Adventures in Yambio

So much has happened since coming to Yambio, you all would die of shock at the length of the post! In order to respect your time, and hopefully hold your interest better - I am going to try to summarize the "highlights" for you.

Day 1: Saturday, November 7th
I went to the market with a colleague. I needed to get off the compound as the initial shock over the living conditions were getting to me. After pulling up, I decided it was best not to bring in my camera the first time there - seemed a bit hectic. So unfortunately, I'll have to share some images of this amazing market with you at a later time. It is quite large - there must have been over 100 sellers!

So we are wandering around, I am checking out the produce and other products I've never seen before. After a few minutes a man in his early twenties dressed in a worn out SPLA uniform comes up to me, puts out his hand and says "Bonjour. One pound." I just laughed and asked why I should pay him one pound for bonjour. He kept speaking nonsense to me and getting very close. It was a friendly tone, but definitely inappropriate and he knew it. I backed away and made a sound to let him know is words and actions were unwelcome. His "friends" (friends? who knows, but other people at the market who knew him) started laughing and he left. Canadian colleague and market escort, Mel, just made a comment about it being weird and we continued on our hunt for garlic.

About ten minutes later I felt someone grab my side and I let out a very loud shriek (this place coupled with my overall jumpiness are not going well together). It was some kid, maybe 10-11 years old, who seemed to have a mental disability. Mel pushed him away and told him he was being naughty (he speaks both Arabic and some of the local tribal language - Zande). We walked on. The kid then came up behind Mel and punched him in the back!!! The kid then proceeded to follow us through the market asking for money and trying to grab at me (which Mel stopped from happening). He followed us all the way back to the car. I hopped in, and then decided to lock the door. 1 second later - he tried to open it (nice to know I sometimes make good decisions). Mel told me he had NEVER seen anything like that here and he has been in Sudan on & off for about 15 years! When we came back to the compound and told the others (what else do we have to do around here but gossip and tell stories?!?!) - everyone was genuinely shocked. Hopefully my next visit to the market will be uneventful.

Day 2: Sunday, November 8th
I saw my first wild dung beetle!! (I say wild, as they are common "pets" for elementary students in Japan.) They seem to be pretty common here (I've already seen about 4). I hope to someday capture a photo of one actually rolling some dung. We all must have goals, yes? But for now, this will have to do.

Later that day, I was relaxing in my room with the window shudders and door open. My room is quite sunny and can get a nice breeze going. This is when I heard "clack clack clack clack clack" and saw something moving in my peripheral vision. I turn around and see a glimpse of a lizard. He was scurrying about my room in quite the frenzy. I think the sound his feet were making on the floor were freaking him out just as much as me. I ended up trying to escort this poor lost lizard out of my room. That took about 10 minutes, with me shrieking and jumping around the entire time! I was warned by the "locals" (long-time UNICEF compound residents) to keep my door closed.

Day 3: Monday, November 9th
When I went back to my room after dinner, I was getting ready to shower. To get to the bathroom, I have to pass through a common area. to the bathroom. When I opened the door, I saw a bat flying around the room!!!! I tried to leave my room through my other door that leads directly outside, but it was locked from the outside. The only way I could have left was by going through the bat room. A prisoner in my own room, I texted Mel, "Bat Please help." He and Samuele (Italian guy working with ICRC) came to my rescue. They let me out of my room and helped the bat find his way out. He kept flying around, clearly unable to find an exit. At one point he was so exhausted, he kind of just laid down . . . poor guy! He did eventually find his way out.

Day 4: Tuesday, November 10th
I was heading out the door for breakfast. I had to freeze mid-step when exiting my room. Right under my foot was a giant tarantula!!! After running out of the building via the shared room, I decided I better go back to get a photo of this guy - I mean, seriously. When will I ever see a tarantula in front of my bedroom door again (oh, I hope the answer to that question is NEVER!). At breakfast I tell everyone what happened and show the photo - again SHOCK. Only ONE other person had seen a tarantula in Yambio, and that was after a local staff pointed it out in a field or something . . . No one could believe my luck! Here he is ready to eat my big toe!


Hopscotch Mafia wanted to post this image as a response to my last post . . . but really I think it is perfectly fitting for this one!

UNICEF Compound

As I have mentioned before, I am here to work on CMMB's first project in Southern Sudan. My two bosses (NYC- and Yambio-based) secured a compound for our office and accommodations in late October. We (Dr. James and myself) will move in after some improvements are made to the latrine, a shower is built, generator purchased, furniture procured, etc. Dr. James says he hopes to be there in one-week. I must say, I am not a believer. Until our compound is prepared we will be staying at the UNICEF compound. The CMMB compound is allegedly 300 meters from here . . . I am going to work out of the World Vision office tomorrow (and probably until our office is ready). Hopefully someone there can show me where our compound is - I am dying of curiosity. In other random news, Dr. James will not be joining me until Tuesday at the soonest, possibly Thursday.

