I spent the first hour of the morning on my computer, catching up with family and friends, and replying the e-mails many of you sent; thank you!
We eventually made our way to CTC (Crop Training Centre), where we were to meet our set of recruits, comprising of two university and six high school graduates, mostly educated in Uganda. Perhaps it makes sense to explain the project I am working on at this point. We (another couple and I, whom I will describe later) have volunteered to work with SSARP (South Sudan Agricultural Revitalization Program) on a USAID-funded project to identify traders, wholesalers, shippers, and millers in the strategic towns of Yei, Juba, and Arua (in Northern Uganda) to help identify who the players are, what agricultural products are being imported from Uganda that could be produced locally, as well as the difficulties faced by local entrepreneurs. The goal is to create a directory for CTC so that they (and NGOs) can further work with these people to help them develop and expand the range of products they sell, as well as how they manage their businesses.
I was impressed that all eight of our local people (mainly from the Kakua tribe) were on time at 9:00am; this is completely unheard of in Africa people being on time! Anyway, we were off to a good start, and after introducing ourselves, the project, learning more about our recruits, and asking for their input for the questionnaire we had put together, we broke for lunch. After a few days, the food here always seems to involve rice, ketchup, and chilli sauce the vegetable(s) used are the only variable.
After lunch, we made our way to see the County Commissioner of Yei, David Lokonga Moses. This guys office, the equivalent of a mayor, was interesting. The floor was bare concrete, he had a grey IKEA-like desk covered with a moss green wool rug, two sets of sofas clearly made somewhere in Asia and not matching by any stretch of imagination, empty cabinets (which left me wondering what he does all day), a non-working fan despite the heat, a wooden rooster, and the requisite flag of Southern Sudan. Now, wait for this... (drum roll please)... His desk, chair, and surrounding area was elevated by almost two feet off the ground by a layer of concrete!!! TWO FEET! Talk about power trip; this guy was literally able to talk down at us. However, I do have to say that he was nice enough, if not a tad formal, individually thanking us and our governments and aid agencies for coming, as if the CNN cameras were present in the corner of the room. With his blessing, we could continue our survey of all the local traders. A part of me was secretly hoping he would send us packing, but truth be told, I was pleased that we were welcome in his county and could proceed without hindrance. These little nuances are things we dont even think about in the west, but that are vital to any business success in the developing world.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with our volunteers, having them practise interviewing people and completing the survey. At first, many seemed shy, but with a little encouragement and a few examples, they all slowly blossomed. In a situation like this, the natural leaders quickly emerge, with Cyprus being my favourite. Unfortunately for them, my American colleagues from the world of academia tend to drop difficult words and phrases into conversation, expecting everyone to get them; I felt for these poor souls. Dont get me wrong expect the best from people and assume the best and they will perform but not when dropping in terms like hard copy or sample survey or passing the ball to people struggling to understand your accent! In fact, the mesmerised looks on the locals faces were worth a million shillings, but they did finally understand in my simplified English. Those of you familiar with my ability to change my accent at will will be pleased to hear that my Kenyan one came in handy, especially as most of these guys speak Swahili!
Today went much faster than the weekend, which was good, as there isnt a whole lot to do here outside of the project. I ended up in front of my computer longer than I planned, and then walked for a while (no jogging my muscles were aching, and hence, no sign of the girls!) with Joelle, the Chief of Party, an American banker by profession who found his home milking (I mean working for) NGOs 14 years ago. After a quick dinner of ketchup and chilli sauce with rice, mushrooms, and onions, I was pleased to see that my quick-fix shower-solution was still working. Although I crawled into bed at 9:00pm, I dont think I slept until 10:30pm. God knows why, especially as the sounds and darkness dont bother me anymore as I have created a fail-safe no-bug zone around my bed. More tomorrow.
Jul 14, 2006 | 5:31 am
#5
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Day 4: Tuesday, July 11th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan
So yesterday, I promised to tell you about my colleagues, but I totally forgot sorry. Also working on the project are a husband and wife team, Rita & John. John works as an Extension Specialist working with farmers in the SE United States, which seems to be a difficult job, especially with the way farming is going in the part of the world. Rita is an Assessment Specialist at the University of North Carolina; in fact, she has a doctorate in it. This strikes me as bizarre someone having a PhD in surveying technique... First, I didnt know that one could obtain a PhD in something as obscure as this, and second, what value can one truly add. Anyway, she is a little peculiar, least of all because everything she owns is purple. And I am not exaggerating EVERYTHING. All the clothes she has worn, the tint on her glasses is purple, her sandals, her shoes, her earrings, her pen has purple ink, her socks, her thermos, her water bottle, her rucksack, her nail polish - EVERYTHING. Oh, and she talks REALLY slow, hoping that her speed will help the locals understand her big words; truth be told, I struggle with some of them, but at least I have dictionary.com! Okay, enough of my rant about my peculiar colleague who use verbose English to communicate with our significantly less educated and informed local team. Another nuance about the world big words and odd phrases that we consider normal can completely throw people off, so just try and be a little sensitive when travelling somewhere else.
Today was fun we met with our local team, gave them another opportunity to practice, and made our way to the local Chamber of Commerce. What do you think of when you think Chamber of Commerce? Big grand building with a coat of arms above the door? A large listing of any type of business in your local area? Well, this was none of the above it was a little room squeezed between a soda distributor (that reminds me, I have to go and return my empty Fanta bottles) and a miller. It had whitewash walls, garbage bags as roof lining, two folding tables, and four garden chairs for visitors. He was nice (as is everyone I have met here), but also formal, which is the way of doing business across Africa lots of protocol and pomp & circumstance. In fact, he was so helpful he walked us over to three of the millers my team is responsible for interviewing, and stayed until we completed the surveys, and expected nothing in return for his help and kindness.
While I was in town, I decided to buy a flashlight and batteries, as I had stupidly forgotten to bring one with me (who goes to undeveloped Africa without a flashlight?), and fumbling around my room bumping into furniture in the middle of the night using the light from my mobile phone screen was far from ideal. I was impressed that the shopkeeper who sold it to me (UShs 6,500 / US$3.63) sold it to me for the local price, and didnt try and rip me off because I was clearly a foreigner, which is a far cry of what happens in more developed Africa countries. For example, if you are in Kenya or Tanzania, they usually double the price if you are a muhindi (Indian) or triple it if you are a mzungu (White), but none of that here. In fact, he happily wrote me a receipt, installed the batteries for me, and sent me on my way.
