Some pics from Kinshasa

Staying on for another year...

So I finally made the decision to stay on with IRC for at least until June. Thankfully, they've agreed to give me some time off (1 month!) and to pay for my airplane ticket ($3,000+ so far, crazy!). I can't believe I'll be going home in about 17 days... it's exciting, but there's so much to do!

So, what prompted me to make this decision, especially when I look back, the first 10 months were hard! Well, I have to agree that the work has not been the most fun, but I've gained so many skills in management, budget planning, program planning, evaluation and monitoring... it's really crazy! Also, been put on the spot so many times and attended meetings with head of organizations and the UN... it's a lot of progress. But really, what pushed me to make this final decision was my visit to Goma and DOCS HEAL. Just to see the counselors and the beneficiaries and to see the impact that IRC's capacity-building activities have had. Yeah, we talk a lot about partnership and reinforcing local organization's abilities to meet emerging needs, but I really saw it in my conversations. Some of the organization leaders couldn't even collect data, manage staff, and write reports and budgets. It's really great to see that, somehow, there'll be some sustainability. I used to be so critical of IRC's work and of course other NGOs, but I have to say that we are doing some positive work. The beneficiaries were so amazing, strong women, where I can't even imagine if I could ever be that strong. Bukavu has come to feel like a home, although being away from family has been the hardest. I've made a lot of great friends, especially some that I would probably have never associated with, but circumstances brought us all together.

I've moved to the smaller house now and it feels somewhat like a home, more private. I am starting to get a bit tired of all the complaining and how people tend to come to me with all the problems they have... i'm not Dr. Phil... and when I'm busy, it's really not fun having to sit there for 20 minutes listening to all the complaints.

But yes, there's so much work left to be done and especially improvement in our plannification and management mechanisms. I'm excited but for now, I need a break. I hope I can attend my friend's wedding in France, and Kim and Vanna might be there too. It'll be just the time off I need to recuperate and come back energized.

I shall post some pics...

Site visit to Goma

So it's been a while since my last writing in this journal. Since last month, I've been to Kinshasa, gone to Burundi for a weekend, welcomed a new intern, gone boating again on Lake Kivu, and I am now in Goma, North Kivu Province, DR Congo.

I arrived in Goma on Wednesday, during the 4th of July. Yep, I didn't really get to celebrate or anything, and weird as it is, it didn't really come up for a lot of us. I guess that's what happens when we're busy working! We had the board of director from NY coming to visit our health programs in South Kivu. It was nice to know they were coming, but I think it stressed out a lot of our staff. We already have so much to do, so to squeeze in an important site visit like that can be difficult! I also started moving out of the big house towards the smaller house... this way, I'll have more privacy and will have more time to myself, instead of always seeing new faces and fighting over the TV remote with visitors. Kidding, I don't really fight, I just go to my room...

So I went to Goma by boat. I felt bad for our driver b/c he was new and I was a bit mean to him. He stopped at the port, told me we were there, and expected me to just get off and go on my own. I was really not happy, since I didn't even know where to go within this big port, had no idea where to get the boat ticket, etc. But, he parked, I went on my own for a while, and things went smoothly. I saw this huge boat with people and was scared I was taking that, b/c it didn't seem safe and I knew I'd be hassled the whole way through. Thankfully, we took the small boat, and it was unexpectly nice! We had a tv and all... wow!

The trip to Goma gave me a beautiful view of the lake and the paysage. It was really beautiful, still can't believe how beautiful the eastern part of Congo is and how much it could develop in the future. I arrived and the first thing I noticed was how much it looked like Bukavu, except for the black ground caused from the lava from the volcano and the wooden bikes. People seem to speak a lot of swahili, and I got to practice it again... although they mumble a lot and have a different accent. We visited one of our partners and did a review of their projects in refering victims of rape. It was really interesting, but also difficult to see how disorganized some can be. It seems like they haven't even read their own project proposals. But oh well, at least they seemed to be committed. Some of the difficulties they pointed out was the inability to assess health centers for quality services when these health centers lack basic equipments, medications, etc.

