Today has been a travel day. We spent half the day in Yei, Sudan, doing a variety of errands with the NESEI staff, having espressos and cappuchinos at the Yei version of Starbucks, meeting and greeting a whole host of people on the streets, and getting ready to welcome a group of about 15 Americans coming for the grand opening of the school on Monday. We did meet them, including Atem Deng (one of the Lost Boys, who returned to Sudan today for his very first time), and Robert Lair, one of the founders of NESEI. Most of the folks were from Vermont it seemed, but one of the young women with the group, Mari, was from Ipswich, Massachusetts. I had spoken to her on the phone once before, and it was nice to meet her in person.
One of the last people I spoke to was a young guy named Sixbert. He is a Rwandan, working in Sudan. He was our driver yesterday and is driving one of the vans to and from the airport today. He told me that both his father and mother were killed in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. I think he said a brother also. Sixbert was left to be the head of their household and take responsibility for his brothers and sisters. He was trained as a nurse, but he can actually make more money being a driver in Yei, Sudan, than he could being a nurse in Kigali. Hard to imagine how that works, but that's part of what we've been observing here in South Sudan -- just how "booming" it all is with the heavy presence of the UN and international NGOs causing prices and wages to skyrocket.
Martin and I took off in the same plane that left the group off, headed back for Entebbe. Our visit to Sudan was only two days, but it felt like we had packed at least a month's worth of learning and adventure into it. Amazing. Once we got back to Entebbe, we booked a flight to Kigali, Rwanda, for this evening, where we have now arrived. We spent part of the afternoon and evening, however, back at our hotel in Entebbe having some dinner and picking up the suitcase I had left there a few days ago. Then back to the airport, and off to Kigali.
With all the traveling we did today, Martin and I had a chance to begin talking a little bit about that book he wants us to write together. We want it to take advantage both of his extensive humanitarian work throughout Africa and his wide-ranging knowledge of the politics of conflict areas -- and my experience as a newcomer to Africa, but one who has been interested in Africa for a long time -- to create a book that helps explain Africa to Americans. One of the things we talked about today was the fact that even the mention of going to Africa creates anxiety for a lot of Americans, even people who are happy to travel to other parts of the world. We would like to try in some small modest way to de-mystify Africa for Americans.
So, here's where all of you come in. We'd like to know what your impressions of Africa are. We'd like to know what feelings the idea of going to Africa evokes for you. If you were to rate all the continents on the earth in order of priority as to where you'd like to go, where would Africa rate? We'd like to know (if you've been reading this blog) what things interest, excite, frighten, confuse, or appeal to you in the experiences I have described. Or choose any other verb that describes the emotions you have had or might have when you think about Africa. Do words like hunger, violence, and disease come to your mind when you think about Africa? How about corruption? What are your impressions of American or international humanitarian, relief and development efforts in Africa? Do they help or hurt? Have you ever been to Africa? Would you like to go to Africa? What do you think the major barriers are for Americans to get to know Africa better?
Send us your comments, questions, ideas for a book. You never know, this could turn into a serious project!
We're in Kigali now. What a lovely place. The hills are beautiful. The streets are clean. The airport very modern. The people are friendly. It's just unimaginable to think of what took place here in 1994. And I can't understand how Sixbert would have to leave this relatively highly developed, sophisticated place for Yei, Sudan, which is at the total other end of the scale -- to make more money to send back here to support his siblings' education. There are many ironies in Africa.
Tomorrow morning we're off for Goma, Congo, where we'll be visiting a couple of the refugee camps. Martin leaves our journey to go back to work at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya on Saturday. I'll be in Goma until Sunday, when I will come back here to Kigali to begin the Amahoro-Africa conference. I'm not quite sure what to expect in Goma. I do know that even experienced Africa-travelers have been saying to me, "be careful in Goma." I will.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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4 comments:
Jeff - wow... each time I read your blog I am left with such a feeling of sadness, amazement, and awe at the experience you are giving all of us who keep up with you each day. It is one thing to hear abouat this through the news but another to actually hear about these conditions first hand. In many ways your words these past few weeks have completely consumed my thoughts. I can not thank you enough for opening my eyes to this part of the world. Africa has never been a place that I have had an urge to travel to, and am not sure that I would want to now, but for very different reasons. Thank you.