Most people here are genuinely honest they have hope. They have just come out of decades of civil war, and hope is all that keeps them going. When I notice that there are no beggars, my local friends tell me it is shameful to beg, whether one is able-bodied or not; it is not done in their society. They have pride, sense of self-worth, and above all, a hope for the future a hope for their country and brethren. Given the natural resources and climate in South Sudan, this place can easily overtake he rest of East Africa in a hundred years; lets hope that the leaders appreciate the potential and dont get greedy.
Anyway, Ill get off my imaginary political pedestal at Speakers Corner of Hyde Park and tell you about lunch, which was interesting. I met Indian, Sri Lankan, and Jamaican members of the UN Police, who are deployed around the world to help local police forces get to international standards; each member of the force is on secondment from his home police force for a year, and wears that uniform and a UN badge. Interesting guys, and I hope to get more stories over the nest few days.
While walking over to CTC after lunch to tell our local counterparts that they would not be required for the rest of the day, it started raining; pouring, actually! In fact, I have not seen it rain like that since I lived in Nairobi! Speaking of the weather, it has been pleasant and dry the last few days not as cold as Nairobi, not as hot as London, but with a little humidity. Today was the first time it rained since I arrived, but we were told to expect more of it over the coming days, so we will see. I spent the rest of the afternoon reviewing the results of the pilot survey and amending the questions as necessary. Towards the end of the day, a few of our local colleagues told me that they felt that they were not being paid fairly (the high school graduates are being paid $20 a day; the university graduates are being paid $50 a day, including lunch money.). I took this up with Joseph, the Deputy Chief of Party, who promised to look into it. It shows that salaries are also important to people out here and motivation does matter.
While on my afternoon jog, Joseph asked me if I wanted to join him on a walk outside the compound, which I jumped at the prospect of. We went on a 45 minute walk out and about, through the countryside (well, everything here is countryside, but in a totally undeveloped area), through a recently built village of returnees (refugees who have returned, most likely from Uganda), past a UNHCR grain store, and back again. Damn, I wish Id taken my camera the sky had cleared up beautifully, and one could see the mountains in the distance. Tomorrow... There is always tomorrow.
I made my way to the dining hall with my new flashlight extended in front of me, and quickly found that I was the only one in there. Salama soon joined me, and told me about her day at school, her homework, and dictated from memory the story they had discussed in their lesson. Kids here are so enthusiastic about learning, perhaps because they have never had the opportunity before. Schools here are free the only costs are materials and uniforms, which is encouraging lots of children to attend.
The food was slightly more tasty today rice and curried cabbage, with ketchup and chilli sauce, of course. Dessert was bread with butter and jam. Unfortunately, the news about the Mumbai train bombings we learnt over dinner was terrible. Hopefully none of you or those close to you were affected. Given that I was sitting with the Superintendent of Police of Hyderabad on secondment with the UN, it was a solemn and quiet evening, and there wasnt much conversation over dinner, except for speculation as to who would have carried out such vicious attacks.
With my new flashlight, I was able to read in bed, which definitely helped the night go faster. Im enjoying my book, Zanzibar Chest, as it is about colonial Africa and Arabia; id encourage anyone with an interest in the area to have a read. Im also beginning to like the darkness and the sounds, and actually sleeping quite well. Between the clouds last night, I was able to see lots of stars many more than I have seen in months. However, dont expect me to have any trouble getting used to the noisy, smog-filled city centres again.
So yesterday, I promised to tell you about my colleagues, but I totally forgot sorry. Also working on the project are a husband and wife team, Rita & John. John works as an Extension Specialist working with farmers in the SE United States, which seems to be a difficult job, especially with the way farming is going in the part of the world. Rita is an Assessment Specialist at the University of North Carolina; in fact, she has a doctorate in it. This strikes me as bizarre someone having a PhD in surveying technique... First, I didnt know that one could obtain a PhD in something as obscure as this, and second, what value can one truly add. Anyway, she is a little peculiar, least of all because everything she owns is purple. And I am not exaggerating EVERYTHING. All the clothes she has worn, the tint on her glasses is purple, her sandals, her shoes, her earrings, her pen has purple ink, her socks, her thermos, her water bottle, her rucksack, her nail polish - EVERYTHING. Oh, and she talks REALLY slow, hoping that her speed will help the locals understand her big words; truth be told, I struggle with some of them, but at least I have dictionary.com! Okay, enough of my rant about my peculiar colleague who use verbose English to communicate with our significantly less educated and informed local team. Another nuance about the world big words and odd phrases that we consider normal can completely throw people off, so just try and be a little sensitive when travelling somewhere else.
Today was fun we met with our local team, gave them another opportunity to practice, and made our way to the local Chamber of Commerce. What do you think of when you think Chamber of Commerce? Big grand building with a coat of arms above the door? A large listing of any type of business in your local area? Well, this was none of the above it was a little room squeezed between a soda distributor (that reminds me, I have to go and return my empty Fanta bottles) and a miller. It had whitewash walls, garbage bags as roof lining, two folding tables, and four garden chairs for visitors. He was nice (as is everyone I have met here), but also formal, which is the way of doing business across Africa lots of protocol and pomp & circumstance. In fact, he was so helpful he walked us over to three of the millers my team is responsible for interviewing, and stayed until we completed the surveys, and expected nothing in return for his help and kindness.
While I was in town, I decided to buy a flashlight and batteries, as I had stupidly forgotten to bring one with me (who goes to undeveloped Africa without a flashlight?), and fumbling around my room bumping into furniture in the middle of the night using the light from my mobile phone screen was far from ideal. I was impressed that the shopkeeper who sold it to me (UShs 6,500 / US$3.63) sold it to me for the local price, and didnt try and rip me off because I was clearly a foreigner, which is a far cry of what happens in more developed Africa countries. For example, if you are in Kenya or Tanzania, they usually double the price if you are a muhindi (Indian) or triple it if you are a mzungu (White), but none of that here. In fact, he happily wrote me a receipt, installed the batteries for me, and sent me on my way.
Most people here are genuinely honest they have hope. They have just come out of decades of civil war, and hope is all that keeps them going. When I notice that there are no beggars, my local friends tell me it is shameful to beg, whether one is able-bodied or not; it is not done in their society. They have pride, sense of self-worth, and above all, a hope for the future a hope for their country and brethren. Given the natural resources and climate in South Sudan, this place can easily overtake he rest of East Africa in a hundred years; lets hope that the leaders appreciate the potential and dont get greedy.
Anyway, Ill get off my imaginary political pedestal at Speakers Corner of Hyde Park and tell you about lunch, which was interesting. I met Indian, Sri Lankan, and Jamaican members of the UN Police, who are deployed around the world to help local police forces get to international standards; each member of the force is on secondment from his home police force for a year, and wears that uniform and a UN badge. Interesting guys, and I hope to get more stories over the nest few days.
