troopies, teleporting, death and sunsets

Do you ever wish that other people could see what you're seeing- feel what it's like to do what you're doing even for a few seconds? Sometimes, like this evening, I would love to teleport in my friends so they could share the moment. I reckon one day, instead of logging into someone's profile on Facebook, you'll click on their picture (mentally?!), wait a few moments for their permission to enter (longer if they're on the loo at that precise moment) then the next thing you'd see/hear/feel is whatever moment of their day they happened to be in. Obviously they would have to still be 100% in control- otherwise- Being John Malkovich. i knew I couldn't possibly be having an original idea. not at this stage of the universe. what was I saying? oh yeah- it wouldn't be allowed to compromise who a person is- their individual thougths, actions or decisions. no the idea isn't to tap that- just tap and share the senses. hmmm, imagine the possibilities...

So anyway, this evening I was standing on an open savannah grassland plain, watching a stunning pink and orange sunset smudged with smoke and the fingernail moon gleaming through the silouette of a thorn tree and I thought ' It really doesn't get more stereotypical African than this. Wouldn't it be cool to live in Africa?!' It had been a long day, so my thoughts had fully turned to who I would teleport if I could before I remembered that I DO live in Africa and it would probably be a lot easier to just invite one of my friends to come visit so we could share the regularly spectacular beauty in person.

It was a rough trip home. no street lights. plenty of black cows, black people and black bicycles on a bumpy road with frequent single lane bridges and the odd car not understanding the concept of turning hi-beams down.

It had been a great afternoon though. One of the communal farms that we're assisting is run by a HIV-AIDS Support Group- and what a fantastic bunch of people! Nowhere in my time here have I seen male and female, young and old, educated and un-educated with different tribal languages- all enjoying themselves and treating each other with respect as equals. There's nothing like impending death to level the playing field, get the trivialities of life into perspective. i think these guys have got it right. and when you think about it- we're all facing impending death- we just choose not to think about it. Having spent the afternoon with this bunch- Im thinking maybe we should all think about death more often!

Speaking of death, we all piled into/ on the troopy for the few km drive to the farm. 3 in the front, 3 on top, 14 in the back plus 2 babies and 2 watering cans. We had fun walking around the communal farm, me asking lots of questions, them showing me the different soils, the areas that flood, where it's hard to dig, where the maize was extra big and of course the dreaded termite mounds. The pinned me down for a date for my next visit. It's going to be a whole day and we'll all work together- making an A frame to mark out the contours, incorporating the crop residue and making compost with all the organic matter lying around (and growing 10 foot high!). I look forward to it. On the way home one of the guys insisted that I come and ask questions at his farm too :) hence the opportunity to enjoy the susnset in one of the little visited parts of the country.

Grrrr

I'm sitting at my computer, checking emails, listening to cicadas in the cool dark night, listening to one of the night watchmen muttering his prayers outside my office window and thinking back over the day.

Life just doesn't go according to plan here...ever. I left the house this morning with the whole week locked in and mapped out and a few hours later had a completely different programme. I don't think it's unrealistic expectations by me- It just that in this culture daily activities are at the mercy of those with more power than you. In this culture powerful people don't consult- they dictate. And nobody questions- not openly at least.

So I was half way through a meeting with the farm manger about the final details of the trainings tomorrow when he casually mentioned tha there was training in XYZ for all staff members (except me) all week, but it was ok, because I would have the driver and a Government trainer with me for the trainings. It took a while to sink in. The field guys won't be coming? the organisation that is running the training won't be making an appearance?! That's ridiculous. Then I felt the anger starting to burn. Why wasn't I told before today? Who made the decision anyway? Is this sudden training 'need' more important than the farmer training that is a key component of what the organisation exists to do?!

Culturally learned responses run deep. i felt incensed and wanted to tell management exactly what I thought. My colleagues, equally incensed, smiled and worked out an alternative. We postpone the trainings til next week. 'But we shouldn't HAVE TO!!' I almost exploded. The trainings are already late due to elections and they've been planned for over a month. My colleagues tried to calm me down before I went to find out if there was any OTHER uncommunicated, last minute, haphazard things that management would like to delay real work for?

I don't have any answers. The fact is; africans and australians deal with blatant injustice/incompetence/abuse of power etc in really different ways. One passively, one explosively. Is one way right? or wrong? Should I too paint on a smile and pretend everything is fine and normal when it's not? Not rock the boat? Don't shame anyone because it's not my culture? I try. I really try to let little things wash over me. But little things are indicative of much bigger things. things that grow in the dark til they can't be hidden any more. things that destroy. Call me an idealist, but ...oh I'm mad.

The question is: how to be mad in a culturally appropriate way?!
even more important- how to respond to the whole thing in a Godly way?

You lot aren't very talkative are you? well- I guess i haven't exactly been too chatty myself.
Life, even in Africa, is busy!
So, what's been happening in this dusty corner of the world?

