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