Ben Tshin

“TIA.”

Says Danny Archer (nee Leonardo di Caprio) in Blood Diamond. “TIA”: This Is Africa. I’ve just been reminded that this is still Africa. Or more accurately: This Is Sudan. It might be post-civil war Sudan, but this is still Sudan.

Safety and your sense of security is all relative. It’s relatively safe in most parts of Southern Sudan. Of course, it’s safe where Medair operates since it doesn’t make sense (operational sense, business sense or any other sense) to work somewhere where there is a high risk of losing money, assets or staff. Ironically, Medair regularly warns and reminds staff that the security situation in Nairobi, Kenya (where we go for our R&R) is notoriously worse than Sudan. Perhaps worse than Sudan collectively. Nairobi is affectionately called Nai-robbery, with good reason.

But Sudan can still be a dangerous place. There are mines, and accordingly, lots of de-miners (Zimbabweans, South Africans, Cambodians, Bangladeshis), frequent nights with gunshots and of course, crazy drivers on pothole-rife roads. We hear reports of cattle raids, and even our own local Sudanese staff had his cattle stolen.

There have also been lots of events that have made the news back home:

• May 2, GoSS Minister of Defence killed in plane crash: We had 3 days of official national mourning two weeks ago. There were rumours of foul play. But another theory is that they overloaded the plane.
• May 9, Attacks on aid workers in Juba: Just after arriving in Juba, I saw some of the aftermath of attacks. In our compound, I was shown the splintered trunk of a tree struck by a bullet. There were several consecutive nights where different NGOs were attacked near us. Our neighbour behind us was attacked twice apparently. The most reasonable explanation: people with guns (ex-military or ex-militia) not getting paid, and needing money for food. Or just opportunistic, since Juba might have the highest concentration of aid agencies with lots of US dollars.
• May 11, Darfur rebels attack Khartoum: This was the big shocker because Khartoum was considered one of the safest cities in Africa, even during the civil war.

So I’m reminded that this isn’t home. I’m far away from Canada and the safety of Sherwood Forrest.

It’s the same old, same old. I feel as if I’ve been here before. And I have, but in slightly different circumstances.

Here’s the new news since my R&R: Two weeks have passed. And that’s all. Since returning to the field, nothing new has happened. There has been very little work for SWAT, so I’ve spent the last two weeks in Malakal sitting on my hands. And when not sitting on my hands, I’ve probably read all the news I could read. In most other circumstances, and in most other jobs, a two week break would very much appreciated. But add a three week R&R and the current two weeks, and it’s been five weeks since I’ve done real WatSan work.

I know there are perfectly good reasons for the delay in work, but I’m restless. I’m starting to have some of the same feelings I did late last year waiting for responses from various agencies. Perhaps the eight months of unemployment prepared me for this. But even with preparation, the boredom is almost overwhelming. Ironically, I’ve even become the resident computer fix-it guru. What I tried to run away from came and found me on the other side of the world!

So hopefully I’m flying out of here tomorrow. A change of scenery and maybe a little more work to do. Otherwise, it’ll be a long way until my next R&R at the end of June.

Here are pictures from the 2 week SWAT installation in Khaldak. I left halfway through so no pictures of the finished product.

March has been a long and busy month for me. It’s a welcome change from the boredom of the previous months. Actually, the Yei SWAT installation is my first real work in almost 10 months. That’s counting all the months from when I left CiRBA.

Yei is an amazing town. It’s in the far south of Sudan, almost at the Uganda border, so it has a very different and very African feel to the town. After a month of stifling heat in Malakal, the cool breezes and afternoon rains of Central Equatoria were very welcome. I immediately felt my spirits lift. We stayed with Samaritan’s Purse and their compound was simply amazing. For the first time since I had left Nairobi, I had hot water from overhead showers.

But there was work to be done in Yei. Our contractor took a week to construct a huge wall around 8 truckloads of murram (hardy red clay-like soil). But when that was finished, I had the joys of teaching my very first class of SWAT operators. They were an absolute joy to teach, even if only for 4 days. It was my first class and I definitely wasn’t prepared. I barely even knew how the system worked, let alone teach someone else. Luckily another SWAT operator from another nearby system came to my rescue. I would speak for one minute and then he would translate for five minutes.

At the end of it all, there was a great grand opening ceremony on Easter Saturday. The system was all completed and working. The operators just needed to complete the store/guard house. But everyone showed up. The payam (a step down from county, a step up from village) administrator, the head man, the sub chief, the church leaders and all the trained SWAT operators and hygiene/health promoters (HHPs). There were lots of speeches and after 4 hours the neighbourhood of Mahad had their very own source of clean water. They didn’t have to go to the river and drink the muddy, soapy, oily, feces-infested waters. I wish I could have taken a sip to show my solidarity, but they were still chlorinating. Next time.

The next time would be Khaldak. I left to go on R&R as the system was under construction. But more about Khaldak later. I’m sitting in the Entebbe airport, waiting for Alan and Liz who are about to arrive in a few short minutes. I can’t wait to see familiar faces!

Sorry, not many updates recently. I’ve been very busy for the last month, working hard in Yei (the pictures here) and also in Khaldak. I’m back in Nairobi for R&R and I’ll be flying to Uganda on Monday to join Alan & Liz on their Raising the Village
visit.

Below are the photos from the SWAT (Surface WAter Treatment) system installation in Yei.

Here are pictures from the NFI distribution in Pajor.

And more pictures from my first trip on the Nile to do an assessment in Khaldak, 40 minutes up-river from Malakal.

Here are some more pictures of Malakal from February.

