Africa Vision 12

Africa Vision 12

N’Djamena, November 30, 2007

N’Djamena

So what is N’Djamena? Formerly known as Fort Lamey it was the French power center before independence Estimations range but I think it is safe to say there are about 1 million people living in the area. Today I realize that despite living here for three weeks now I have not seen a lot. There is a lively central market where Bollywood films, Hollywood t-shirts, Batista and other WWE stars rule supreme. Lebanese shops supply the western goodies. The restaurants are situated right along Charles the Gaulle Avenue. It is there where my mansions lie. Travel is easy with the yellow cabs about 3 dollars a pop. But having your own set of wheels is more or less necessary here. It is too bad I forgot my rollerblades in the Netherlands. Considering a bicycle. It is fun to paddle around town, but it does not solve the issue of my nighttime escapades. The most fancy nightclub in town lies about 7 miles away from my pied a terre. The good news is that a local nightclub formerly known as number 1 is opening up the doors again tomorrow. From there I can roll home.

Silly me did not realize that brother Faizal has a wireless Internet connection in his travel front office. That will sure save a lot of time while going trough emails, face book or other websites. After being spoilt in the Netherlands and the USA with the fastest of the fastest it is back to dial up. Yes Internet and blogging does play a big roll now and I shall do my utmost to keep on writing once every two days. Finally today I got through to Dr Gusto in Bebedja. The phone connection had been crappy for a while. He was happy to hear I am coming as soon as I have my travel permit. Not only because the hospital can use another set of ears and hands but also because like me Dr Gusto has a passion for the adorable Kinetoplasts Leishmania. As a dermatologist with over 10 years of experience with cutaneous leishmania (skin ulcers) in Latin America he has the impression there may be some cases as well in the South of Chad. He is looking for an alternative affordable treatment modality because the normal medication is not available in Chad. But first of all it would be great to confirm that Leishmania is available in Chad.

For that we need the sand fly (vector of the disease) and infected patients (mammals, as leishmania can be seen in man different animals but mainly humans and dogs). Then from an ulcer material needs to be taken and under a microscope with coloring in the macrophages several small cells can be seen the amastigote. Looking forward to peep through the microscope. If that does not work one can look at antibodies in the blood. For all these test chemicals and reagents are needed. Usually only the basic of the basic is available. I shall contact my colleagues at MSF to see if they have any of the test in the country after all MSF is one of the agencies that has most experience in diagnosing and treating leishmaniasis (albeit the visceral or systemic form) And they work in a hospital nearby in Gore about 100 kilometer away from Bebedja.

It is starting to itch. Breathing in and out is not easy when you are waiting for paperwork but it is the way it is with a civil war going on in the East and the action of Zoë’s Arc last month.
So what to do?
Write another blog entry
Highlight the needs of the people in the South of Chad or for that matter in most of Chad. As the dean of the medical faculty Dr Djada clearly stated. Even in N’Djamena children die of diarrhea, chest infections, measles and malnutrition. All completely preventable illnesses.
The students of yesterday in wooden benches, one training hall for the medical faculty. No audiovisuals to speak of. I think the students will enjoy when I come by with a projector and do a power point presentation. Aiming for them to enter in debate and to tickle them to think about creative, intelligent, durable, cheap and effective strategies to promote health in Chad.

Peace and Love

Ashis

It I so good to hear that many of you are busy in your own way to make a difference. Be it for Darfur, Uganda, Nepal or any other country around the world. Keep up the energy and belief that things can change for the better.

Africa Vision 11

Africa Vision 11

N’Djamena, November 28, 2007

Patience

I truly wish I could tell you more abut what is going on in the East of Chad. But there has been a complete blackout of news. All we notice in the capital here is the frequent condolence meetings of high-ranking Chadian officers. Also the military hospital seems to be quite full so surgical cases are being admitted in the civilian hospital as well. Yet during my visit of today of the General Referral Hospital I did not get the impression the wards are overflowing more than normal or that the surgeons are exhausted. What I saw were the normal procedures. Hospital staff lining up to get their monthly salary. Patient strolling in the garden with crutches. Family members cooking food in the yard. In other words business as usual.

What was special I managed to meet about 15 students from the 6th year. Those students I will be teaching starting in one to two weeks. I spent my evening behind the computer looking for good material online. Pictures and texts/articles in French so I will make less spelling mistakes. I got so much involved I even skipped my nightly outing to the Carnivore. There also there were signs of an ongoing war. The captain who lives next door to the club has died in Abeche and out of piety tonight there is no music at the Carnivore.