While walking over to CTC after lunch to tell our local counterparts that they would not be required for the rest of the day, it started raining; pouring, actually! In fact, I have not seen it rain like that since I lived in Nairobi! Speaking of the weather, it has been pleasant and dry the last few days not as cold as Nairobi, not as hot as London, but with a little humidity. Today was the first time it rained since I arrived, but we were told to expect more of it over the coming days, so we will see. I spent the rest of the afternoon reviewing the results of the pilot survey and amending the questions as necessary. Towards the end of the day, a few of our local colleagues told me that they felt that they were not being paid fairly (the high school graduates are being paid $20 a day; the university graduates are being paid $50 a day, including lunch money.). I took this up with Joseph, the Deputy Chief of Party, who promised to look into it. It shows that salaries are also important to people out here and motivation does matter.
While on my afternoon jog, Joseph asked me if I wanted to join him on a walk outside the compound, which I jumped at the prospect of. We went on a 45 minute walk out and about, through the countryside (well, everything here is countryside, but in a totally undeveloped area), through a recently built village of returnees (refugees who have returned, most likely from Uganda), past a UNHCR grain store, and back again. Damn, I wish Id taken my camera the sky had cleared up beautifully, and one could see the mountains in the distance. Tomorrow... There is always tomorrow.
I made my way to the dining hall with my new flashlight extended in front of me, and quickly found that I was the only one in there. Salama soon joined me, and told me about her day at school, her homework, and dictated from memory the story they had discussed in their lesson. Kids here are so enthusiastic about learning, perhaps because they have never had the opportunity before. Schools here are free the only costs are materials and uniforms, which is encouraging lots of children to attend.
The food was slightly more tasty today rice and curried cabbage, with ketchup and chilli sauce, of course. Dessert was bread with butter and jam. Unfortunately, the news about the Mumbai train bombings we learnt over dinner was terrible. Hopefully none of you or those close to you were affected. Given that I was sitting with the Superintendent of Police of Hyderabad on secondment with the UN, it was a solemn and quiet evening, and there wasnt much conversation over dinner, except for speculation as to who would have carried out such vicious attacks.
With my new flashlight, I was able to read in bed, which definitely helped the night go faster. Im enjoying my book, Zanzibar Chest, as it is about colonial Africa and Arabia; id encourage anyone with an interest in the area to have a read. Im also beginning to like the darkness and the sounds, and actually sleeping quite well. Between the clouds last night, I was able to see lots of stars many more than I have seen in months. However, dont expect me to have any trouble getting used to the noisy, smog-filled city centres again.
Last edited by AAmerican_in_London; Jul 14, 2006 at 5:41 am
Jul 14, 2006 | 5:34 am
#6
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Day 5: Wednesday, July 12th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan
Now that I am used to (in fact, like) the darkness and solitude, I slept like a baby last night. I woke this morning and enjoyed a roll with butter & jam for breakfast before walking to CTC to review the work we had done in our pilot survey yesterday. Lucky for me, it only started raining the minute I made it into CTC and then thundered down non-stop for at least half and hour.
Given that rain slows everything down here, we had to wait for our local recruits to turn up. I began speaking with a businessman from Mombasa who was in Southern Sudan for a week to assess the opportunity of doing business here; he had just spent a few days in Juba (the political capital), and was now in Yei for a day before heading back. After discussing the potential risks of doing business in this part of Africa, I wished him well and we parted ways. I am sure him and his colleagues will find something to do here; hopefully some of it benefits the locals a little too.
Our day began like many others in African schools (which is what the CTC is) - with missing furniture! The chairs from our classroom had vanished, so we resigned ourselves to the concrete benches in the courtyard. This worked well until it began getting hot VERY hot, only 45 minutes after drenching half my colleagues! Anyway, after discussing the data gathered, what issues were faced, and their general thoughts of the whole exercise, we broke for lunch, which, as usual consisted of ketchup and chilli sauce, with fried potatoes today.
After lunch, we began to have each person enter in the information into Excel. They were working in groups of two on four computers, and this is where it gets interesting: out of the eight of them, only three had used Excel before, and only four had used a computer before. However, they were all extremely patient with one another, showing their colleagues where each key was, how to create a space, a capital letter, and to backspace. I was impressed with the patience and kindness they showed one another, and not a harsh word was spoken. In fact, it had a calming effect over me too, which is something given my usual rush to get things done. We take technology for granted, but those that had never used computers before were so mesmerised by them that they smiled the whole time.
One of the guys on my team, Michael did something that made my day: he thought the keyboard was like a typewriter, and pushed each key down hard, only to see six Ts appear on his screen! After explaining to him why this happened, he typed lightly, but using only one finger, which actually seemed to be the norm, even amongst those that had used computers before. Interesting. This took up most of the afternoon, but the results were visible; everyone was detail oriented and interested in how to clean-up the data and ensure that it was perfect; I was most impressed.
I managed to get a lift back on someones motorcycle, which was far more exciting than my lunch, especially as the murram roads were now mud as it had rained at lunchtime again. Despite the quick journey home, I ended up going for my run a little later than usual, and Suawwrs decided to join me for only a lap today, which was fine. However, I did learn that she had 33 boys in her class, and 28 girls, which is actually a very healthy male-to-female ratio, especially in Africa.
Dinner was better than lunch mushroom and green bea curry with rice over stories told by my newfound friends from the UN Police. Afterwards I slowly walked back to my tukul, enjoying the stars as it was the first clear night since my arrival, although it resulted in lots of mosquito bites! I eventually got into bed at 9:00pm, but couldnt sleep and ended up reading with my flashlight until almost 11:00pm. It felt like I was camping with the single beam of light under my sheet. In fact, I almost felt like a Boys Scout, except that Ive never been one, so I dont really know what it feels like. Anyway, the book got more interesting, but the bugs noisily crashing into my and gnawing at mosquito net put me off, so off to bed it was... Im just hoping it will rain one night; I want to hear the sound of the rain falling when Im in bed.
Now that I am used to (in fact, like) the darkness and solitude, I slept like a baby last night. I woke this morning and enjoyed a roll with butter & jam for breakfast before walking to CTC to review the work we had done in our pilot survey yesterday. Lucky for me, it only started raining the minute I made it into CTC and then thundered down non-stop for at least half and hour.
Given that rain slows everything down here, we had to wait for our local recruits to turn up. I began speaking with a businessman from Mombasa who was in Southern Sudan for a week to assess the opportunity of doing business here; he had just spent a few days in Juba (the political capital), and was now in Yei for a day before heading back. After discussing the potential risks of doing business in this part of Africa, I wished him well and we parted ways. I am sure him and his colleagues will find something to do here; hopefully some of it benefits the locals a little too.
