Good day everyone,
Just a quick update on my new career. I spent a week in Berlin at the offices of Johanniter International Assistance. My stress levels had been high in the build-up to my departure from the UK. I finished work on Monday and then spent Tuesday shopping and packing. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make the 41kg weight limit that had been arranged for me but I made it with 5kg to spare. Essentially I was just taking clothes for my 6-month mission and things like DVDs and books to help the long evenings pass. I'd also been advised to take a good stock of toiletries as these are hard to get hold of in Nyala. And I was issued with my Johanniter visibility clothing so I have less space in my bags that I had before.My first afternoon was spent with the Desk Officer for Sudan, who had been dealing with all of my admin arrangements and helped recruit me. It was great to finally put a face to a name. I also got a quick introduction to the 20 or so staff members based in Berlin. A new Country Director for DRC was also being briefed this week and we were briefed together. I was briefed on the background of Johanniter (Order of St. John), which dates back to the 10th century, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Hospitaller , and had a thorough introduction to our projects in South Darfur and the living conditions and working conditions that I would face. The office in Nyala has a few "guest rooms" attached and this is where the Country Director and I are based. The Desk Officer had visited Sudan in May for the first time and spent some time in Nyala. She told me that although there was electricity during the day thanks to an on-site generator, this was switched off at night and small lamps were used to light the house. She also told me that it is likely that I will often sleep on a bed outside because of the prevailing heat at night and the lack of air conditioning.
It's true that we need the generator during the day (and we have just bought a nice new one that has much more capacity but is much quieter), however often at night there is no city power and so it's almost impossible to sleep with no fan in my bedroom. The toilet outside is a just a hole in the ground. Last week I spent a few days being very ill and it was uncomfortable for sure. The cockroaches feel very at home. However, I’ve had experience of some horrific toilets on my expeditions in the past so that doesn't really concern me, although I never want to go in the middle of the night.There's absolutely no doubt that it will be a challenging 6 months in Nyala. The incumbent Country Director is leaving next month, the ex-pat Administrator in Khartoum and the ex-pat Medical Co-ordinator, who is in his 50s, left this month. Therefore by September I will be the longest serving International staff member in Sudan (and the only British citizen working for the organisation). A scary prospect indeed. The previous Financial Controller was only in place for a couple of months and left in February, citing family illness. However, she hadn't adapted to the very basic living conditions (i.e. a bucket for a shower) and hadn't built a strong relationship with the Country Director.
I certainly feel like my previous expedition experience is standing me in good stead. In addition to the finance work, one of my first tasks was to represent Johanniter in court as there have been some issues with local staff contracts.My briefing in Berlin covered finance, logistics, security and marketing. It was really a case of immersing me in the organisation and their culture and the world of humanitarian aid and I tried to soak up everything I'm learning like a sponge. It was incredibly exciting to finally have taken my first steps into a completely different world and way of life. When I arrived in Khartoum I had have some admin to negotiate and I started the process to get my work permit, although before this completed I travelled to South Darfur. I then undertook some intensive security training in Nyala over the course of 3 days. Car jackings are on the increase around Nyala and travelling to the remote areas where the projects are located is sometimes impossible due to inter-tribal clashes. In South Darfur there is no real rebel movement fighting the Government but there are regular inter-tribal skirmishes and it would be easy to get caught up in these. And of course Ed Al Fursan, where our ex-pat Medical Co-ordinator was based, was where 2 French Aid workers were kidnapped in the last couple of months. The French NGO (AMI) have now pulled out of the area and Johanniter are the only NGO now operating there. Although this does entail risk, it also means that we may have access to more donor funding since we are now the only people on the ground. And the intensive security training I undertook is designed to ensure that security is considered during project planning at all times.