Gate of the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) compound which is guarded by security guards 24-7. The entire compound is also surrounded by a tall electric fence.

UNICEF/UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) offices

UNICEF/UNHCR project vehicles
I am assuming that because it is a weekend, all/most are in the carport.

the "mess hall" for the UNICEF compound

backside of the "mess hall" - the fence is the division between the office area and the guest house/accommodations area

This building, known as Kapoeta, has two guest rooms with a shared a common space and bathroom facility - mine is on the right. My housemate is a German gal who is a consultant for World Vision. This building is located in the far back corner of the compound. Generator electricity is available 24/7, tap water is drinkable (I cannot believe this!!), flushing toilet, shower . . . this seems to be the only one that does not have a hot shower, but this is okay with us. The people who do have the hot shower complain that it is scalding hot. The weather is hot enough here that a cold shower is perfect.

The inside of my room.

The area between Kapoeta and the mess hall. Other buildings are other guest rooms.

The cost of staying here includes three meals a day and laundry service. Here are my clothes drying. They also press them before returning - very nice. However, they will not wash underwear or socks since the laundry is done by hand.

All cooking for the compound is done on these three-rock pits and charcoal. Soooo much work! The food is okay, but repetitious. Dinner usually consists of rice, a pasta dish with some ketchup-like sauce, cassava greens, a meat (usually goat), beans, and maybe another veggie (tonight was amazing as we had carrots!). There is also usually some fruit for dessert (very tasty pineapple tonight).

Farewell Juba, Hello Yambio!

Farewell Juba

The road the US Consulate is on

US Consulate - notice the big giant boulders in front. These are a security measure to prevent anyone from being able to drive through the walls of the consulate.

Freelance taxi driver, James

The big pole on front is for radio communications. If CMMB does not get one of these on our vehicle, I am not getting in it! (necessary for security, cell phone coverage is incomplete)

I was in the room on the left at Camp Oasis - #82. It was maybe a 7' x 10' room?

View from my tin cell - beautiful sunrise over the Nile River

I ran into my professor, Therese McGinn at the Juba Airport. How in the heck does this happen?!?!?! What a small world!

Shuttle to the UNHAS/WFP plane

UNHAS = United Nations Humanitarian Air Services
These flights are only available to humanitarian workers.

Views of Juba

Dr. Steven works for IMC in Tambura, a small village about a 7-hour drive from Yambio . . . no flights into there. He struggles with isolation :(

Hello Yambio!

View of Yambio from the plane. Some people told me it was a town.
Really?!?!? I just see a few mud huts with thatched roofs!!

My first time landing on a dirt airstrip!

All the humanitarian agencies' cars waiting for their passengers

w/ World Vision colleague, Rose

Roads are being completed by a Kenyan contractor. Apparently the wide, flat, dirt road here currently used to be a few feet wide surrounded by bush. The three senior staff of this project are staying at the UNICEF compound where I am temporarily (more on that later).

Sunscreen, Soap, Security, Stupidity & Snafus

Sunscreen
I reapply it every time before I step outside. All the other "white" people look at me, amused. But funk that - some of those people are my age and look 37. No thank you to a hastened aging process and skin cancer. But, the downside is that it feels gross and my skin is caked in it. Which leads me to the next issue.

Soap
I was told to bring everything with me to South Sudan, except the kitchen sink - and soap. Apparently that is all you can get here. Well, the soap provided by Oasis Camp is Juliet soap, with the appealing tag line "Lingering Freshness." I seriously do not know what they make this stuff out of, but I swear it does not cleanse a thing! It just leaves me smelling like a fake lemon for about five minutes. Between that crap soap and cold water, I haven't felt clean since arriving.

Security & Stupidity
I was invited to a party last night. Stupidly, (or naively, when I am being gentle on myself) I thought I'd easily be able to catch a ride with someone's vehicle (as it would have been in Vietnam), or that someone would have the name and number of a trusted "freelance" taxi driver (as it would have been in Uganda). I at least was not stupid enough to think I could call a cab company. Around 9:30, nothing seemed to be materializing . . . around 10:15 I started to worry and asking around . . . After much discussion with everyone who was still at the house, it was determined that one group of people from an NGO who had a vehicle could give me a ride, even though it was in the complete opposite direction. This was finally determined around 11:30pm, well after the recommended time when you should not be on the road (11pm). Whoops! Just glad no "incident" occurred. I am also relieved I learned this lesson in Juba, which seems to be much more secure than Yambio, at least from what I've heard.