Today, I went to do a site visit of a partner that works in the psychosocial and medical assistance of victims of rape. Most of the women I met had been raped by militaries. I didn't know how to feel. They all came in, so poor, yet so strong... and I couldn't help but feel both sorry, empowered, and guilty. These women were raped in unbelievable ways, many so innocent and it seems so "forgotten." They had one pair of clothes and the babies they carried were the results of the "act" that had happened to them. Some were kept with military men since they were 6 years old for 9 years... how awful and difficult to imagine. They spoke in Swahili, and I tried intensely to listen despite the speed with which they spoke. I looked into their eyes, and I saw power but also defeat. These women, although they were being assisted and kept saying how much our help is helping them, had nothing to really look forward to. One woman, who's recovered, told us she makes 0.75 cents day carrying loads of wood back and forth. She seemed content, but I couldn't believe she had been victimized and gone through so much. They prayed in front of us, and many cried. I wanted to cry, but I kept my face straight to not lose it in front of them. These women were so strong, and it makes me sick, once again, to see the effects of war and how it affects women and children. Congolese women though showed me again the power that they have in surviving. They passed on food to each other and made sure each one had enough to eat. I saw solidarity despite the shame that they all felt. I wanted to help, but I couldn't give money b/c of dependency. I settled with knowing that they appreciated the work we did and that they thought it was important. Maybe we can help eventually with financing microcredit activities. Some are so hurt and physically abused that they can't even walk properly. There was a house full of women who had fistula and couldn't get healed surgeries after surgeries. The smell, the sight made me all weird inside. I still see their eyes. How they smiled, how they touched my hand, how they wanted my phone number to marry me off to a friend of theirs.. haha. despite all the unhappiness, they can still smile. Amazing, the women of Congo.

I guess it'll take me time to reflect it other, to think again about Congo's needs and the importance of development and economic stability and security. Political rights are great, but when you see the destitution and the poverty, you can't help to think about how privileged we are. These women keep me going. I still don't know if I want to stay, but here's my privilege, I can decide to go or stay. I can decide to buy food when I want to or eat when I want to. It's guilt and acknowledgment and the understanding that we all have a responsibility. But responsibility happens with conditions, not just throwing money at all the poor people, because in the end, what's the result. Food for a day, dependency? While in goma, i've seen so many publicities about government and its accountability for development. It gave me hope. It showed me the possibilities for Congo. Maybe I'll stay, or I will watch from afar, with hope for this country despite the misery and horrors it's known.

Back in Kinshasa...

I've been in Kinshasa for almost a week now. It's been a great opportunity to take some time off from Bukavu, although I'm still busy working. I had not realized how big and developed Kinshasa was, especially in comparison to Bukavu. The roads, for the main part, are great; there are lots of shops and places to eat at; lots of things to do; pools... the package! Life in Kinshasa with IRC seems to be more "normal," with people leaving the office at a reasonable hour, cooking at the house, and chilling on weekends by the pool. It's very hot though, and the transportation can be such a frustration. Last night, we went salsa dancing at Standing Club, and I had to wait more than an hour for the driver to come pick me up... so frustrated, especially as they don't think about being accountable or the whole security situation either!

I've had cossa cossa twice now, and it's been GREAT. It's a nice change from Bukavu, where the food is the same when you're at home or go out... no complaints, the food at the house is great, but it's nice to have options. Service here still sucks, and they don't seem to have an understanding of what's important when servicing a client... like last night, they straightened the table cloth instead of bringing us the bread, after we asked them 3-4 times over the course of 10 minutes... oh well, cultural difference that must be accepted and just laughed over, rather than get frustrated and wasting one's energy.