Paperwork in the main time is what I am waiting for. I would be so happy to be working in the hospital in Bebedja. But because of the idiots of Arc de Zoë every foreigner needs a travel permission to assure we will not kidnap children and have an appropriate reason to travel. Waiting has never been my strongest point and I truly hope tomorrow the papers will come so I can leave this weekend. The hospital in the South is an ideal place to understand the dynamics and the specific health problems in the South. I do hope to be able to interact with the health authorities in Doba. After all it is they who are responsible for distribution of medication and vaccines and it seems they are not doing their job. Through the dean of the medical faculty I will be getting in touch with the oil minister from the South. He himself comes from Bebedja and may be interested to do some work for the people in his area.

I meditate daily, I write; I chat with friends on line, try to network as much as possible still I feel I am in a state of semi slumber. I cannot wait any longer. My stethoscopes are itching. Well even fixing my blocked lavabo takes 10 days. It was a hilarious affair as the plumber came with his bare hands only and ended up fixing the plumbing with a plastic bag he found in a wastebasket. When I told him now I have a leak instead of a block he just grunted; said he was off to get a ladder and promised to come back. Well tomorrow another round of carrot and stick will be played. In the hope he will have some tools with him, a ladder and a clue as to what the hoot he is doing. I just find it bemusing. I was thinking about taking a photo of his great job but it is just too rancid. It has been said a cleaner will light up my existence from tomorrow. I can’t wait. Project one is the bathroom, then my bedroom, living room and finally the kitchen. Yes a kitchen, time to cook again! Namaskar

Ashis awaiting plumber in action

Africa Vision 10

Africa Vision 10

N’Djamena, November 26, 2007

Moving green bushes

Sad events this weekend in the Eastern parts of Chad. Two sites near the regional capital and hub for NGO’s Abeche came under rebel attack. It is a clear reminder that there are still many rebel groups active in Chad. In this incident a security guard was shot in the leg and two humanitarian aid workers from MSF and Oxfam were beaten by rifle but. I wish all the best for the local population, refugees and the aid workers in these heavily armed and conflict-ridden regions. On top of that as it is the fighting season. Slightly delayed by heavy rainfall the bi-annual has commenced. The rebels try to carve out a part of Chad so once the UN troops arrive they have a strong position to enter negotiations. As a consequence an estimated 1000 soldiers and rebels died and many more got wounded. There is a month left before the UN troops come so we can expect more battles.

For those who wish to read more try the following web link www.reliefweb.int
It is just Saturday that I had a dinner with staff members of the UN. They are in town to set up shop in Abeche and N’Djamena. The goal is to prepare the arrival of several thousand European peacekeepers in the Eastern part of Chad. The ones I was writing about in my previous blog. Finally they will start coming in December. It is natural for things to heat up just before the arrival of these troops. Also a negotiated peace deal between the government and 4 leading rebel groups expired after one month. Unrest in the East sometimes leads to phone lines to be cut off. I was supposed to be eating with friends now but I cannot reach them to find out where exactly their house is.

Today’s good news is the meeting with doctor Gagde. He is the in charge of the public health department at the medical faculty. He has received his training in public health in Toulouse, France. As we discussed it became clear that the academic year is coming to an end and that the students need special teaching sessions.

A perfect opportunity for me to step and to prepare some sessions on parasites. My beloved parasite! Parasites and their impact on human health, the treatment modalities, how to address the problems, constraints in the terrain. Fresh medical minds to be challenged by the creative public health concept. I was informed that students like to note down all information coming from a teachers lips. Well either they need a speedy Gonzales pen or they will have to get used to not capturing every word and following the discourse. It is fun to make power point presentations. What is less fun that I need to find out a way to make my mediocre written French look at least passable. Around December 10th my first class should take place. The good thing is public health is taught at year 2-7 so there is ample opportunity to corrupt the minds.

For those of you who read the blog through the blogspot website and get to see the picture there are two news flashes.

First with the help of my friend Gerry now the blogs are available in French. Thanks a gazillion Gerry for the hard work of translating my gibberish. Once the connection/ phone lines will improve I shall be able to post them.

Second the photo with the moving bushes was taken while I was stirred and shaken. All of a sudden it felt as if I was in a Lord of the Rings film. Moving bushes and trees. I asked Leon what was going on. Eight green leaved figures on the road. As an initiation rite boys need to live in the forest and eat what they catch and collect only. At night they may come to the village to dance and impress the girls but they return to the woods to sleep. At the end of one month, if everything has gone well they have become real men. Fascinating animistic traditions clearly still play a big role in day-to-day life.