Our day began like many others in African schools (which is what the CTC is) - with missing furniture! The chairs from our classroom had vanished, so we resigned ourselves to the concrete benches in the courtyard. This worked well until it began getting hot VERY hot, only 45 minutes after drenching half my colleagues! Anyway, after discussing the data gathered, what issues were faced, and their general thoughts of the whole exercise, we broke for lunch, which, as usual consisted of ketchup and chilli sauce, with fried potatoes today.
After lunch, we began to have each person enter in the information into Excel. They were working in groups of two on four computers, and this is where it gets interesting: out of the eight of them, only three had used Excel before, and only four had used a computer before. However, they were all extremely patient with one another, showing their colleagues where each key was, how to create a space, a capital letter, and to backspace. I was impressed with the patience and kindness they showed one another, and not a harsh word was spoken. In fact, it had a calming effect over me too, which is something given my usual rush to get things done. We take technology for granted, but those that had never used computers before were so mesmerised by them that they smiled the whole time.
One of the guys on my team, Michael did something that made my day: he thought the keyboard was like a typewriter, and pushed each key down hard, only to see six Ts appear on his screen! After explaining to him why this happened, he typed lightly, but using only one finger, which actually seemed to be the norm, even amongst those that had used computers before. Interesting. This took up most of the afternoon, but the results were visible; everyone was detail oriented and interested in how to clean-up the data and ensure that it was perfect; I was most impressed.
I managed to get a lift back on someones motorcycle, which was far more exciting than my lunch, especially as the murram roads were now mud as it had rained at lunchtime again. Despite the quick journey home, I ended up going for my run a little later than usual, and Suawwrs decided to join me for only a lap today, which was fine. However, I did learn that she had 33 boys in her class, and 28 girls, which is actually a very healthy male-to-female ratio, especially in Africa.
Dinner was better than lunch mushroom and green bea curry with rice over stories told by my newfound friends from the UN Police. Afterwards I slowly walked back to my tukul, enjoying the stars as it was the first clear night since my arrival, although it resulted in lots of mosquito bites! I eventually got into bed at 9:00pm, but couldnt sleep and ended up reading with my flashlight until almost 11:00pm. It felt like I was camping with the single beam of light under my sheet. In fact, I almost felt like a Boys Scout, except that Ive never been one, so I dont really know what it feels like. Anyway, the book got more interesting, but the bugs noisily crashing into my and gnawing at mosquito net put me off, so off to bed it was... Im just hoping it will rain one night; I want to hear the sound of the rain falling when Im in bed.
Jul 14, 2006 | 3:16 pm
#7
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Great eye for detail. ^
Looking forward to more installments.
Looking forward to more installments.
Jul 14, 2006 | 11:32 pm
#9
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Day 6: Thursday, July 13th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan
Butterflies. I cant believe I havent mentioned them before. There are scores yellow, white, black, spotted, striped, big, small and thats only in my direct line of vision. There are hundreds more in the fields and beyond. I guess when theres nothing else around, one begins to notice the simpler things in nature, and this is one of them. Although I have refrained (to date) from chasing them and trying to catch one (and making a fool of myself), I have to admit that I am tempted.
So today was a bit of a write-off. Only after venturing into town in the morning (and scoffing my face with Brittania glucose biscuits while wating for everyone) did I learn that the Vice Presdient of Sudan, who doubles as the President of Southern Sudan, was in town for a rally. This makes it a defacto public holiday, and everything is shut, which means that we cant do our survey. Pity, as it was to be our first day and everyone (especially me) was roaring to go. No matter, we swapped Saturday for today, which isnt such a bad thing. However, it never fails to amaze me when a leader turns up in Africa to address the people, nothing else matters. These guys wield so much power; no wonder so many African leaders have turned into dictators and/or despots!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that this meant that my clothes werent taken for a wash because of the VPs visit. Now normally, this would be fine, but I was a tad annoyed because the cleaners felt compelled not to wash my clothes, even though they were at work, just because he was in town. Given that they only wash clothes on Mondays and Thursdays, and I leave for Arua (in Uganda) on Sunday, I was a little concerned as I will need some clean articles by then, so I guess Ill try tomorrow.
Well, given that there was this big event in town, I REALLY wanted to go. Unfortunately, my local handler advised against it, fearing that I might get lost in the crowd of thousands, or get arrested by the military for looking out of place and taking pictures (which I promised not to do). I still wanted to go, but he told the Chief of Party (the boss), who said that I wasnt allowed. Bummer... But that gave me the afternoon off to read during the day, savour my lunch of kidney beans and rice (with you know what), and catch up on correspondence.
After my daily jog, Joseph told me that he was going over to CTC to play volleyball, so I invited myself. It was a fun game involving Joseph, myself, seven CTC students, and my friend Cyprus, who I learnt was very good! The game went to three sets, and our (Cyprus and mine) team won, but just! Off to dinner, and I was surprised to find some chapattis, but alas, the only vegetarian dish was the same kidney beans from lunch time. Damn those UN soldiers I was hoping theyd finish them as I was vegetarian. No matter... It tasted good, and filled me up after my afternoon fun in the sun.
For some reason, when nightfall came, I couldnt sleep. Perhaps it is the incredibly interesting book I am reading, or just the heat, but I didnt get to bed until midnight. Oh well, I guess it just means Ill be tired tomorrow...
Butterflies. I cant believe I havent mentioned them before. There are scores yellow, white, black, spotted, striped, big, small and thats only in my direct line of vision. There are hundreds more in the fields and beyond. I guess when theres nothing else around, one begins to notice the simpler things in nature, and this is one of them. Although I have refrained (to date) from chasing them and trying to catch one (and making a fool of myself), I have to admit that I am tempted.
So today was a bit of a write-off. Only after venturing into town in the morning (and scoffing my face with Brittania glucose biscuits while wating for everyone) did I learn that the Vice Presdient of Sudan, who doubles as the President of Southern Sudan, was in town for a rally. This makes it a defacto public holiday, and everything is shut, which means that we cant do our survey. Pity, as it was to be our first day and everyone (especially me) was roaring to go. No matter, we swapped Saturday for today, which isnt such a bad thing. However, it never fails to amaze me when a leader turns up in Africa to address the people, nothing else matters. These guys wield so much power; no wonder so many African leaders have turned into dictators and/or despots!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that this meant that my clothes werent taken for a wash because of the VPs visit. Now normally, this would be fine, but I was a tad annoyed because the cleaners felt compelled not to wash my clothes, even though they were at work, just because he was in town. Given that they only wash clothes on Mondays and Thursdays, and I leave for Arua (in Uganda) on Sunday, I was a little concerned as I will need some clean articles by then, so I guess Ill try tomorrow.