I had a talk with Brian this week about the possibility of staying with IRC. There are so many conflicting factors over me staying or leaving... I just don't know. I wouldn't have imagined staying here for more than a year, especially when I had first arrived to DRC. Life in Bukavu is great, but being far away from family and lacking somewhat of a social life can be straining. Work was also very boring with all the monotonous reporting... but it's improving. I might even get the chance to do a partner's evaluation in Goma in a few weeks. Should be great to be in the field and leave the office a bit to get my hands "dirty." Daniel also left this week, which means that our team is now down to 3 people... and I'm hearing Natalie might be leaving as well... what the heck... this is going to be stressful, and I actually think we'll be spending even more time with reviewing/editing reports. If it continues like that until August, even after the changes we're supposed to implement, perhaps it's not worth it to stay.

The security situation in Bukavu seems to be chaotic... the archbishop came out and said that a war was imminent... the trends from the wars of 1998 and 2004 are repeating themselves, with foreign soldiers infiltrating the city, massacres taking place... ayayay... I hope things stay calm and that the government continues to create some stability and security for the people, as they've known so much horror that they probably won't be able to take another one.

I'll be leaving back for Bukavu this weekend, hopefully. I feel bad because I haven't taught now for two weeks, and although this little getaway was helpful and great, I miss Bukavu and my "normal" life there... it was great to see Georgia, and we all went out a bit.

Until next update.

Bukavu, so long since my last writing

So, it's been at least a month since I've written in my blog. So much for having kept up-to-date and writing every day. The weather in Bukavu is pretty chilly, and this week is quite sad since a few co-workers and friends are returning home, having reached the end of their mission or not being able to go on with work/security/family conditions. It' s crazy how quickly time has gone by now, and sad to know that I'm always counting the weeks and months until I'll be going back home. I miss my family so much, especially the babies. Vanna sent me a few videos on youtube which was really nice b/c I got to see how adorable Elika and Shou are. I'm so proud of Vanna, she got into Sciences Po this week. As the little older sister, I feel a bit jealous that I'm BEHIND now, but hey, at least she's settled for the next few years, making me feel a bit at ease and less stressed out for her.

On my end, I am continuing to apply for jobs and all. I heard from my fellowship career counselor that I should stay on with IRC if the job interests me. The pressure is quite overwhelming at times, where I see the disorder in the office with so many levels of management and people always moving around or leaving. It's a bit nuts, very stressed out yesterday, as I realized that the people in the field weren't 100% clear of the goals for the period... anyways, I got to speak a bit of my mind to the senior health coordinator, who probably didn't appreciate my inputs. Oh well, I see things aren't moving correctly, a little inputs can only help. I'll be speaking in the month or so with my advisor and the coordinator about whether I see a potential with IRC, especially when it comes to be in charge of program implementation.

Today, we learned that the military guys attacked civilians in their home and pillaged them, killing 3 in the process. It's crazy how the security situation is still not under control.. sad to see and to know, especially when I realize that I could get "out" at any time I things got out of control. Again, thinking about humanitarian work and its paradoxes, the difficulties inherent in this whole sector where you create an imbalance for the society in which you're intervening: riches from expats, the hope of another country/world, and the fact that you're there, out of good will, to help them but really it's also for your own personal/professional growth.

We couldnt' leave the office all day b/c it wasn't sure whether things would get out of control in the town. I couldn't even walk home to go get food! But we bought some bananas outside, so it was fine. The students were preparing a demonstration, b/c one of the persons killed was a fellow student. Police and all were there, but thankfully, it all took place peacefully.

today, I got another call from a creepy guy in the town who managed to get my number. He annoyed me, saying that I was close-minded and didn't want to meet him. I got pissed b/c it's not the first time it happened... and then he tells me not to be scared. Who says that? Anyways, put him in his place, and told him not to ask for my phone number as it's rude and out of place.

Ay! This weekend, we'll be going to Bujumbura, Burundi, for a little weekend outing. I'm exciting since we have Tuesday off and it'll give me a chance to decompress. With all those reports coming in and trying to restructure our little unit, I get headaches and frustrated.

That's all for now... gonna go home since it's getting late and I need to eat.

Busy busy week

So yes, getting super busy with reports and procedures and coordination! This happened the last time I went on vacation. I've been working about 70 hours a week, with a big headache when I get home.