Groeten,

Ashis

Africa Vision 9

Africa Vision 9

N’Djamena, November 24, 2007

South versus East

Doctor Djada is an experienced ophthalmologist who has practiced for years in France and came back to assist his country in developing a medical school. He is the dean of the medical faculty and from our first meeting there is a very warm connection. We discuss the state of the health care system in Chad, the medical educational system and how at all levels there is large scope for improvement. Today we discussed the field visit I did in the south. Who I met, what were the findings, what are my suggestions. It is great to have such an experienced doctor to team up to share experiences. He is well connected and came with a very good suggestion for the next weeks. I should write up a small report on the planned interventions in Longone Oriental. We will discuss these plans together and see if we can find local support to fund some of these initiatives.

As I wrote about awhile back simple things can make a major difference:

1. Helping out with a sustainable method to transport vaccines and medication to and from the health post will prevent cycles of outbreaks of measles and malaria. Sustainable in this sense means community owned and with a community that is willing to participate in the maintenance of for example a motorbike.
2. Basic health education to local village health workers. What are danger signs to the detriment of the child? When to rapidly refer to a health post or a hospital?
3. As only the sun rises for free there needs to be an agreement that at least part of the cost need to be recuperated from the local population. Often non-governmental organizations have the tendency to flood the health market with free care for all. In the long run this undermines the capacity of the governmental health post to generate funds and provide care. Yet explaining to local populations that a contribution for health is required when several kilometers away all care is for free is often not easy.

Some of you have asked me to comment on the differences between the East and the South. As I am new to the South is shall give my preliminary findings.

1. A Christian or animist South versus a Islamic East
2. Refugee issues in the East roughly of a ten fold scale (220.000 refugees, 180.000 internally displaced people versus 25.000 refugees and several 10.000 IDP’s)
3. In the East pastoralist, nomadic, trading culture versus in the South sedentary, agricultural, educational focus
4. Nutritional scarcity in the East versus bountiful nutrition in the South
5. Sand versus trees
6. Dry riverbeds versus fast flowing rivers
7. Saharan / Sahelian climate versus Savannah / Rain forest climate
8. No nightlife versus a well developed club scene in the oil rich areas
9. Camels versus monkeys
10. Low population density versus dense habitation patterns
11. Arab speakers versus French speakers

At the end of the day between East and South both are best. Yet the differences are like night and day. At times you wonder how this one country with such a large difference in day-to-day life, belief and physical environment. Despite differences and ongoing conflict many in the South to quote Leon: ‘are still Chadian first and much later Southerner.

To return to Dr Djada I will be happy to assist in teaching public health at the medical faculty for the 6th and 7th year students. Monday I will go to a lecture by a French HIV expert. It is always good to keep on learning. Amidst reports of the World Health Organization that the number of HIV positive people has been estimated to be 33 million instead of the earlier announcement of 39 million the disease is still a major threat. Oil rich areas are known to attract people with money and it gives opportunity to a lively entertainment industry in all its richness. Clubs, gambling, bars, brothels, nightclubs are plenty. This is another good entry point to prevent needless deaths caused by this killer disease.

Peace and love,

Ashis

Awaiting teaching cap

Africa Vision 8

Africa Vision 8

N’Djamena, November 22, 2007

Medical reality.

Bebetou is our first place to visit. There are several roads leading through the forest. You get bumped and mauled and this is the best season to travel. I am told that elephants roam freely and that at some places where we drive during the rainy season the road is submerged in a lake. Between June and October due to heavy rain you need several hours, if you arrive at all and a Toyota 4x4 pick up to arrive. Now the 50 kilometer from Doba take only two hours.

This village is relatively well off. Two thousand people live here and there is a Catholic mission post, a protestant health post, a government health post and it is the main village of this locality. Yet even here the government health post does not do all vaccination. The cold chain is in place. Staff members are trained and available. Yet when the nurse goes to the regional capital Doba to pick up vaccines they are not made available. As a consequence diseases like measles still are rampant and tens to hundreds of children can still die of this vaccine preventable disease. And every so often there is an outbreak of measles. Two thousand seven and children die of malaria, malnutrition, tonsillitis and chest infections.

What happened?