Snafus
Dr. James and I were supposed to head to Yambio tomorrow morning - insha'Allah. The flight is operated by WFP, and apparently the plane is tiny (can take 8 passengers). A passenger must book in advance, but will not know if he/she is on the flight until 5pm the night before departure when the manifest is released. Even then, the flight can be (and often is) canceled last minute due to inclement weather.

On top of all of that, we are waiting for money from headquarters. There are no banks in Yambio, so we must bring cash with us to manage all program costs. So we also could not leave Juba unless the money came. Guess what? The money didn't come - gasp! (yes, I am already being sarcastic about things not working here well/on-time). But instead of waiting here, Dr. James is heading home to Kampala, Uganda to pick up cash. He informed me that I will be heading to Yambio as originally planned tomorrow, without him. He will follow on Monday night/Tuesday. Keep in mind we are currently the only two CMMB staff in South Sudan . . . We have no office/home - we still have to set it up (property has been rented, but we have to furnish it, improve the latrine, build a shower, purchase a generator, etc). So I am heading to some random town in Western Equatoria all by my lonesome. The only thing that is keeping me from completely freaking out is that our partner, World Vision, has been wonderful here in Juba and I have no reason to think their Yambio-based staff will be any different.

Until our office/housing is set up, I'll be staying at the UNICEF compound. There will be wi-fi, except when it goes out. I'll probably be working at the World Vision office there until Dr. James arrives . . . at which point it will be time to get our place ready! As for this weekend, I am hoping to hole up and not communicate with anyone. I have met soooo many people since arriving - it has been wonderful to make contacts and begin friendships here, but I am exhausted!!!

Example of a Compound - Juba, South Sudan

As I mentioned in my last entry, there are many "compounds" in Juba. The PEPFAR meeting that I've been attending since arrival was held at this compound.



Both compounds and camps are shocking when compared to the homes of some Sudanese. While some Sudanese are living in homes with concrete walls and corrugated tin roofs or mud huts with thatched roofs (and every combination in between), below is an example of the most basic homes I've seen here (as mentioned before with stick frame and plastic/tarp walls and roofs).


It seems highly unlikely that these homes have running water or electricity, and what their source is for drinking water is unknown.

While these living conditions are unheard of in the US, I have seen similar "homes" in most countries I've visited (outside of Europe and Japan).

Oasis Camp – Juba, South Sudan

My boss was joking today that in Juba one either lives in a
"compound” or a “camp.” A compound, from what I can gather, usually refers to a building or a group of buildings (such as an office, toilets, housing, meeting room, etc) surrounded by a tall wall with barbed wire at the top. Entrance/exit to the compound is monitored by 24-hour watchmen. Similar setups existed in Vietnam and in Uganda. It seems to serve various purposes from avoiding theft and protecting confidential data to protecting staff/inhabitants in an insecure setting. I think I’ll be living in a “compound” in Yambio where I will be based.

However, while in Juba, we have no office or home so we are based at a “camp.” Until recently, camps were just that – a compound with a bunch of tents for people to stay because the country was so war-torn that there were no hotels, and no skilled workers to build them or supplies to build them with – or wait, even any infrastructure to get the supplies here should they have been imported along with the workers. But . . . since the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) . . . things here seem to be improving? This could be inaccurate assessment of the situation, but please forgive me, I’ve just been here 32 hours!

Oh yes, but back to my point, these places were named camps because they resembled campgrounds/refugee camps. Recently (from what I heard in the past 2 years or so), buildings have gone up in place of tents. They are still very basic by American standards, but a big improvement, and much nicer than where many locals live (sometimes stick frames with roofs and walls made of plastic, tarps and anything else they can find). We are at Camp Oasis, which is on the Nile River and has private bathrooms with running water (but not hot water), a TV, free Wi-Fi and aircon (A/C). For now – I’ll just share some photos to give you a better idea of what it is like here.

The Camp

(I don't know if you can tell in this photo, but that is a faux pond on the left with a gorilla statue that has water shooting out of its mouth. I do NOT get it . . . do gorillas do that? Not to mention there are droughts here, water shortages, etc . . . seriously, WTF?!)

(my room is at the far right. the light is on in the room next to mine - so the right half of that little bldg is where I am)

(the dining area/restaurant/bar is right on the Nile River!)

My Room

(a stinky pair of socks and a phone charger were left in this little cubby . . . perhaps a long time ago??? cannot use it - smells sooooo bad!)

(hole in my mosquito net . . . kinda defeats the purpose)