I was writing my personal statement in my application to the Red Cross yesterday, and I couldn't help but reflect on my personal role here. It's a question that's ongoing and that I don't think will go away. I've felt empowered by my coworkers and the people around me, but also skeptic by the actions of other humanitarian actors and the Congolese themselves. I don't want to get too close to some people, as I know they'll try to ask me for money. I want to help them and become friends, but I don't know how that's possible. One of the guards was asking for books to read, and I lent him some.. the next day, he asked me for money.

Working abroad is full of contradictions and questioning about yourself, the history that's our legacy, and how you can make an impact all the while contextualizing yourself in the environment. I've found that this experience has taught me a lot about working in a humanitarian organization, working in a country with a history of corruption and horrow, and working with people whose status in life is very different from yours.

The work continues, but I feel involved as I'm participating in evaluation visits, hiring people, drawing contracts, and helping to support programs. It's great, but I wish I had more time to reflect while at work.

Well, until next time... just a few things I needed to get off my chest.

International Women's Day Preparation!

Wow... so who would have thought that organizing international women's day for an office of 130 people and for the whole city can be so tiresome! I was so excited about this project, especially b/c it gives me a chance to interact with the staff and to work on real activities! However, I have to say, dealing with the organization's procedures can be such a pain! It took us maybe 4 days to just get paper... the demand had to go through this department, and then that department, and then another department, and another final signature! And to get the money to buy the material, another set of interesting signatures! Goodness, it felt so frustrating, but again, maybe the lack of planning on the part of the organizers...

It's really great to see the women in the office getting excited about this upcoming date! I'm glad to see the men getting involved as well, but I got into some interesting discussions/arguments about women, men, and human rights. It's such a contradiction and it's a bit worrisome to see the men saying that women's day should be a day where men are celebrated by women! Oh my... I got into some heated arguments, and it was no joke that they really believed that. I think for the women here, it was another sign of the fight they have to fight. But how mad it makes me to see them so quiet, when they have so much to say! One woman in the office has such great insights into society, but yet she keeps quiet. We had a meeting when organizing the events, and as soon as the men got involved, the women kept quiet. I think I was a bit straightforward with the men, but I made sure that their role was as support and not as people to lead the whole process... it's not only disempowering to the women but also a renewal of their dominance. It must have been the first time they heard anyone say something like this, and especially a woman... but I'm glad that it was what was needed to get the women comfortable enough to speak up a bit.

Women's day is just a few days away, and although it won't be perfect, I am so glad for the partnership and effort that every women and men put into preparing for this event. The guys are getting excited to sing and to recognize women... I can't wait to see it, and I will be sure to take pictures.

An interesting thing I heard today was from the head of the gender-based violence program, telling me that in her experience, no matter how hard of a life women have had, they can still keep a smile. In Congo, women have been raped, abused, and objectified, both in the family and in society, yet, they keep a smile and go on. To me, this is what amazes me about this country and especially the women: their power, their will to live, and their hope. And it's not cheesy or a joke, but it's truly what many believe and hold on to. They get involved, they participate, they smile, and behind their smile, you can just imagine all the horrors they've lived through and experienced.

All these realizations are but an acknowledgment of our privilege and our luck in the world. I can be online at this moment reflecting on these experiences, but how lucky am I to be able to do this. The women and girls here often only have time to think about the next day and how they'll survive... and here I am at times mad at life, mad at the lack of time, mad at someone having been rude... yet there are so many more important things out there that my worries seem so miniscule and unimportant.

And on this upcoming day, I want to take the time to reflect on the status of women in society, our power, our solidarity, and the fact that together, we keep this world up, b/c men have a tendency to make it worst with their thirst of power.

Going to Ghana!

Yes... so I am going to Ghana at the end of March! I'm really excited, especially since it took about 3 weeks to hear back. They wanted me to stay here and read reports, just because I'll be gone for 2 weeks... even if there are Anne Claire and Natalie in Kinshasa to do that. In the end though, they've approved. I can't wait to go see Ashitey and Shoko! She'll be coming too, and it's fun to think that we've visited Spain, Morocco, Japan, and Cambodia together already... and now Ghana! I have to buy my ticket first, and I have to start to do it early b/c our logistics is slow at getting things done. Just to go see the mailbox in Rwanda, it has taken them 3 weeks and they haven't even done it yet... a bit frustrating!