Why are basic services not even delivered to the people in the rural areas?
True there are great obstacles; distance, access over trails, lack of personnel, funds, resources. The magnitude of the disease load (malaria is rampant), cultural practices (children eat last, for a multitude of reasons), traditional healing practices (when a child is feverish, the tonsils are removed by a local healer by finger. This practice often leads to bleeding and death). The nurse in this health center told me he had 30 ampoules of Quinine. This enough for the full treatment of maximum three patients suffering from severe malaria.

But I also said this center is well off. The diocese has a vehicle and in case of emergency the hospital is about one hour drive away. Many villages lie in more isolated places. Picture the chances of a child there. Often health posts are health post only in name. When a woman delivers and in it turns into an obstructed labor there is a high likelihood she will die in childbirth.

As for the tropical medical doctor it is a great area to work in. Malaria, leprosy, schistosomiasis (mansoni and haematobium), cutaneous leishmaniasis, oncerchosis (river blindness), tuberculosis, HIV, typhoid fever, meningitis. The list is near endless. My plans for the next two months will be to work in the hospital at Bebedja part time, teach at university part time in N’Djamena. Traveling up and down from north to south and back.

Bebedja is a mission hospital and has taken over in the region as being the only functional hospital for a big region. The public hospital in the regional capital has shut its doors. Here there are about 85 beds. There is an operation theatre, maternity, HIV voluntary counseling and testing center, treatment of HIV, out patient department and inpatient department and a laboratory. Several sisters work in the hospital as do 3 doctors and many other health staff. It is a great opportunity to get to learn more about the local language, diseases, problems and solutions. I am happy to be going back south soon.

Peace and love,

Ashis

Aspiring jungle boy

Africa Vision 7

Africa Vision 7

Doba, November 20, 2007

Road trip.

The schedule will be a bit hectic but no guts no glory. From Sunday to Thursday we will visit the following villages and cities in Southern Chad: Doba (regional capital, 30000 people), Bebetou (village with about 2000 inhabitants and a Catholic Mission), Bebedja (Catholic hospital), Bero (small village in the middle of the oil fields) and Gore (near the border with the Central African Republic and home to about 25000 refugees from CAR). We are Leon, a former pilot, Chadian and homeboy from the region and myself. Our sturdy steed is a Toyota RAV large. And the co-pilot is Madam Poule, a hitch hike-ster we found on the road.

According to Leon giving a chicken water and food while traveling is as serving a death sentence so our beautiful bird is on a crash diet. Tranquil she sits in the back and reminds of her presence only when we take a wrong turn.

Our trip started of in a foul way. As mentioned before at the moment les Blancs are not a loved group of people presently in Chad. Some Chadians think all humanitarians are here to kidnap as many children as possible. When we arrived at the first military check point we were asked what was our reason to go south. As a rule you take what is called in French an Ordre de Mission. Somehow with the early departure at 07.00 I had left it in my room. Not a smart thing to do. More and more shouting military. One or two soldiers searching through the luggage. Finding a video camera.
Where is the permission for the camera?
Are you going to shoot films of children so you can sell them to families in Europe? Passport!

A call to my friend Faizal to dispatch a vehicle to send another mission order. Phone calls to relations with high positions in the army. A tough one-hour. A small donation (6 dollars) and the air is cleared. The same soldiers rummaging and shouting now coming for consultations of their ailments. Gastritis, hemorrhoids, headache and other minor problems. Lesson learnt. Get your papers in order before traveling. It saves time and energy.

The ride itself was smooth. Changing landscapes. Dry savanna, wet savanna, forest, and deep forest. And the rivers. Brown and flowing. Pirogues (local boats made out of wood) and fishermen, farmers on the banks of the rivers. Bright clothes. Bright light, more and more green (even if this is the dry season). The roads are perfect. Completely different from the East. The 700-kilometer journey we travel in ten hours. With all stops.

The south has the good fortune to have oil. But even better for them the first schools in Chad were built in the south around 1907. Missionaries came from Bangui, Central African Republic. The heartland of Chadian intelligentsia has been the south and even more specific the area we are visiting the next 5 days. Leon is a clear example of this. All through the 5-day tour we discuss the present and past socio economic reality of Chad. What are the differences between north and south? Between the pastoralist and the farmer. The trading Muslims, Christians that prefer school, animists that live a traditional life style. Again over the next blogs I shall try to share more of that. For those that have not yet visited the web site

www.ashis-africavision.blogspot.com

It is all the more attractive now as there are photos posted

The photo that comes with this story is a bit murky. Try and guess what you see and I will explain in a week what is actually on the photo.

Peace and love,

Ashis

Africa Vision 6

Africa Vision 6

Doba, November 18, 2007

A new roommate.

