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).

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)