Besides that, I taught today. I watched Crash last night with Daniel, and we had an interesting conversation about the movie. I think it was very much in his face how I was talking about racial relations and the importance to acknowledge that it exists but to also do sthg about it. I think he saw how much of an advocate I am on these issues... well, at least, it gave him a different perspective of looking at things. We also talked about what it means to be expats in a country like the DRC where disparity is so in your face, and how we live in our own bubble here. So today, teaching. The kids were excited about the little conversation exercise we gave. I gave a kid a piece of my mind. He's been lazy for the past 3 months, and all he does is disrupt the class. So I told him that if he really didn't want to be there, that he shouldn't have to. That my goal in coming every Saturday morning is to teach and to get them excited about learning, and that if he's not happy, he should tell me, and if he doesn't want to be there, to go to another class. I think he got my point, and we'll see next week. I told them to memorize the short conversation.

We tried to play a little puzzle game, where I put words in English and French for them to match... goodness, how frustrating it was to explain the rules to the last class. I was getting a headache and losing my voice... I definitely can't do teaching for more than 3 hours, the 4th hour is always painful for me. The kids take about 10 minutes to write 2 lines, and then you explain the rules over and over, and some just make a blank face. Oh well, it tells how teaching the same thing 4 times on a Saturday morning is not healthy! But the kids are cute and excited to be there. The last class wanted to stay for an extra hour to continue teaching... I was going to die, so I stayed for an extra 15 minutes.

I am now in the office, finishing up a report on nutritional milk. We're in the process of hiring an english teacher, so I had to write the letter to potential candidates. It's all very interesting, and I do feel like I'm playing a role and getting this done.. at least today ;) We'll be organizing intl women's day, so I can't wait to get involved in organizing that.

All right, boating tomorrow with the Uruguayans.. should be fun. For now, that's all, I'm out... got to go home and eat!

In the field...

So I was too tired yesterday to write on this blog. I went to the field in one of our health zones, where we were conducting focus group discussions with the community and traditional birth attendants to get their views on current emergency obstetric care services in the health zone. We arrived at one of the health centers, where there were a few women with their children, waiting to be assisted. I saw a baby, about 5 months old, who had malaria and kept crying. The mother was trying to breastfeed him. It was sad to see just how poor the women were, wearing dirty and torn clothes. Seeing the baby, I couldn't help but think about my own niece and nephew and how privileged they are to be in the US, have access to food and health care, and have access to toys. I sat down and tried to chat with the women... I think it was the first time that they had seen an Asian woman, and as usual, they were quite interested by my hair. Although they spoke a local language and no French or Kiswahili, all we did was stare at each other and smile. The women were telling my coworker that they had many children. Ben, my coworker, asked them who worked in the field and provided for the family. They said the women did, while the husbands stayed home or went around to drink/eat. We were told that's how it's done culturally here... the women provide for the home while the husbands are supposed to be served. It's something I've known about Mashi culture, this patriarchal kind of society where the women is seen as the property of the men. But it's changing, although extremely slowly. Ben, who is himself Mashi, was telling the women that they need to be sensitized and understand that when a family has many children and the woman can no longer work alone to feed the whole family, the husband needs to help out. I am not sure what the women responded to this... I only saw that they were nodding. It's so different to see how societies differ... for instance, in Cambodia, field work is the man's job, while here, the women do all the hard labor. And the babies just keep popping. I think on average women have 7-9 children in the villages. It's a bit crazy, especially given the poverty level. The kids can't go to school, they get sick, and there's not enough food at home. I've had a few conversations with our drivers, who are also Mashi, about the status of women in the household and family planning. They tell me the women should go and get a tubal ligation... but I tell them it's safer for the men to get a vasectomy. I'm seen a bit as a feminist here, although I'm really not b/c I just bring different points of view. It's really interesting though to see that not all men agree with how things are done here. And they agree that the men are treated as kings in the household, and that this needs to change if the family and country as a whole want to survive and move forward.