Beneath the lights outside N’Djamena Tour Office a Confederacy of Quacking Toads gathers. At least 12 of these lovely creatures I found last night sitting under the tube light awaiting insects to fall into their reach. An added attraction is the pipeline of he air conditioning shedding cool water. Clearly only the King of the Toads can sit in the heavenly damped spot. No animal comes near the toads, as their skin is poisonous. Young cats find out soon enough. If a scorpion ever stings you and there is no crocodile oil available catch a toad and rub it on the spot that is affected. It works better than any other cure.

My rooms are teeming with life but what I found 2 days ago beats all my roommates so far. There is a bat in my bedroom what am I gonna do. There is a bat in my living room what am I gonna do. I am going to trick that bat that is what I’m a gonna do. I must say it is amazing to see how these animals can fly around in a small room with a spinning fan in near synchronized ellipsoid curves. I think I managed to whisper sweet little nothings in its ear as the next morning as if a vampire it had disappeared. No coffin however in my flat.

At dinner at Chez Woo’s I heard an incredible story about a fish called ciliur I believe. When the water in the desert dries up it forms a little cavern in the mud and goes into hibernation for up to two three years. Then when it rains it burst out of winter slumber and shoots up in the seasonal rivers and lakes.

And then some birds again. Ebenezer’s guinea fowl flew away. Now the remaining one has sunk in a deep depression. Part of the mission of this field trip is to take some small guinea fowl our brother bird livens up again. They are a bit like geese in the sense that they serve a good watch birds. Usually the guards at the houses are asleep. So these birds are a wise investment.

As in a movie while about 50 kilometer out of N’Djamena a large group of nomadic people. Bright clothes, bare-chested women, camels, and the Indian hunched back cow. I tried to whisper to them in Bengali but they did not understand. Perhaps they are from other parts of India.

All the way down to Doba we passed rivers, the scenery changed dry to semi tropical rain forest and everywhere there where goats, sheep, cows, chicken next to the road. In fact these 500 kilometer are amongst the only paved roads in Chad as they lie between the two largest cities in Chad; N’Djamena and Mondou. Also they lead to the oilfields in the South. At some of the parts of the river Hippotami live and Crocodiles are known to live in the South East. One of the fascinating things about Chad is the amazing wildlife. As a friend was telling even the desert teems with light. Riding around at night you will see eyes of all sizes and heights pop up in your headlights. When you study trails you see footprints everywhere. With that I leave you

Namaskar, Ashis Brahma, animal lover

Africa Vision 5

Africa Vision 5

N’djamena, November 16, 2007

A stuffed pelican.

‘Ebenezer I swear that thing is a stuffed bird. Or a statue of some kind. As I walk towards the long bold necked, black-feathered huge bird it thrusts is neck forwards. As if asking me for a feeding of captain or carp. These are the local fish delicacies. Motionless it stands in the corner of the aptly named restaurant Pelican. We are there to discuss with UNICEF program managers about our project. The meeting has been postponed three times since last week Friday. It is time to talk shop and present our proposal. A meeting in a restaurant as due to heightened security rules UNICEF can no longer receive guests in their office.

The issue of Zoë’s Arc pops up its ugly head again. Until the issue of the 103 children and their 6 suspected kidnappers is resolved signing of agreements by UNICEF has been suspended. That was not an easy message to swallow but it is as it is. Overall the good Dr Granga was very happy with our proposal. Especially with the proposed collaboration of international experts with mainly local people at the grassroots of the program seems to be interesting. For years international donors have been looking for local NGO’s and now one is popping up at their door. Further explanation of the plan of action of the project was requested. For this I am happy to say I will be leaving to the proposed field site on Sunday. Forsaking my weekly jiggy at the Plantation. Work before pleasure. Actually I have been told Mondou is a happening place. It is a peaceful city with nice people.

At Mondou I shall try to shoot many pictures, film a lot, interview stakeholders, get a feel of the pulse of the place. Bero and Doba will also be visited. Our partners in the field may give a deeper insight into what is reality of these places. The team will stay in the South for about 4 nights. A quick scan tour therefore. I can foresee that in the first weeks I shall go back each week to work in the local hospital 3-4 days a week. To build up ties with the local population and come to a greater understanding of what are the main problems in the field. My tropical medical heart is beating. The area is a subtropical region. And a variety of tropical disease is present. Time to use the good old stethoscope again, trust the eyes and ears and listen to the stories of the people. There are nurses working in the area so that is a good entry point for training. Let us see.