Well, given that there was this big event in town, I REALLY wanted to go. Unfortunately, my local handler advised against it, fearing that I might get lost in the crowd of thousands, or get arrested by the military for looking out of place and taking pictures (which I promised not to do). I still wanted to go, but he told the Chief of Party (the boss), who said that I wasnt allowed. Bummer... But that gave me the afternoon off to read during the day, savour my lunch of kidney beans and rice (with you know what), and catch up on correspondence.
After my daily jog, Joseph told me that he was going over to CTC to play volleyball, so I invited myself. It was a fun game involving Joseph, myself, seven CTC students, and my friend Cyprus, who I learnt was very good! The game went to three sets, and our (Cyprus and mine) team won, but just! Off to dinner, and I was surprised to find some chapattis, but alas, the only vegetarian dish was the same kidney beans from lunch time. Damn those UN soldiers I was hoping theyd finish them as I was vegetarian. No matter... It tasted good, and filled me up after my afternoon fun in the sun.
For some reason, when nightfall came, I couldnt sleep. Perhaps it is the incredibly interesting book I am reading, or just the heat, but I didnt get to bed until midnight. Oh well, I guess it just means Ill be tired tomorrow...
Jul 15, 2006 | 1:33 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nairobi • London
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum • AA Gold [1MM]
Posts: 358
Day 7: Friday, July 14th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan
I found a big spider just outside my shoe this morning, which reminded me of an old tip someone once gave me to always leave my shows upside down when on safari, as you never know what might crawl in at night. I checked, and I was fine, but it was a little disconcerting.
As I walked down to the office, I met the cleaners on their way up, and asked if they would wash my clothes today. At first they said no, so I engaged them in a little discussion about service, explaining that as they had the day off yesterday, the only day they wash clothes except Monday, they should really wash my clothes today, especially as I needed something clean for Uganda and Juba. They eventually complied, so I marched one of them to my tukul to show them exactly where they were, so they couldnt claim they didnt get stuck with smelly socks!
So after all the drama of yesterday, we were finally able to get into town and begin our survey. I broke away with Michael and Cyprus, the team Id been working with all week. We were quickly able to identify a few millers, and were on our way. Truth be told, they didnt need my help at all, especially as most of the surveys was being conducted in Kakwa or Arabic. Watching them really reminded me of the GCSE Geography Coursework I did in 1996 and all those supermarkets that Mr. Kimwele had us stand outside of on Saturday mornings. Although I was annoyed that he took away many a weekend when I was 15, it was a good exercise that definitely helped in preparing for this study.
Anyway, I was really there just to encourage them, as well as to satisfy my own curiosities about the town and its workings. The things I noticed most were that older kids were playing with younger ones, and that they were taking care of their siblings, usually leading them by the hand, presumably while their parents were at work. They all stared, especially the younger ones, and kept calling me kahweja, which actually means white-man. This will make those who have seen me recently laugh, as everyone knows I am far from being white, especially with my newly acquired tan!
As my team was doing well on their own, I proceeded to make my way back to our compound, walking along the main street through town. Unfortunately, I came across my local handler, and insisted on giving me a lift home, although I was enjoying my stroll past the many stalls selling everything from CDs to soap to a recently decapitated goat.
Before lunch (which consisted of two small fried potatoes with the usual condiments), I made a quick stop in my tukul to make sure my laundry had indeed been taken. Most of it was, but to my surprise I noticed that my socks or boxers had not been included. I made my way to the canteen, and learnt from the other guests that they do not wash socks for fear of them getting mixed up, and underwear is a cultural no-no. So, after lunch, I went back to the kiosk that had sold me the Fanta to return my empties, as well as to buy some soap to hand wash my socks and boxers. I was a little daunted as Ive never had to wash my own clothes by hand, but it was fine in the end; it was character building, as some would say, and it also meant that my watch was sparkling clean!
Most of the afternoon was spent inputting data collected by my local colleagues, after which I went for a jog, and then collected my clothes from the drying line. Dinner consisted of curried cabbage (again), with rice, ketchup, and chilli sauce. It was a fairly quiet night, but for the second night in a row, I couldnt get to sleep, and I dont know why.
Anyway, the weekend should go fairly quickly tomorrow is a working day, and then we spend Sunday travelling to Arua. Just as I was about to send this, I realised that I am half-way through my time in Sudan as I go home next Friday. The time is going, faster than I thought it would, which is good as the creature comforts of home are calling (I know, Im not as tough as I thought!), although I will be sad to leave this place, especially the people.
I found a big spider just outside my shoe this morning, which reminded me of an old tip someone once gave me to always leave my shows upside down when on safari, as you never know what might crawl in at night. I checked, and I was fine, but it was a little disconcerting.
As I walked down to the office, I met the cleaners on their way up, and asked if they would wash my clothes today. At first they said no, so I engaged them in a little discussion about service, explaining that as they had the day off yesterday, the only day they wash clothes except Monday, they should really wash my clothes today, especially as I needed something clean for Uganda and Juba. They eventually complied, so I marched one of them to my tukul to show them exactly where they were, so they couldnt claim they didnt get stuck with smelly socks!
So after all the drama of yesterday, we were finally able to get into town and begin our survey. I broke away with Michael and Cyprus, the team Id been working with all week. We were quickly able to identify a few millers, and were on our way. Truth be told, they didnt need my help at all, especially as most of the surveys was being conducted in Kakwa or Arabic. Watching them really reminded me of the GCSE Geography Coursework I did in 1996 and all those supermarkets that Mr. Kimwele had us stand outside of on Saturday mornings. Although I was annoyed that he took away many a weekend when I was 15, it was a good exercise that definitely helped in preparing for this study.
Anyway, I was really there just to encourage them, as well as to satisfy my own curiosities about the town and its workings. The things I noticed most were that older kids were playing with younger ones, and that they were taking care of their siblings, usually leading them by the hand, presumably while their parents were at work. They all stared, especially the younger ones, and kept calling me kahweja, which actually means white-man. This will make those who have seen me recently laugh, as everyone knows I am far from being white, especially with my newly acquired tan!
As my team was doing well on their own, I proceeded to make my way back to our compound, walking along the main street through town. Unfortunately, I came across my local handler, and insisted on giving me a lift home, although I was enjoying my stroll past the many stalls selling everything from CDs to soap to a recently decapitated goat.