We conducted a small focus group discussions with the community on EmOC services available. There were about 5 women and 3 men. The facilitator was a man from the local health department. I was a bit skeptic, since I knew that the facilitator wasn't best trained and tended to be a bit bias. The discussion was done in Mashi, but already, I could see that he was asking the questions directly at the men, and didn't encourage the women to get involved at all. The women had some really good points to raise, especially since it concerns them. They were discussing how the local health facility doesn't provide them with adequate services b/c the nurse who works there is rarely there, always out and about. They also mentioned how they weren't properly treated at the health facilities, with the personnel not having the capacity to conduct an accurate evaluation or provide medications. They also discussed the problem of transportation. When a woman is in labor and needs to go to the health facility, she's kept there until it becomes really dangerous and she has to be transported to the hospital, about 10 km or so away. The villagers do so by carrying the woman on a locally made stretcher. One woman also complained about the nurses and how they made her wash the sheets by hand before admitting her into the facility, even though the woman was shivering all over.

For me, it was very interesting to hear the community's point of view, and especially the women's. This discussion helped us to see that the health facilities aren't necessarily being honest with IRC. True, when IRC visits in the field, we see everyone working... but I think that it's also all a show b/c IRC warns them ahead of time that we're coming, which gives them enough time to come to the facilities and act like they're working. It's the problem though with the whole health system in the Congo... too many people talking and saying what we want to hear, but not enough being dedicated to bring the support to the communities and bring about real, tangible change. The community did mention though that the health situation has improved, in comparison to a few years ago... but we're not there yet and there is work to do.

After the discussion, kids from the community were just getting out of school. As usual, they gathered around us, especially me and Ben. They spoke a little bit of French, and since we were there for a while, I decided to teach them a game. About 100 kids were gathered, watching, and just as we were getting into it, we had to go. I think it was a nice way for them to decompress and play. Not sure if I helped at all, but it was a nice interaction that I haven't had yet when going to the field. They usually just get scared of me, stare at me b/c they're curious, or smile and shy away.

Well, here I am in the office again... out for now.

Ate crocodile!

So I didn't have to go teach on Saturday b/c the students had a day off for having taken exams earlier during the week. It was very nice not to have to wake up at 7am on a Saturday morning and go teach for 5 hours straight! On Friday, got off from work a bit late, around 7:30pm. I went home and House 2 were having a bit of a get-together. I guess some of the mercenary kids from the US were returning home, and we were throwing them a little party. I wasn't feeling very sociable, so I went for maybe 1 hr or so. I saw a few people that I had not seen in a while, and it was nice to sit, chat, look at the lake, and sip some coca cola. Anne-Claire also came from Kinshasa, and she'll be here for about a week.

After the small sunset drink, I went home to sit and relax and smoke shisha. I think I smoked a bit too much of that stuff, b/c I ended up feeling dizzy and with a stomach pain. It went away after 10 minutes... thank god! Georgia, Fidele, and I decided to go dancing, as Fidele is going home at the end of the month. He's not really getting recognized for his work, and as the health coordinator, he's got so many responsibilities, and IRC with all its procedures, well, it delays the work... and poor Fidele gets blamed when things do go as planned. Javier brought some reggaeton music, so I gave it to the DJ. It was a fun night, and a very nice way to decompress. It's ironic though that even here in Congo, people of color feel more comfortable hanging around each other.. the expat get-together was all white people, with me as the only non-white person in the crowd.. a bit ironic to see that here again.

On Sunday, Job and his roomates had a bit of a get-together and bbq. Simon brought back some crocodile, and I tried it. Funny thing, it wasn't bad and tasted very much like pork. the meat was white. I invited one of my coworker along, since he plays volleyball with me and we had to cancel volleyball yesterday. The guy though got drunk and puked all over... that was not pretty, and I was worried b/c 1) his wife recently had a baby, and 2) that's inappropriate.