Funerals, language learning, births (thankfully not in my car- we made it just in time), meetings, comings and goings, harvest, decisions...oh yeah- and Election fever, that's what. Thankfully everyone seems to have recovered now, but the rallies were big, the loud speakers blared, free party shirts, wraps, brochures and posters were distributed and excitement was high... (see one of the previous posts for pictures). This had all reached a fevered pitch by the weekend before elections and since we live in the heart of opposition territory, we felt it wise to lie low for the week. Campaigning had to stop by 6am Monday morning in preparations for the elections Tuesday, which dawned bright but unusually quite. Apparently people started queuing about 3am at the polling stations to make sure they got to vote. The day passed without any incidents- except for the presidential helicopter arriving with more ballot papers. That got everyones attention! Then we waited for the results... suspense... and it was all a bit of an anti-climax really. The existing President got voted in for a second term and the mood around town was... despondent. no riots. a few little, quite celebrations, but overall glumness.

It was a week of report writing and procrastination for me. I'm proud to report that the bathroom cupboards are clean AND my overdue reports are now in. It was a lovely change of pace though. Life's been a bit chaotic, and is set to get even more so after the short reprieve.

This week we'll be having two farmer training sessions at the demonstration farm. Two groups of 30 and for the first time we're taking on self catering. Eeep! We've hired 3 ladies who will cook under a tree while farmers are taught how to construct contour marker ridges, how and why to incorporate their crop residues to improve soil fertility rather than burning it all in a few months time and, of course, how to make compost manure.

I've also started a role of working with and advising 10 'communal garden' clubs on better farming and environmental methods which is exciting- but a huge responsibility and logistical challenge given they're spread far and wide up to 2.5hrs drive away! Four of the farms are particularly far, so I've decided I'll overnight in the nearest town to save doing more driving each day than actually chatting and working with people...but that means I need a language assistant (that's right- im still not fluent) who is willing to stay overnight with me ie woman, right tribe, speaks some english, no kids, doesn't mind working long days in the sun. Miraculously we've found 2 ladies that fit that description so I'm going to meet each one individually tomorrow for a short language lesson to see how we get on and if they suit the job.

well, its 9pm and I'm tired. I shall endevour to write more frequently. feel free to do the same :)

In the Paper...

Drug Scarcity is Health Sector's Disease

In the past few years the nation has seen a surge in new health infrastructure across the country (and)...funding to the Sector has substantially improved in the past 4 years... Even (well known NGO), a key player in the health sector around the world acknowledges on it's website that (the country) has made 'a genuine effort to improve healthcare in recent years'.

Yet records of medicine stockouts are startling.

A study on medicine prices, availabilty and affordability in (the country) conducted by the Health Equity Network (HEN) established that it is still difficult for rural communities to access free medicines and services from public clinics.

The study discovered that 46% of (the country's) rural population did not have formal health services within a 5-km radius.

Further, 20% of government clinics did not have the first line treatment of malaria, one of the killer diseases in (the country) alongside tuberculosis and HIV/Aids.

Children under five years old are the most at risk to malaria attacks. It is said that on average, they suffer up to ten episodes of malaria every year. According to HEN, in the event of the drugs not being available in public hospitals, it would take 50 days salary for most rural families to be able to buy the right drugs.

The Government's 'Essential Health Package' contains a list of about 150 types of essential medicines to treat over 11 health conditions. The study established that urban hospitals could have up to 80% of the stocks, but the numbers dwindled further when one went to the country side. Only 20% of them were available in most rural hospitals.

Medicines for diarrhoea and other killer diseases were not available in a third of Government clinics.

Even if (the country) has done well in tackling HIV/Aids generally, nearly half of the accredited health facilities did not have stocks of drugs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Thirty seven newborn babies reportedly die every day in (the country). But basic medicines to treat anaemia in expectant mothers were found in less than 20% of public clinics.
It is a catalohue of 'withouts' compounded by limited well-qualified staff to administer essential services.

The article ends with:
There are Millenium Development Goals and (country) Growth and Development Strategy targets to meet. There are lives to save. There is a country to heal. There has to be medicine, for all.

Election Craziness

So you thought the US election campaigns were big? ! well, the politicians here have been on the campaign trail for the last 9 months- and it's been pretty interesting to watch! Unlike Australia, people here get very passionate about their party and will walk for miles to attend a rally where loud speakers, drumming, speaches, singing and dancing are the norm.

It's not my place to comment on the parties or the political intrigue ... you can google that :)
but I've decided to post a few pics of what I've passed on my usual travels over the past few month of so you can get a taste of what it's like.

Elections are Tuesday, so if you're a pray-er, please do so; for peaceful and fair elections, and peaceful acceptance of the results.



Convoys of trucks are used to transport people to rallys. When the presidential convoy is about to pass, the police stop all cars and clear the road. His convoy is not to be photographed, but it's very impressive- including 6 SUV's an ambulance, campervan, generator, 'lecturn' vehicle, multiple police cars and heavily armed military personel and of course the buses and trucks full of supporters. Sometimes he uses his helicopter. I often smile as I try and imagine my 'she'll be right' authority defying country men treating Kevin like that.

People waiting for hours for the candidate to arrive.


The meeting get's under way- with much dancing

I accidentally came across this one yesterday. The ladies are runnin gout to meet the MP candidate who arrived in the white car (below).

All campaigning is to stop at 6am monday morning, so rural life won't be half as exciting any more!

I say: may the best person for the job win! :)