Talking about training I met the dean of the medical faculty. We had an open discussion about the objectives of Africa Vision, which he would like to help succeed and also about his NGO working on eye care in the isolated regions. We ended talking opportunities for me to be involved in teaching public health and infectious disease in the medical faculty to 6th and 7th year medical students. A challenge given it is in French but something I have dreamt about for years. Opportunities arise, up to me to jump aboard. The road in Africa is never straight you always get sidetracked. It is up to you not to lose the end goal or lose your cool.

Namaskar, Ashis Brahma, amateur bird spotter

Africa Vision 4

Africa Vision 4

N’djamena, November 14, 2007

Children’s demonstration.

President’s Sarkozy heavy-handed intervention in the case of the 103 abducted has not been received well in Chad. His rescue mission to extract as many of the pilots, journalists and workers of Zoë’s Arc shows a very colonial view of the world in my eyes. Chad has a justice system in place. The accusations of kidnapping and abduction of 103 children are to be tried in the country where the events take place. Would a Chadian who is accused of committing a crime in France be tried in Chad or in France? Why would there be class justice for the people involved in this horrendous case?

The hundred and three children are in N’Djamena during the investigation of the case. They are kept away from their parents. Used as pawns in a political game to extract maximal effect. The highest authorities in Chad have spoken big words. The children would have been part of an organ donation scheme. The bottom line is that adoption is culturally and legally not allowed in Chad. However good the intentions of giving children a house in France this case just stinks. Today in the center of N’Djamena school children demonstrated against president Sarkozy. If only the people of Zoë’s Arc would have used their brains.

Patience is a virtue. So far our meeting with the people of UNICEF has been postponed twice. Once because of the case of Zoë’s Arc and yesterday because there may be an outbreak of polio in Chad. If this is the case rapid public health intervention; in other words rounds of vaccinations need to take place immediately. It would confirm the general findings of one of our field visits in the South that the vaccination campaign is not at all adhered to. This gives all the more reason to accelerate our start up. If only one of the project proposals could be signed this week and money transferred our program could be rolled out.

As far as I understand there are 30 plus international organizations working in Chad and about 2 national ones. Africa Vision as a new kid on the block has a very good position I believe. Local authorities are looking for local players. It ties in with the philosophy that local people working with local solutions, aided by international experience, best tackle local problems. Simple solutions, which are known to work around the world, shall be implemented in Mondou, Doba and surrounding areas. Vaccination programs, training of community based health educators, supplying of oral rehydration solution, bed nets and malaria medication will lead to huge improvements in the health status of the kids.

Myself: I am trying to learn to be patient, diplomatic and more of the desirable skill sets of a captain of a team. Meeting people in different places so my dream can come true. Today the dean of the medical faculty, UNICEF, UN and some old colleagues from IRC. There will be a wee bit of banter and dance I am sure. Also I need to get busy chasing peacocks. There are unconfirmed rumors that they are available!

Namaskar, Ashis Brahma, future peacock farmer

Africa Vision 3

Africa Vision 3

N’djamena, November 12, 2007

Struck by a motorbike.

As if I am in India. What a gastronomic heaven it has been the last few days. Dal, rice, potol, luchis. Even Diwali has been celebrated. Today was a day of exploration. I think I found a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. At least it was a figure bent forward walking with a long cane. As there was nobody near and the gate was firm and contained barbed wire I decided to wait a future opportunity. The statue did resemble the one I found in Mexico City. A formidable place to meditate that was with the squirrels hopping around. Here I need to investigate what colors the squirrels are. Do these animals live on all continents and in all countries? A mystery soon to be explored. I walked around the city center and it was remarkably quiet.

Good fortune came my way when some colleagues from IMC popped up. In our disco mobile we went to the club across the river. Plantation is jam packed but only open on Sundays. A preliminary shyness (15 minutes) and then I was off to terrorize the dance floor. This club is known to turn as if it is a scene from “From Dusk till dawn” At about 17.00 it is time to move as everyone is drunk and the big mafia boys and girls roll in to the club. The open-air disco by then is twice maximum capacity. Time to boogie. As we left a 12 year old was either busy stealing a motorbike, or he v=never drove a bike before or he was drunk or all of the above what matters to me that I ended up being his break. Yet I must says the roads in Africa are getting safer. In Burundi, my first job, the first accident took place after about 30 minutes in the country. A car smashed into the doors side I was sitting at. The accident led to two totaled vehicles and a smirking Ashis. Here at least all that happened was a 12 year old grimacing that he was in control, profusely apologizing after seeing whom he crashed into.