Otherwise, today worked on a few reports and the week is starting off well. I do feel like I'm on top of things and am providing a good support to the programs. It's a good feeling and a nice reminder to why we're here.

Ok, Isa off for tonight...

Focus Groups Discussion Training

So I just got back from the field, was there all day, and back safe and sound. We left early this morning, and as usual, I had to run after admin to make sure they had my papers so I could go to the field. We need them in case we run into some military guys who give us some trouble and ask for our "papers." I went with the health team, and today, they were training the health facility workers, head nurses, doctors, etc., on how to conduct a focus group discussion. Next week, we're planning to conduct 3 discussions on emergency obstetric care, which will measure the impact of our program in the health zone in that area. Among services we give are training of traditional birth attendants and emergency care.

The training started a bit late, since the head nurses, etc. weren't there yet. The drive to Kabare wasn't as bad, although always as slippery and muddy, with the cliff on one end. It's crazy, b/c the driver was new, and we were all telling him to slow down and to put the 4-wheel drive b/c we didn't want to fall off the cliff and die. I spoke a bit of kiswahili with the health workers there, and we started the training. Overall, there was one woman participant, which is not so great b/c the focus group discussions need to include women so that the participants won't feel as intimidated. Anyways, the discussion went well, but I feel that we didn't have enough time to do role-plays. They spent more time verifying some translations, which I thought was silly b/c they apparently need to improve their facilitating skills. One of the guys in my group who was facilitating didn't even introduce the rules, purpose, etc of the discussion.. bad!

Anyways, now I'm back in the office after a bit of a tiring day. I'll be going to the field next week again to do the discussion with the community participants.

Radio check, blah!

Visiting Ben's daughters

So yes, I forgot to write into the blog. Yesterday wasn't that busy, but I just got entangled with work and completely forgot about it! I am translating this legal document for the World Bank, which is pretty good since it forces me to review again my legal terminologies... good practice.

During lunch time, we went to BIOSADEC to visit Ben's daughters. Both of them (4 and 13) were sick with malaria +++. Poor girls have been hospitalized since Saturday and they were there with their glucose. The beds weren't the cleanest, and it seemed more like a room from one of the lowest quality of hostels... if you can picture that. I met Ben's family for the first time, and it was unfortunate that it was at the hospital. His wife was also sick with malaria last week, where she fainted and lost feeling on one side of her face. Man, I am glad I didn't get that kind of malaria. The family though seemed pretty nice, but they were coughing all over, and the room didn't have a window, and I was thinking to myself, shit, I'm gonna get sick. So we stayed there for about an hour, and we chatted here and there about the family.

The rest of the expats went to dinner with our regional director, but I was too tired and broke to go. I just don't want to have to spend for a meal that's gonna cost $30 and that's gonna be worse than the food we have at home. I watched a movie and just drank some coca cola and took it easy for the night. Georgia and Amaka got back yesterday as well.

Today, not much otherwise, preparing a presentation for our local partners on effective reporting. It should be interesting. I am also checking our house expenses for food, and man, it is annoying to see how much the cook tries to cheat on prices... again, another sign of corruption. I saw this morning that he made chocolate mousse for himself and hid it in one of the fridges. I ate dishonesty, but I let it pass since it's not a big deal. If it gets out of hand, I will warn him.

So no running for today, feeling a bit lazy. I started looking for some jobs starting in September. A few opportunities in Kinshasa and in other parts of the world, but I want something hands on in the field with more management responsibilities. Still looking...

All right, isabelle out!

Yes, I'm keeping my promise! (at least for today)

I almost forgot to write on this blog... I guess after this restful weekend and charged Monday! So on Saturday, I went to teach the kids at the school. I had given them some homework to do on the conjugation of the verb "to be" and how to ask questions with who, what, when, where, how, etc. Most of them did their work, but some tried to cheat in class! It really PISSED me off, especially as I had let them use their notes and gave many free bonus points just for having done their homework. So, I was mean with the last class and told them that if I caught any one of them cheating, they would all get 0. Fortunately, I calmed down within 5 minutes and the students didn't seem to have minded my earlier outburst!