My first couple of weeks were spent trying to sort out the finances for May and June as the Country Director was overloaded with work. The Country Director currently didn't have a clear picture of expected cash flows from now until the end of September, when the project funding expires. There are effectively three separate budgets for the projects as they are co-financed by the German Foreign Ministry and the Common Humanitarian Fund, which is administered by the United Nations development Program. The third budget is effectively the contribution from Johanniter Unfall Hilfe e.V. (JUH), which is the German Order of St. John, and which is the wider organisation of which Johanniter International Assistance is but a small part. Unfortunately all three budgets run over different timeframes so monitoring the budgets is complicated. I was able to visit the project sites not long after I arrived in Nyala and it was great to see the Primary Health Care units that we had built in remote areas of South Darfur. We have six units where we provide drugs and pay the staff salaries, with a view to handing over the units to the Ministry of Health in the short/medium term. Although the area where we work is not considered to be a humanitarian emergency, the MoH still requires considerable support to reach the local population and meet their health needs. Access to the project sites is incredibly difficult during the wet season (from July to October) so they have been stocked with enough drugs to see them through this potentially difficult period. As an organisation, we service the primary health care needs of one fifth of the Ed Al Fursan locality (c 100,000 people) From a personal point of view, I have been working long, long hours to understand how the project works and catch up with the historic finance issues but I am starting to feel like I'm getting on top of things and I'm able to relax just a little. Living and working with one other ex pat will prove to be the most demanding thing and hopefully we will soon have air conditioning, which will make or working conditions much more comfortable. Working in 40 degree heat for 12 hours a day takes a toll. I have started running early in the morning to keep myself fit as it is impossible to exercise at any other time of the day. However, I have to run in trousers so as not to offend the locals. The Sudanese Government has a department called HAC (Humanitarian Aid Commission) that we have to liaise closely with. They are responsible for issuing travel permits to allow staff to travel to Darfur. Unfortunately I was issued with a tourist visa from the Sudanese Embassy in London when I applied for a work visa and we are in an administrative cock fight to try to resolve this and allow me to be issued with a resident visa and work permit. This has implications for my ability to leave the country on R&R so everything in Sudan is a huge effort.
However, overall, I don't mind the long hours and the limited social life. Of course, living in a compound behind walls does make me feel trapped to some extent but I know that the work I'm doing will benefit our beneficiaries in the end by making us more efficient and I still feel really lucky to have this opportunity. When I read about pre-season rugby training taking place in Glasgow I do miss it but I think that I am lucky to be here in Darfur and I'm determined to make the most of this opportunity. It's difficult to find time to send updates but I'll try to do so at least once a month. Cheers, Ricky.
Friday, 24 July 2009
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
The madness begins....
I arrived in Berlin at the offices of Johanniter International Assistance at 2 p.m. My stress levels had been high over the last few days in the build-up to my departure from the UK. I finished work on Monday and then spent Tuesday shopping and packing. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make the 41kg weight limit that had been arranged for me but I made it with 5kg to spare. Essentially I was just taking clothes for my 6-month mission and things like DVDs and books to help the long evenings pass. I'd also been advised to take a good stock of toiletries as these are hard to get hold of in Nyala. And I've now been issued with my Johanniter visibility clothing so I have less space in my bags that I had before.
My first afternoon was spent with the Desk Officer for Sudan, who had been dealing with all of my admin arrangements and helped recruit me. It was great to finally put a face to a name. I also got a quick introduction to the 20 or so staff members based in Berlin. A new Country Director for DRC is also being briefed this week and we will be doing some of our training together. I was briefed on the background of Johanniter (Order of St. John), which dates back to the 10th century, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Hospitaller , and had a thorough introduction to our projects in South Darfur and the living conditions and working conditions that I will face. The office in Nyala has a few "guest rooms" attached and this is where the Country Director and I will be based. The Desk Officer had visisted Sudan last month for the first time and spent some time in Nyala. She told me that although there was electricity during the day thanks to an on-site generator, this was switched off at night and small lamps were used to light the house. She also told me that it is likely that I will sleep on a bed outside because of the prevailing heat at night and the lack of air conditioning. The toilet outside is a latrine and doesn't have running water and so is flushed by bucket. However, I'm sure it won't be as bad as some of the toilets I've experienced on my expeditions in the past so that doesn't unsettle me.
There's absoluteley no doubt that it will be a challenging 6 months in Nyala. The incumbent Country Director is leaving in September, the ex-pat Administrator in Khartoum is leaving in August and the ex-pat Medical Co-ordinator, who is in his 50s, also leaves next month. Therefore by September I will be the longest serving International staff member in Sudan. A scary prospect indeed. The previous Financial Controller was only in place for a couple of months and left in February, citing family illness. However, she hadn't adapted to the very basic living conditions (i.e. a bucket for a shower) and hadn't built a strong relationship with the Country Director. Hopefully I can get off on the right footing when I arrive in the country and it sounds like I'll be getting involved in a lot more than just controlling the finances. For example, one of my first tasks is to represent Johanniter in court as there have been some issues with local staff contracts.