I have found the chess program on this computer and it is a sobering experience being squashed game after game. I need to find human competition. Playing more at my level. Had a good discussion about our meeting of tomorrow at UNICEF. A large deal of the success of the projects and the future of Africa Vision will depend on the signing of the agreement. Funds will flow in, staff can be hired, cars bought, the office opened, drugs, materials ordered. There is a pile of things to do. But first, first let us have a good meeting tomorrow morning.

Next week there may also be meetings with an oil company who want to sponsor a local NGO in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention, the university where I want teach young doctors public health/infectious disease, several other NGO’s (as not to reinvent all wheels) Potential new staff members will be interviewed, an office needs to be found and a field trip to the South of Chad will be planned.
More inch Allah tomorrow.

Ashis Brahma
Main brake to motorcycle

Call me if you can 235 6013 666

Africa Vision 2

Africa Vision 2

Ndjamena, November 10, 2007

Stuck in the door.

The United States of America have been good to me. Gastronomy and size of servings are such that my appreciative stomach has expanded considerably. Usually it does not lead to major problems but last night it did. For unexplainable reasons the door to the building where I am staying a flat got jammed. Brute force in the category of The Undertaker, Batista or other heroes of the formerly known World Wrestling Federation led me to unhinge the door. Unhinge to the extent I could worm my head and bag through only to be stuck at the belly level. It is there that breathing lessons of yoga came in handy. I visualized an empty void where my belly was and wham bam I crashed through the door. While pondering on my efforts I heard my poor neighbor coming home. Not being a bogey yogi like myself I rushed down and aided him with a bucket of water, soap and a rope to pull him in. No fire broke out that night and in the morning a Chadian demolition team came and the door is functional yet again.

Carnivore is the club in Chad where people come to devour piles of meat, or look at it. I go for the music, it is usually African blues/jazz or buffed up traditional French chansons. Like Rick’s place in Casablanca it is where vagabonds, spies, military, oil people, humanitarians, Chadian Richie Riches and girls, girls, girls come together. In the Netherlands just before my departure my friends had a vote and decided it was time to cut, burn and eradicate my beard. Frankly I agree that the bush living on my chin is getting a tad tedious. After all it has been there several years now. Slashed it was delicately and presently another beardless man is populating the earth. And yet again while entering the nightclub several ladies catcalled me as Jezus. Despite the chunky form and the lack of proper facial hair. Leaving the club is a battle, specially if you want to leave alone and with your items. Even if I live about 400 meters from Carnivore a taxi is obligatory because dacoits are on the outlook for scatterbrained white men walking the street.

A good old massive downpour turned the street into a swimming pool. Luckily my digital photo camera came with swimming goggles. Silly me left them in the Netherlands however. Plans a plenty for my future garden and they involve peacocks, coconut trees, swimming pool, hammocks, basketball court and bar cum disco. Dreams will come true. As many of you have shown interest to swing by Chad I shall definitely make your stay in Ashis’ Palace a pleasure. Likely the office cum palace is soon to be opened. And Brahma Chooks, yep, chicken will be there. Bahai has given me a good feel for it.

Work wise the biggest challenge next week is convincing our donor UNICEF to move ahead with releasing funds so the work (not preliminary) but the real thing can start as of November 15th. Then I am off to the field to visit the two sites; Mondou and Doba where we will work and have our offices. Meeting our partners in the field, village elders as well as exploring the local infrastructure, hospitals, health posts and water wells. I have seen some photos of a laboratory and a documentary of the area. Will try and post them as soon as possible. Internet access is requiring patience but soon we will have wireless so I shall be able to communicate swiftly.
Some of you may have heard of the attempt by people of Zoe’s Arc to kidnap 103 Chadian children and to fly them to France to be presented to adopting families. I cannot think how delirious the people of this organization must have been. The children they took are not orphans, but are healthy Chadian children with parents. Several hundred families in France paid more than 2000 euro to adopt a child. Chad however does not have a law for adoption and these children clearly had family, parents and were lured with candy. Truly the idiocy of this operation is worse than any imaginable tragicomedy written. The seven people who were responsible for this action are in jail and will be tried. They are facing 20 years of hard physical labor in Chad. President Sarkozy of France is doing all he can to get his compatriots back. Try to imagine a group of Chadians coming to France to lure 103 children into an airplane to be taken to Chad as new members of families in Chad. How would the Chadians be tried?