Before lunch (which consisted of two small fried potatoes with the usual condiments), I made a quick stop in my tukul to make sure my laundry had indeed been taken. Most of it was, but to my surprise I noticed that my socks or boxers had not been included. I made my way to the canteen, and learnt from the other guests that they do not wash socks for fear of them getting mixed up, and underwear is a cultural no-no. So, after lunch, I went back to the kiosk that had sold me the Fanta to return my empties, as well as to buy some soap to hand wash my socks and boxers. I was a little daunted as Ive never had to wash my own clothes by hand, but it was fine in the end; it was character building, as some would say, and it also meant that my watch was sparkling clean!
Most of the afternoon was spent inputting data collected by my local colleagues, after which I went for a jog, and then collected my clothes from the drying line. Dinner consisted of curried cabbage (again), with rice, ketchup, and chilli sauce. It was a fairly quiet night, but for the second night in a row, I couldnt get to sleep, and I dont know why.
Anyway, the weekend should go fairly quickly tomorrow is a working day, and then we spend Sunday travelling to Arua. Just as I was about to send this, I realised that I am half-way through my time in Sudan as I go home next Friday. The time is going, faster than I thought it would, which is good as the creature comforts of home are calling (I know, Im not as tough as I thought!), although I will be sad to leave this place, especially the people.
Jul 15, 2006 | 11:34 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nairobi • London
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum • AA Gold [1MM]
Posts: 358
Day 8: Saturday, July 15th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan
I spent the early part of the morning packing as we are leaving early tomorrow, and didnt want to leave it until night when who knows what kind of creepy-crawlies might find their way into my bag! While doing this, I noticed that from the laundry that was done for me, one of my shirts was missing; I suspect this is because my green Baleno shirt from China looks similar to what the askari (guard) wears, so they might have given it to him. It has sentimental value because I picked it up in Beijing for a whole $3 while shopping with Alpesh. Anyway, I went over to the cleaning ladies, who are now my friends, and asked them if theyd seen it. Luckily for me, it was still on the drying line, so I picked it off and continued packing.
While walking down to the offices to meet my colleagues, I noticed one of the cooks chasing a chicken around his house. He literally ran around the house three time trying to catch it, to no avail, when his wife opened the door to see what the commotion was. The smart little bird slipped into the house, with the cook in hot pursuit; he emerged a few minutes later bird in hand, with a big grin on his face. It made me laugh out loud, and helps me understand that the simple things in life like keeps people happy despite what is going on around them. After getting my dose of laughter for the day, I set out to find one of my running friends, as I wanted to give them a blank notebook for their school work. Suawwrs was the first one I came across, so I gave it to her, but only after she promised to use it only for school work again, that smile, showing those glowing white teeth, made me happy.
I finally made it down to the meeting room, and spent some time going over the surveys from the previous day before heading back into town to make sure we interviewed the final few millers in Yei. We ended up going way out of town to find the final grinding mill, which we eventually reached. However, the journey there was a real test of Sunguras four-wheel-drive skills... We went into pot holes deeper than some wading pools, and as it had rained, they were filled. Luckily, it was only about 2 miles of this treacherous terrain, and we made it to our destination. We found the proprietor of the mill and his friends/siblings playing UNO with regular playing cards, but he happily answered our questions when it wasnt his turn, and we were on our way. On the way back, as we entered another huge crater, I waved to a young child, as I have been the last week or so. When he saw me, he threw his half-eaten piece of maize at the car! At this point, I wasnt sure if it was meant playfully or maliciously, but when is dry, snot filled face broke into a smile, I knew he meant well. Perhaps he didnt want to wave back with that piece of maize in his hand, so he threw it to free it up, and by the time he thought about waving, we were gone?
Back at the compound, I began entering the data that was being collected in the field. I made a quick run up to my tukul to get some water, and on the way down found Sungura, our driver, killing a snake right by the road. The very road that I jog on daily, that I walk in the dark to/from the office, that the kids cycle on... He told me that they are only slightly poisonous, and death takes a few days. Better him than me, but I am glad that there is one less in the immediate vicinity.
Although I love avocadoes, eating them on their own for lunch is a little dull. I was able to work on them with some salt and some spiced pepper. However, I did manage to finish my book because it started to rain outside and I couldnt go anywhere for over an hour. While waiting for the downpour to stop, I amused myself by chatting to the Colonel responsible for police in Juba; nice guy, and not intimidating at all a nice change from others who wield power in Africa.
I spent the afternoon and most of the evening inputting the data we had collected; so much in fact that I didnt go for a run (and was feeling lethargic). However, I did watch some TV a documentary about lions, which is ironic as I am sitting here in rural Africa, although I am fairly certain there arent many around here. Anyway, dinner was the best I have had so far red kidney beans, but prepares slightly differently than usual, with rice. I quickly retired to my room, showered, and completed my packing. I knocked out fairly quickly, and am looking forward to the journey tomorrow.
I spent the early part of the morning packing as we are leaving early tomorrow, and didnt want to leave it until night when who knows what kind of creepy-crawlies might find their way into my bag! While doing this, I noticed that from the laundry that was done for me, one of my shirts was missing; I suspect this is because my green Baleno shirt from China looks similar to what the askari (guard) wears, so they might have given it to him. It has sentimental value because I picked it up in Beijing for a whole $3 while shopping with Alpesh. Anyway, I went over to the cleaning ladies, who are now my friends, and asked them if theyd seen it. Luckily for me, it was still on the drying line, so I picked it off and continued packing.
While walking down to the offices to meet my colleagues, I noticed one of the cooks chasing a chicken around his house. He literally ran around the house three time trying to catch it, to no avail, when his wife opened the door to see what the commotion was. The smart little bird slipped into the house, with the cook in hot pursuit; he emerged a few minutes later bird in hand, with a big grin on his face. It made me laugh out loud, and helps me understand that the simple things in life like keeps people happy despite what is going on around them. After getting my dose of laughter for the day, I set out to find one of my running friends, as I wanted to give them a blank notebook for their school work. Suawwrs was the first one I came across, so I gave it to her, but only after she promised to use it only for school work again, that smile, showing those glowing white teeth, made me happy.
I finally made it down to the meeting room, and spent some time going over the surveys from the previous day before heading back into town to make sure we interviewed the final few millers in Yei. We ended up going way out of town to find the final grinding mill, which we eventually reached. However, the journey there was a real test of Sunguras four-wheel-drive skills... We went into pot holes deeper than some wading pools, and as it had rained, they were filled. Luckily, it was only about 2 miles of this treacherous terrain, and we made it to our destination. We found the proprietor of the mill and his friends/siblings playing UNO with regular playing cards, but he happily answered our questions when it wasnt his turn, and we were on our way. On the way back, as we entered another huge crater, I waved to a young child, as I have been the last week or so. When he saw me, he threw his half-eaten piece of maize at the car! At this point, I wasnt sure if it was meant playfully or maliciously, but when is dry, snot filled face broke into a smile, I knew he meant well. Perhaps he didnt want to wave back with that piece of maize in his hand, so he threw it to free it up, and by the time he thought about waving, we were gone?