I came back home exhausted after school. With trying to recover from malaria, having to wake up at 7am on a Saturday morning is just not cool. So I slept for about 3-4 hours. It was nice. I woke up, showered, and got ready to go to the Uruguayan party that the military was having at the Welfare club, which is the local UN bar. There were about 100 people, with 90% men. Yeah, literally, only 10 women or so, and I was the youngest. So, I had all the guys staring, old or young. One was actually pretty cute, blue eyes, but I couldn't tell if he was in his 20s or early 30s, so I didn't give it a try... We danced cumbia, ate lots of great pizzas, and drank some tonic and sprite (remember, malaria meds...)

When I got home around 1am or so, I watched some of my Korean soap opera and fell asleep after wanting to kill our 2 dogs. Those stupid dogs kept running by my window, barking non-stop... yes, that's our lullaby music every night, and it sucks! I don't even know why we have those dogs. They keep eating, they sleep all day (instead of at night), and then they attack us outside when we try to play ball (stupid dogs almost broke our volleyball). Anyways, another reason why I don't like dogs.

On Sunday, I woke up around 1pm and watched Sweet November. I cried my eyeballs out... it's such a sad and sweet movie.. cheesy, but oh well, it's nice to decompress on a Sunday. After that, we went to play volleyball. Quentin, our "coach," couldn't come. So we played for about an hour, got our asses kicked, since the other team had this professional guy, and I just wasn't feeling it either.. maybe the rainy weather :)

So today, we had a few grant-closing meetings, talking about procurement and regulations and making sure that we followed donor compliance. I hope I am not boring anyone too much. Otherwise, worked a lot, spoke Kiswahili with Ben, and translated some docs into French all day. This week we're supposed to lead some trainings on focus group discussions. Should be interesting. That's all... I'm out!

Recovering from malaria

Wow... so I can't believe my last entry on this blag was almost 5 months ago. I was motivated then, but with all the mass emails and individuals emails and individual journal, I just lost the energy. However, I've decided to write daily on the blog, either during lunch time or after work.

So, I found out I had malaria two days ago. I initially had some bad stomach pains and couldn't sleep, but I thought it was just food indigestion. When I went to work, I started getting all weak and cold, and one of our doctors told me to go check it out. Going to the hospital, which is supposed to be private and one of the better ones, was quite an experience.

I went with a Congolese coworker (whose wife and children also have malaria... how ironic, it's spreading!). First, the floor was dirty and dusty. The reception was a guy in front of his computer who took about 5 minutes to write down my name. I then had to go up the stairs to get my blood tested. The lab technician comes, puts on his coat, grabs the instrument to pick on my finger, and all the while, I'm scared that I might get infected... thankfully, I don't think I did. Another 30 minutes later, the doctor, who was sitting beside us while we were waiting and watching tv (right, it's a horrible local channel that doesn't even work) arrives, tells me to go into the room. He writes down how I feel, takes my temperature, my weight, asks about my symptoms... I tell him about my stomach pains.. he makes me get on the bed, which is not even clean and I think I was laying near where the feet are supposed to go... so anyways, he presses hard, and i mean HARD on my stomach and asks if it hurts... duh! so, I'm diagnosed with a parasite and given medication. I'm also told I have malaria, but luckily, it's the beginning stages, so that's why I'm not laying almost dying on my bed... good to know... and woof! just missed it!

So yeah, I've been back at work, working on translations and reports... and slacking off reading some humanitarian reports that help me get through the day. It's crazy how much the work is becoming the same thing... I can't wait to go to the field next week... gonna try to do some partners' evaluations and then participate in focus group discussions... should be interesting and a good time away from the office.

We tried to watch Kiss of the Dragon yesterday... I was gonna break the DVD player, kept skipping. We had a projector though and some speakers, so it felt somewhat like a movie theater.. the Bukavu theater, the one and only!

Until Monday then...