Alison
Hi Jeff and others!
Jane B here..
I appreciate your asking us for our impressions (or should I say pre-conceptions) of Africa. That is a question that I like to ask volunteers who come to MS and LA. The answers never cease to surprise me.
As a child, growing up in the south, I remember hearing about the violence in South Africa. I was frightened and struggled to keep from identifying my hometown with the towns about which I read. In fact of course we did have our own system of Apartheid which was equally as insidious. The other early impression was one closely tied to China (believe it or not) as my father reminded me frequently that I should be grateful for my full plate and my glass of milk as there were children starving in both places. These two first “learnings” about Africa most assuredly had an impact on my impressions. I have hopefully matured and expanded my understanding of the continent, but it is most certainly marked in mystery and foreboding.
I think that my uninformed impression of Africa now is one of abject poverty, rampant violence, and unfettered disease – not a place where one would go to vacation. However, my impression from those who have gone is very different. I am thinking of a seminary friend (Derek) who spent a summer there and is drawn back again and again by the compassion and love extended to him by the people he met. And I am thinking of Maggie who come to NOLA for a visit and shared with me the similar feelings she felt in NOLA and in Africa in the face of suffering. I am thinking about my sister who traveled to Africa twice on medical missions and who fell in love with the beauty and grandeur of Kenya and the respect she has for those with whom she worked. And I am thinking of all of the talented and engaging people with whom I have worked over the years. From these encounters I have a curiosity about Africa and grief for the suffering that seems to be out of the line of vision of the global power folks. I also have an extreme feeling of helplessness in the face of extreme poverty that seems to be insurmountable.
My feelings have also been colored by the anger of the church leadership in Africa and the desire to effect the polity of the church here. I wish that were not so, but I am afraid it is. There is a country song that asks “How do you love those who never will love you?” The answer is obvious to me in that you do it by loving all as Christ loves me. Hmmm. Did I answer my own question? Probably.
Would I travel to Africa? Yes Would I be apprehensive about it – Yes. Would that apprehension stop me – No. On a list of places that I would like to visit I do not think it would be first. I am not thinking of need now but rather what tweaks my interest and excitement. I have not been to Eastern Europe or to the Far East or to Australia. These would come up ahead of Africa in a list of places for my vacation time. But you know me… Give me a ticket and I am there! And once I am there, my passion overcomes any apprehension I felt.
Keep writing – we are reading…
Jane
Thanks, Alison and Jane, both of you, for taking the bait! I was actually just beginning to wonder if anyone was reading out there since I hadn't had any comments in a while. :) I'm going to keep it up whether anyone else reads or not, however, just because I'm finding it a good way to process what I've been experiencing.
As to your comments, I think regardless of whether people actually ever come to Africa or not, I'd like to try to de-mystify it for people. I think most Americans are really overwhelmed by what they imagine Africa must be like. Well, you should see me now -- I'm on the border of Rwanda and Congo -- (your imagination is telling "a real hell-hole" right?? Well, wait till you see the pictures. It's one of the most beautiful, resort-like places I've ever seen, with beautiful hotels along the beaches. I'm actually staying in this gorgeous place tonight that would be worthy of the queen, and just finished a wonderful meal that would be fit for any American restaurant. I picked up the tab for four people -- drinks ahead of the meal too -- for the equivalent of $42 total. The view from here of the Volcano in Goma, Congo, is amazing (yes, that's the volcano that blew its top in 2002 and devastated the area -- it was Congo's equivalent of Mt. St. Helen's. I'll see some of the devastated areas tomorrow.
I don't want to try to say that there are no problems here -- God knows there are. But life is good in many ways for many people. Not for everyone, for sure. I don't think we hear very much about that at home.
Hi Jeff,
Much of what you have told us about the conditions in Africa are right in line with what some friends of mine who do medical missions trips have told me. There is great need in many places and many ways.
Keep up the posts. It's all very fascinating.
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