Back at the compound, I began entering the data that was being collected in the field. I made a quick run up to my tukul to get some water, and on the way down found Sungura, our driver, killing a snake right by the road. The very road that I jog on daily, that I walk in the dark to/from the office, that the kids cycle on... He told me that they are only slightly poisonous, and death takes a few days. Better him than me, but I am glad that there is one less in the immediate vicinity.
Although I love avocadoes, eating them on their own for lunch is a little dull. I was able to work on them with some salt and some spiced pepper. However, I did manage to finish my book because it started to rain outside and I couldnt go anywhere for over an hour. While waiting for the downpour to stop, I amused myself by chatting to the Colonel responsible for police in Juba; nice guy, and not intimidating at all a nice change from others who wield power in Africa.
I spent the afternoon and most of the evening inputting the data we had collected; so much in fact that I didnt go for a run (and was feeling lethargic). However, I did watch some TV a documentary about lions, which is ironic as I am sitting here in rural Africa, although I am fairly certain there arent many around here. Anyway, dinner was the best I have had so far red kidney beans, but prepares slightly differently than usual, with rice. I quickly retired to my room, showered, and completed my packing. I knocked out fairly quickly, and am looking forward to the journey tomorrow.
Jul 18, 2006 | 10:39 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nairobi • London
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum • AA Gold [1MM]
Posts: 358
Day 9: Sunday, July 16th 2006
Yei, Southern Sudan to Arua, Uganda (Latitude: 3 1 9N, Longitude: 30 55' 51E, Altitude: 1195m, Time Zone: GMT+3)
We left Yei this morning at 9:00am, making our way to Arua, which is in north western Uganda and close to both The Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. Arua serves as an important commercial hub to both these countries, as well as for refugees from both countries. Its strategic position and the recent opening of the Yei-Juba road means that supplies to Southern Sudan come from Uganda rather than Khartoum. NGOs and many international organisations are also based here, although given the recent stability of The Sudan, many are relocating to Juba.
Okay, so enough of the history lesson; we set off on what can barely be described as a road: it is really just murram that has been shifted by the rains and heavy trucks passing over it. There are potholes that size of houses and Im not kidding... We were approaching a dip in the road, and lo-and-behold, a HUGE truck emerges from the ground... At first I thought it was the Second Coming of Christ, especially as it had the words Jesus painted in blue across the front, but quickly realised that it was a large, Italian-made Fiat that had quite literally disappeared; it also confirmed the true magnitude of how bad this road truly is. It continues pretty much this way until the Ugandan border, after which at least the murram is packed in and smooth until reaching Arua. The return journey should be interesting; heres hoping that we dont get stuck!
What was more interesting than the condition of the road was the activity on it: hordes of UN and NGO 4x4s, huge trucks horribly overloaded transporting everything from food to mattresses to hardware, buses crammed to the brim, tankers carrying fuel, people on bicycles trying to get to a small village to sell their excess food, or just people walking, probably between their villages hidden in the bush. There were men, women, and children walking some alone, some in groups, some in uniforms (military and school), others with their wares balanced on their heads. It was fascinating. Oh, and the number of wild dogs that ended up chasing our car was pretty funny.
However interesting the roads users were however, it was the scenery that captivated me for most of the journey. From the time we left the compound, the only colour we could see was green (and a little red). Dark, forest green where there had been no development at all (and probably areas that still had mines left over from the days of war), up on the hills and in the valleys; emerald green on the outskirts of hamlets were people were growing a whole host of fruits and vegetables; sea green on the moss-covered orifices formed of volcanic rock protruding out of the ground; leafy green shrubs in the few pockets of open land. This is Southern Sudan, not the dry, drought stricken pictures you see on CNN or BBC; this land is fertile, perhaps more so than Kenya and Uganda. Most of it is tropical rainforest, and is ideal for growing most things, but the most popular seem to be bananas, sesame seeds (simsim), avocadoes, and pineapples. It truly is remarkable, and although I have taken pictures, the lushness and scents can only be experienced, and the colours can only be appreciated by the naked eye, not from behind a camera lens.
The border check was another story in itself. We stopped on the Sudanese side to have our bags and passports examined; unluckily for us, we were met with an ex-soldier appropriately attired in his combat fatigues and mismatched flip-flops. He was also stoned. Seriously stoned. Despite the pleasant climate outside, he was in a cold, dark room with now natural light. Upon reviewing our documents and letter of introduction from the County Commissioner of Yei, he was not too pleased, as he didnt understand why we were going to Uganda. After intimidating us for at least ten minutes, he finally took us over to his superiors office, were we were promptly seen and waved through. Next came the bag check they insisted on looking inside everyones bags. As mine was locked, they asked what I was hiding, and when I said all I have is clothes, they seemed upset, but let me through.
Down the valley and up another hill, and we approach the Ugandan checkpoint, were things couldnt have been more different. The Ugandan border guards showed us where the forms we had to complete were, and even lent me a pen when I realised mine was in the truck. Being foreigners, they showed us exactly where to queue, and we were promptly processed and on our way in less than five minutes. What is it with these power-wielding soldiers? We also picked-up a woman who was left behind by the bus she was on (Note to self: NEVER use Nile Coach!), so we squeezed up and gave her a lift so we could catch-up with the bus and she could reclaim her belongings. This is typical of African hospitality, and everyone is helpful and cheerful about it.
Although only 156 kilometres (96 miles) from Yei to Arua, it took us a little over five hours, counting the hour we spent at the border check. Most of this is attributable to the poor road on the Sudanese side, and in the surveys we have been doing, the thing that most business people have agreed upon is that the roads need to improve to help development.
Once in town, Cyprus took me on a little walkabout, and we saw all of Arua in about 40 minutes: three main roads, two markets, and three banks, a fairly large bicycle industry, and lots of shops and mini-industries. Whoever said (or believes) that Africans are lazy is totally misinformed; everyone was working hard on Sunday, and if you saw the toil going on in the fields on our way here, youd be impressed. The lack of development out of this part of the world is not because of lazy, uneducated people it is rather greedy leaders and a lack of inputs.
Walking around town, I learnt that there are about 70 Indians in Arua (including the couple that owns the Internet caf where I am sending this from), and also managed to find the solitary Indian restaurant for my meals for the next two days! Dinner consisted of what was supposed to be chilli paneer, but really ended up being three pieces of paneer in oil with chillies, onions, and capsicums. However, I am not one to complain it was definitely better than what I had been eating in Yei!