I have a very full briefing aganda ahead of me over the next few days covering finance, logistics, security and marketing. It's really a case of immersing me in the organisation and their culture and the world of humanitarian aid and I'm trying to soak up everything I'm learning like a sponge. It's incredibly exciting to finally have taken my first steps into a completely different world and way of life. When I arrive in Khartoum I will have some admin to negotiate and need to get my work permit before I can travel to Darfur. I will then undertake some intensive security training in Nyala over the course of 4 days. Car jackings are on the increase around Nyala and travelling to the remote areas where the projects are located is sometimes impossible due to inter-tribal clashes. In South Darfur there is no real rebel movement fighting the Government but there are regular inter-tribal skirmishes and it would be easy to get caught up in these. And of course Ed Al Fursan, where our ex-pat Medical Co-ordinator is based, was where 2 French Aid workers were kidnapped in the last couple of months. The French NGO (AMI) have now pulled out of the area and Johanniter are the only NGO now operating there. Although this does have risks, it also means the we may have access to more donor funding since we are now the only people on the ground. And the intensive security training I'll be undertaking is designed to ensure that security is considered during project planning at all times.
I'm unlikley to be able to post any photos while I'm in Sudan as you need to apply for a licence to take photos and these are only given out on rare occasions. So I apologise for that. But I'd rather not risk having my work permit and visa rescinded and being told to leave the country.
That's all for now. Ricky.
My first afternoon was spent with the Desk Officer for Sudan, who had been dealing with all of my admin arrangements and helped recruit me. It was great to finally put a face to a name. I also got a quick introduction to the 20 or so staff members based in Berlin. A new Country Director for DRC is also being briefed this week and we will be doing some of our training together. I was briefed on the background of Johanniter (Order of St. John), which dates back to the 10th century, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Hospitaller , and had a thorough introduction to our projects in South Darfur and the living conditions and working conditions that I will face. The office in Nyala has a few "guest rooms" attached and this is where the Country Director and I will be based. The Desk Officer had visisted Sudan last month for the first time and spent some time in Nyala. She told me that although there was electricity during the day thanks to an on-site generator, this was switched off at night and small lamps were used to light the house. She also told me that it is likely that I will sleep on a bed outside because of the prevailing heat at night and the lack of air conditioning. The toilet outside is a latrine and doesn't have running water and so is flushed by bucket. However, I'm sure it won't be as bad as some of the toilets I've experienced on my expeditions in the past so that doesn't unsettle me.
There's absoluteley no doubt that it will be a challenging 6 months in Nyala. The incumbent Country Director is leaving in September, the ex-pat Administrator in Khartoum is leaving in August and the ex-pat Medical Co-ordinator, who is in his 50s, also leaves next month. Therefore by September I will be the longest serving International staff member in Sudan. A scary prospect indeed. The previous Financial Controller was only in place for a couple of months and left in February, citing family illness. However, she hadn't adapted to the very basic living conditions (i.e. a bucket for a shower) and hadn't built a strong relationship with the Country Director. Hopefully I can get off on the right footing when I arrive in the country and it sounds like I'll be getting involved in a lot more than just controlling the finances. For example, one of my first tasks is to represent Johanniter in court as there have been some issues with local staff contracts.
I have a very full briefing aganda ahead of me over the next few days covering finance, logistics, security and marketing. It's really a case of immersing me in the organisation and their culture and the world of humanitarian aid and I'm trying to soak up everything I'm learning like a sponge. It's incredibly exciting to finally have taken my first steps into a completely different world and way of life. When I arrive in Khartoum I will have some admin to negotiate and need to get my work permit before I can travel to Darfur. I will then undertake some intensive security training in Nyala over the course of 4 days. Car jackings are on the increase around Nyala and travelling to the remote areas where the projects are located is sometimes impossible due to inter-tribal clashes. In South Darfur there is no real rebel movement fighting the Government but there are regular inter-tribal skirmishes and it would be easy to get caught up in these. And of course Ed Al Fursan, where our ex-pat Medical Co-ordinator is based, was where 2 French Aid workers were kidnapped in the last couple of months. The French NGO (AMI) have now pulled out of the area and Johanniter are the only NGO now operating there. Although this does have risks, it also means the we may have access to more donor funding since we are now the only people on the ground. And the intensive security training I'll be undertaking is designed to ensure that security is considered during project planning at all times.
