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.

Bad news, although not entirely depending on the perspective. If you’re guessing I should either be on a flight to Nairobi or already in Nairobi.

I’ve been waylaid in Switzerland for an additional week. The situation in Kenya is still very uncertain with the opposition planning to hold rallies against the government on Wednesday through Friday.  I received the notification to postpone barely 28 hours before my flight was to depart Geneva. It was definitely a surprise although I knew there was a possibility of change since the situation in Kenya has been brewing since December.

I’m getting a bit restless in Switzerland. I’ve already seen most parts of Geneva and also Lausanne. Museums have been visited, vistas absorbed, delicacies enjoyed and every last thing done. It’s definitely frustrating to be stuck here when there is work waiting for me in Sudan. But I think this is another aspect of God’s timing and His plan. I’m learning to deal with this impatience and frustration.

So tomorrow I will be heading back to Lausanne, to the Medair HQ. I’ll start looking into WatSan (Water & Sanitation) books and information to start my professional preparation. Also, it’ll be easier to spend my extra week at HQ and absorb by osmosis from everyone around me.

As prayer points, please pray for:

• the situation in Kenya
• my managing frustrations and disappointments
• my other team members who are laying low in Nairobi