As a consequence the word Non Governmental Organization or humanitarian aid worker has a foul taste to it according to many Chadians. In the media the President came out and said that the goal of the taking of the children was to sell their organs. Mass demonstrations have been held against the members of Zoe’s Arc. It does not help when members of this organization come out and say that the organizations that are on the field and have been for 4 years do not have an impact or make a difference and that taking the children to France would have been their saving. Their day in court will come. And the damage done to NGO’s and the reputation of the international community will take a lot of time and effort to heal.

Tonight one of my Indian friends is leaving. He will return to India or go to Madgascar. After a huge vegetarian lunch a dinner at the Taj Mahal will follow. He is known as guruj and with a proper evening filled with banter and Indian humor he will be wrapped up and sent by parcel to the motherland. Bless him!

Let the party start I need to run

Vande mataram

Ashis Brahma
Aid to the Assistant Editor Assistant of the Journal of Africa Vision

Africa Vision 1

Africa Vision 1

Rome-Addis Abeba, November 8, 2007

Going home.

The nun I am talking to is from North Kivu. Her family has been slaughtered and in a new vicious cycle of violence her remaining family members are being chased out of their villages. She is a refugee living in Rome on the way home to Kinshasa to arrange housing for 35 orphans. About 12 years ago she was being chased and again the same old story. There is a small percentage of blood lusty and power hungry mad men ruining the life of hundreds of thousands of people.

Some of my old colleagues of the International Rescue Committee are working in the area. I had been hearing stories about the dire needs. Congo, Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic. At times the list seems endless. And still my response is always the same.

No kid deserves not having shelter, food, clean drinking water, health care, education and basic security. This is enough reason for me to plunge back in to Chad again. This time my job is not in the East near Darfur but in the South. A steep learning curve will await me as I will become project director as well as medical advisor.

One of the most attractive parts of the job will be working with two friends. Fazal and Ebenezer. Both are old hands in Africa and in the world of nongovernmental organizations. Their dream was to set up an organization of Chadian origin with minimum foreign input. An organization meant to set up or rather revamp existing primary health care services in the South of Chad. For a plethora of reasons this area has been neglected by the current government .

Their dream is not an easy one to make come true. But the first steps have been taken. The organization is called Africa Vision and has been registered as an NGO with the Chadian government since several months. A donor has been found (UNICEF) and a project proposal has been written up. Several other potential donors (ESSO, the American Embassy) may be convinced as well to supply funds.

As it stands right now the area we will be working is in the South of Chad, near the border of the Central African Republic. Our target population is about 120000 people. It is an area where children still die of preventable diseases as for example malaria, diarrhea, measles or chest infections. The causes are simple. A working vaccination program is not in place. The hospital functions with out a physician, there are no or limited drugs, pigs live near the water well. There are more causes to describe which I will do in future letters.

We as Africa Vision will focus on several points.
The mission is to reduce child mortality and morbidity by sustainable and simple interventions. These interventions are things we in the West often take for granted: vaccination, medication supply, availability of health staff, clean water etcetera.

Firstly the distribution of impregnated bed nets and the follow up as to how to use them to prevent transmission of malaria.
Secondly the training of traditional birth attendants, village health workers, nurses in use of the Chadian treatment protocols.
Thirdly the supply of materials and medications to restock the health centers and hospitals in the regions will be addressed
Fourthly the setting up of a cold chain and a vaccination program will be paramount to improving child survival
Fifthly a solution must be found for the water born diseases. Water wells need to be buffed up.

None of these objectives can be reached without the active participation of the local population, local government and central government. All our staff will be Chadian, but for me, by means of focus group discussions input will be asked of stake holders; village elders, women, youths, church groups etcetera. Also there has to be a close collaboration with the government as to ensure longevity of the project.
International experience and knowledge is needed. We are lucky to have a partner to give as program support . They are called Project Concern International and hail from the USA.

Back to Chad. I am happy. I feel there is a lot of work ahead of us. I know there is support for my work from all over the world and that makes the job easier. Many have said they wanted to come and visit/work in the project. We will see what is possible. As to communicating about the project: a website will be opened for both Africa Vision as well as for myself. I intend to use a video blog on a weekly basis (either You tube, blogspot.com, or a website of our own) and a blog on a more regular bais.

Best of all is that I have the pleasure to work with people who believe I can do the job and have said that Africa Vision is my little baby. Well with the help of great Chadian staff the wish is to make it a grand success.

Nakuna matata,

Namaskar,

Ashis Brahma
Africa Vision’s Big Fish