I'm unlikley to be able to post any photos while I'm in Sudan as you need to apply for a licence to take photos and these are only given out on rare occasions. So I apologise for that. But I'd rather not risk having my work permit and visa rescinded and being told to leave the country.
That's all for now. Ricky.
Sunday, 24 May 2009
I have my visa!
Got some great news yesterday. My passport arrived safely back from the Sudanese Emassy in London. And I now have my visa! All I need now is a contract to sign from Johanniter. It's been a stressful period trying to get my life organised and having to resign with no guarantee that my visa would be approved. Given that 13 Western aid agencies were expelled from Sudan in March I was never sure that I would get approval. But I'm delighted that I have and that I can start preparing mentally for the tough 6 months ahead.
The situation in Darfur is complex. A famine in the mid-1980s disrupted many societal structures and led to the first significant fighting amongst Darfuris. A low level conflict continued for the next 15 years, with the government coopting and arming "Arab" militias against its enemies. The fighting reached a peak in 2003 with the beginning of the Darfur conflict, in which the resistance coalesced into a roughly cohesive rebel movement. The conflict soon came to be regarded as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. The insurgency and counter insurgency has led to 300,000 deaths, though the numbers are disputed by the Khartoum government. Over 2.5 million people have been displaced since the beginning of the conflict. Many of these refugees have gone into camps where emergency aid has created conditions that, although extremely basic, are better than in the villages, which offer no protection against the various militias that operate in the region. To put these figures into context, imagine 45% of Scotland's population being displaced. When you hear the word displaced, it probably doesn't conjure up in Western minds just how destructive this process is. People have had to flee their homes in terror, families have been broken up, women have been raped and whole villages have been burnt out and the occupants massacred. Imagine almost half of Scotland's population being forced to live in makeshift camps and having to survive day-to-day wondering where their next meal was coming from, having little security and not knowing whether they could ever go home. That's the reality on the ground in Darfur.
Not long before I arrived at Thomas Barnardo House Childrens Home in Nairobi last June, 40 children arrived at the Home as IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). An IDP is a refugee in their own country. These children had been forced to flee their homelands with their families as a result of the post-election inter-tribal violence. Many of them had seen family members killed or brutalised by neighbours whom they had previously regarded as friends. During my 4-month secondment I could see the children developing in confidence and beginning to trust people again and therefore I know that the children and families who have been displaced in Darfur can prosper if they are given access to the basic human rights of security, education and primary health care. The work I'll be doing in South Darfur will target the last of those needs. Delivering primary health care services to vulnerable poulations is hugely motivating for me. I realise that the next 6 months are going to be the most challenging I've ever faced but I'm ready to throw myself into this challenge and hopefully help make a small difference to the lives of some very needy people. I will be working for just one of the 72 international NGOS that remain in Darfur, however the expulsion of 13 of the biggest organisations has made the work that Johanniter will be delivering ever more important.
The situation in Darfur is complex. A famine in the mid-1980s disrupted many societal structures and led to the first significant fighting amongst Darfuris. A low level conflict continued for the next 15 years, with the government coopting and arming "Arab" militias against its enemies. The fighting reached a peak in 2003 with the beginning of the Darfur conflict, in which the resistance coalesced into a roughly cohesive rebel movement. The conflict soon came to be regarded as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. The insurgency and counter insurgency has led to 300,000 deaths, though the numbers are disputed by the Khartoum government. Over 2.5 million people have been displaced since the beginning of the conflict. Many of these refugees have gone into camps where emergency aid has created conditions that, although extremely basic, are better than in the villages, which offer no protection against the various militias that operate in the region. To put these figures into context, imagine 45% of Scotland's population being displaced. When you hear the word displaced, it probably doesn't conjure up in Western minds just how destructive this process is. People have had to flee their homes in terror, families have been broken up, women have been raped and whole villages have been burnt out and the occupants massacred. Imagine almost half of Scotland's population being forced to live in makeshift camps and having to survive day-to-day wondering where their next meal was coming from, having little security and not knowing whether they could ever go home. That's the reality on the ground in Darfur.