Back at the hotel, I was pleased with the $15 rooms we had secured. But before I could be too pleased with myself, I soon realised why they were only $15 a night. Although cleaner, nicer and brighter than my tukul in Yei, they lacked hot water, even when the generator was on. In fact, hot water was brought to each room in a 5 litre jerrican at 7:00pm. It was the first (and hopefully last) time I will have to bathe from a jerrican. Ill leave it to your imaginations what fighting with a few moths and bugs, while trying to bathe out of a recycled Mukwano oil jerrican in dim light was like, but I wouldnt recommend it!
I didnt sleep particularly well, as the mosquitoes were incredibly noisy. Although I was secure inside my mosquito net from the little malaria-causing annyoances, the little airplane-like noises they made kept me awake for hours, tossing and turning. I need to find a strategy to rid myself of them tonight. More stories from Arua tomorrow, and then Im on my way to Juba, the capital on Southern Sudan.
We left Yei this morning at 9:00am, making our way to Arua, which is in north western Uganda and close to both The Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. Arua serves as an important commercial hub to both these countries, as well as for refugees from both countries. Its strategic position and the recent opening of the Yei-Juba road means that supplies to Southern Sudan come from Uganda rather than Khartoum. NGOs and many international organisations are also based here, although given the recent stability of The Sudan, many are relocating to Juba.
Okay, so enough of the history lesson; we set off on what can barely be described as a road: it is really just murram that has been shifted by the rains and heavy trucks passing over it. There are potholes that size of houses and Im not kidding... We were approaching a dip in the road, and lo-and-behold, a HUGE truck emerges from the ground... At first I thought it was the Second Coming of Christ, especially as it had the words Jesus painted in blue across the front, but quickly realised that it was a large, Italian-made Fiat that had quite literally disappeared; it also confirmed the true magnitude of how bad this road truly is. It continues pretty much this way until the Ugandan border, after which at least the murram is packed in and smooth until reaching Arua. The return journey should be interesting; heres hoping that we dont get stuck!
What was more interesting than the condition of the road was the activity on it: hordes of UN and NGO 4x4s, huge trucks horribly overloaded transporting everything from food to mattresses to hardware, buses crammed to the brim, tankers carrying fuel, people on bicycles trying to get to a small village to sell their excess food, or just people walking, probably between their villages hidden in the bush. There were men, women, and children walking some alone, some in groups, some in uniforms (military and school), others with their wares balanced on their heads. It was fascinating. Oh, and the number of wild dogs that ended up chasing our car was pretty funny.
However interesting the roads users were however, it was the scenery that captivated me for most of the journey. From the time we left the compound, the only colour we could see was green (and a little red). Dark, forest green where there had been no development at all (and probably areas that still had mines left over from the days of war), up on the hills and in the valleys; emerald green on the outskirts of hamlets were people were growing a whole host of fruits and vegetables; sea green on the moss-covered orifices formed of volcanic rock protruding out of the ground; leafy green shrubs in the few pockets of open land. This is Southern Sudan, not the dry, drought stricken pictures you see on CNN or BBC; this land is fertile, perhaps more so than Kenya and Uganda. Most of it is tropical rainforest, and is ideal for growing most things, but the most popular seem to be bananas, sesame seeds (simsim), avocadoes, and pineapples. It truly is remarkable, and although I have taken pictures, the lushness and scents can only be experienced, and the colours can only be appreciated by the naked eye, not from behind a camera lens.
The border check was another story in itself. We stopped on the Sudanese side to have our bags and passports examined; unluckily for us, we were met with an ex-soldier appropriately attired in his combat fatigues and mismatched flip-flops. He was also stoned. Seriously stoned. Despite the pleasant climate outside, he was in a cold, dark room with now natural light. Upon reviewing our documents and letter of introduction from the County Commissioner of Yei, he was not too pleased, as he didnt understand why we were going to Uganda. After intimidating us for at least ten minutes, he finally took us over to his superiors office, were we were promptly seen and waved through. Next came the bag check they insisted on looking inside everyones bags. As mine was locked, they asked what I was hiding, and when I said all I have is clothes, they seemed upset, but let me through.
Down the valley and up another hill, and we approach the Ugandan checkpoint, were things couldnt have been more different. The Ugandan border guards showed us where the forms we had to complete were, and even lent me a pen when I realised mine was in the truck. Being foreigners, they showed us exactly where to queue, and we were promptly processed and on our way in less than five minutes. What is it with these power-wielding soldiers? We also picked-up a woman who was left behind by the bus she was on (Note to self: NEVER use Nile Coach!), so we squeezed up and gave her a lift so we could catch-up with the bus and she could reclaim her belongings. This is typical of African hospitality, and everyone is helpful and cheerful about it.
Although only 156 kilometres (96 miles) from Yei to Arua, it took us a little over five hours, counting the hour we spent at the border check. Most of this is attributable to the poor road on the Sudanese side, and in the surveys we have been doing, the thing that most business people have agreed upon is that the roads need to improve to help development.
Once in town, Cyprus took me on a little walkabout, and we saw all of Arua in about 40 minutes: three main roads, two markets, and three banks, a fairly large bicycle industry, and lots of shops and mini-industries. Whoever said (or believes) that Africans are lazy is totally misinformed; everyone was working hard on Sunday, and if you saw the toil going on in the fields on our way here, youd be impressed. The lack of development out of this part of the world is not because of lazy, uneducated people it is rather greedy leaders and a lack of inputs.
Walking around town, I learnt that there are about 70 Indians in Arua (including the couple that owns the Internet caf where I am sending this from), and also managed to find the solitary Indian restaurant for my meals for the next two days! Dinner consisted of what was supposed to be chilli paneer, but really ended up being three pieces of paneer in oil with chillies, onions, and capsicums. However, I am not one to complain it was definitely better than what I had been eating in Yei!
Back at the hotel, I was pleased with the $15 rooms we had secured. But before I could be too pleased with myself, I soon realised why they were only $15 a night. Although cleaner, nicer and brighter than my tukul in Yei, they lacked hot water, even when the generator was on. In fact, hot water was brought to each room in a 5 litre jerrican at 7:00pm. It was the first (and hopefully last) time I will have to bathe from a jerrican. Ill leave it to your imaginations what fighting with a few moths and bugs, while trying to bathe out of a recycled Mukwano oil jerrican in dim light was like, but I wouldnt recommend it!
I didnt sleep particularly well, as the mosquitoes were incredibly noisy. Although I was secure inside my mosquito net from the little malaria-causing annyoances, the little airplane-like noises they made kept me awake for hours, tossing and turning. I need to find a strategy to rid myself of them tonight. More stories from Arua tomorrow, and then Im on my way to Juba, the capital on Southern Sudan.