Excellent news for me: I’m heading to Yei to do a SWAT (Surface WAter Treatment) system installation. The charter leaves Malakal tomorrow morning!

I’m counting 7 weeks into my field rotation right now (6 weeks since Loki), and the only change of scenery has been Juba for 5 days. I’m getting tired of the heat (40-45C depending on the source), tired of the same rice and stew, and tired of sitting around without any work.

So Yei is way down south near the Uganda border. Apparently it’s very green and lush. I can’t wait. But the best part is that it won’t be so hot. I can’t imagine setting up the system in 40C heat, lugging barrels, gravel, sand, etc.

The 7 weeks of this field rotation have been almost an eternity. The usual rotation is 8 weeks, so I’m starting to feel my mind slip away. Unfortunately, some friends are visiting Uganda in April so I’m extending my pain for 11 weeks in the field. I hope I get back to Nairobi in one mind. I feel like Dieter Dengler in Rescue Dawn, slowly losing my mind while I imagine what delicious items fill the shelves in my imaginary fridge.

Last week was my first change of scenery since arriving in Sudan. I was one of 7 lucky contestants sent to basic security and safety training in Juba. Juba is the new capital of South Sudan and it’s literally a gold rush boom town. The gold rush here is from NGOs setting up offices all over Juba and bringing in Dollars, Euros, Pounds, etc. The longest tarmac road in South Sudan is also there, all 10km of it!

Medair has very good security policies, plans and protocols that everyone is drilled almost endlessly, since on arrival in any new location, you’re given a 30 minute security briefing. It’s good, it’s thorough, and most of all, it’s especially necessary in Sudan where fighting can break out between anyone and everyone at anytime. Ironically, I encountered my first security incident right before I got my security training. A bit of bad photographic timing, and I was seriously afraid of my near future.

That’s right, my first brush with the authorities. My intention was to capture the text on a sign: “Our Land, Our Peace, Our Oil, Our Liberty”. But picture taking apparently is not allowed from the tarmac. At least in Juba. I had done it in all the other airports (Loki, Malakal, Rumbek), and it was an innocent enough. But I looked to be some sort of Chinese agent. Chinese oil companies and by extension, Chinese people, are not looked highly upon here. He glared at me as he demanded my passport and details. It only got worse when he saw that I was missing a Sudanese entry stamp. I plead that I wasn’t checked my first time. Instead of explaining my circumstances, that only provoked a discussion (one-sided, albeit) about taking immigration and customs seriously.

Upon discovering that I was legitimately Canadian (ethnically Chinese, but not nationally), he let me off. I deleted all the pictures I had, and he was pleased that I at least took him seriously. Of course I did. I had heard stories firsthand of passports being confiscated for missing those entry stamps, and that was only part of my problem. I got out of it with a scare, but with some lessons that I took into my formal security training.

Security training was interesting. Lots of theory on the first day, but really “hands-on” the rest of the way. The best part is learning to deal with aggression. I wish I had that lesson 3 days earlier since it would’ve helped me deal with that official/guard/guy. It’s amazing how effective tension control works when you’re in high stress situations. There’s only three things: focus on your posture (show relaxed but confident body language), focus on your breathing (deep slow breathes from your belly) and recognizing and releasing any tension in your body.

Perhaps it’s only simulation, but when someone is yelling at you, manhandling you around, those three things might be a life saver. It might get someone else killed too.

We did a hostage scenario. At one point, the hostage taker asked for information, but hen no one volunteered information, one person was taken out to be shot (so we were told). Sadly, no one said anything. Me, I was too focused on my breathing, and making sure my arms didn’t go numb from holding them up. I thought that if I even spoke up that I’d be singled out for extra punishment. Even worse was when they choose me next. Again, no one said anything. You can run your imagination on what would’ve happened in real life.

It was only a simulation, but it got me thinking: “What would I do?” Would I try to speak out and save a colleague, to the risk of my own life? All hypothetical, but at least it got me thinking. I know how to placate someone with frustration aggression and someone using aggression as a tool for showing power, etc. I know all the security procedures, and what to do when things go bad. I just hope I’ll never have to use it.

1 Corinthians 13 re-interpreted by Edgar Stoesz, former chairman of Habitat for Humanity International and former director of MCC South America

We may speak the language of sacrifice and of service, but if we have no love in our hearts for those whom we seek to help, our efforts will have no more effect than a noisy gong or a clanging symbol whose influence fades away with the clamour.

We may emphasise the urgency of development, comprehend all the urgent problems and needs of the world, and have absolute faith and determination that we can imagine the masses living in prosperous communities at a respectable standard of living but have no love for the people, it is all in vain.

We may distribute the aid we possess. We may give our lives to save the needy masses, but if love is not our motive, the world will not be better for our effort.

With love we will be very patient as we confront a foreign culture with change.

With love we will not feel boastfully righteous as though we have all the solutions to all the worlds needs.

With love we will never inflate our ego at the expense of the failures and weaknesses of others.

With love we will not be resentful when our service is taken for granted.

With love our efforts will hit the mark.

Love never gives up. As for teaching, it will be superseded; as for agencies of development, they will cease. For our technology and planning and our institutions are incomplete but when our actions are guided by love and justice, then they will be complete.

We are limited in our understanding, we see in a mirror dimly. We are baffled by problems and the lasting solutions elude us. But we are learning bit by bit and we long for a day when love shall rule the world.

Thus faith that God has a plan for the world, hope that seeks the full life for all, and a love that knows no boundaries – these 3 endure, but the greatest of these is love.

Make love your goal.