Not long before I arrived at Thomas Barnardo House Childrens Home in Nairobi last June, 40 children arrived at the Home as IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). An IDP is a refugee in their own country. These children had been forced to flee their homelands with their families as a result of the post-election inter-tribal violence. Many of them had seen family members killed or brutalised by neighbours whom they had previously regarded as friends. During my 4-month secondment I could see the children developing in confidence and beginning to trust people again and therefore I know that the children and families who have been displaced in Darfur can prosper if they are given access to the basic human rights of security, education and primary health care. The work I'll be doing in South Darfur will target the last of those needs. Delivering primary health care services to vulnerable poulations is hugely motivating for me. I realise that the next 6 months are going to be the most challenging I've ever faced but I'm ready to throw myself into this challenge and hopefully help make a small difference to the lives of some very needy people. I will be working for just one of the 72 international NGOS that remain in Darfur, however the expulsion of 13 of the biggest organisations has made the work that Johanniter will be delivering ever more important.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Fast Approaching
It's almost exactly six months since I arrived back from my 4-month secondment to Kenya Children's Home in Nairobi. I was deeply affected by my experiences working with the children at the home and was inspired by their incredible ability to overcome the worst imaginable start to their young lives. The family atmosphere at the home allowed them to flourish and will hopefully give them opportunities that few Kenyan children have. I realised quickly that I could put my skills as a Chartered Accountant to use in developing countries to try to make a sustainable difference to the lives of vulnerable populations. Working for the benefit of the children was liberating. Suddenly, working for a Bank felt incredibly selfish and worthless. Seeing the children develop, even in the short time I was there, opened my eyes to a wider world and since I arrived back in Scotland in a cold, rainy November I have spent every spare moment looking for opportunities in humanitarian aid or international development.
After six long months of persevering, I have accepted a six-month contract with Johanniter International Assistance, a German aid agency. They run projects in South Darfur, Sudan, with the objective of delivering primary healthcare services to vulnerable populations in remote areas of South Darfur, which is unstable and lacks basic physical infrastructure. I will be working as Financial Controller/Project Coordinator with a very small team of ex-pat Germans supporting around 20 Sudanese staff.
It's not been a smooth road. I was initially offered the job back in early April. About a week later I received a call to tell me that the German Foreign Ministry, the main donor for the projects, was considering withdrawing their funding due to the security situation in the region. This was a reaction to the kidnapping of two French Aid workers in the area in April. Thankfully, a week later I received confirmation that the funding was in place and my contract could be prepared.
Therefore, last week I resigned from the Bank and I'm just waiting for my Sudanese visa to be issued (fingers crossed). I am due to fly to Berlin for a briefing on 10th June before flying on to Khartoum, Sudan on 16th June. I still have loads to do - I'm selling loads of my outdoor kit, my car and other household stuff that I just don't think I'll need for the next few years. My wordly possessions will now have to fit into two bags and weigh less than 40 kgs! It's incredibly exciting and terrifying in equal measure. But hopefully it will be the start of something special, both professionally and personally.
After six long months of persevering, I have accepted a six-month contract with Johanniter International Assistance, a German aid agency. They run projects in South Darfur, Sudan, with the objective of delivering primary healthcare services to vulnerable populations in remote areas of South Darfur, which is unstable and lacks basic physical infrastructure. I will be working as Financial Controller/Project Coordinator with a very small team of ex-pat Germans supporting around 20 Sudanese staff.
It's not been a smooth road. I was initially offered the job back in early April. About a week later I received a call to tell me that the German Foreign Ministry, the main donor for the projects, was considering withdrawing their funding due to the security situation in the region. This was a reaction to the kidnapping of two French Aid workers in the area in April. Thankfully, a week later I received confirmation that the funding was in place and my contract could be prepared.
Therefore, last week I resigned from the Bank and I'm just waiting for my Sudanese visa to be issued (fingers crossed). I am due to fly to Berlin for a briefing on 10th June before flying on to Khartoum, Sudan on 16th June. I still have loads to do - I'm selling loads of my outdoor kit, my car and other household stuff that I just don't think I'll need for the next few years. My wordly possessions will now have to fit into two bags and weigh less than 40 kgs! It's incredibly exciting and terrifying in equal measure. But hopefully it will be the start of something special, both professionally and personally.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
