Africa Vision 13

Africa Vision 13

N’Djamena, December 2, 2007

Party on!

It has been a gastronomic and dancing weekend. I was very fortunate to get introduced through my cousin Babu to Orlando and his wife Rita they are from Venezuela. Both are working in the oil industry and Rita will stay in Chad for a long time I hope. Esso has its facilities in the South where I will be driving off to on Tuesday. My travel permit is in the pocket. But back to my new friends. A feast of palate tickling exquisite gamba’s, Thai beef, chicken, tiramisu like cake, wines, liquors, great hosts and most important sweet guests.

Ruben is a young Chadian who has been in the USA for 16 years. Yet at one point in his life he decided to come back for a year to get to know his ancestral roots and do some social work. Six years later he is still here and has been the founder of two NGO’s working on women empowerment and an English language learning center/library.

We started talking and it so fine to meet similar minded people. His entire family is in the USA yet he is in Chad. He is working at women empowerment and education. Two themes close to my heart. I am very curious to hear more about his work. I have been told on numerous occasions that Chadian run organizations are rare and here is a young guy starting two. Just as important is the fact that he plays basketball every Saturday so I can work on my fade away three point jump shot, drives to hoop, nasty blocks, heartbreaking rebounds and my sky hook. John P. better be well prepared when you show up in N’Djamena again. Game on.

So over the last weeks I have been hovering around town. Making friends in the Indian community, Chadian old colleagues, Chadian business people living abroad, NGO workers, IRC and IMC colleagues, university staff, doctors, UN peeps, my neighbors kids, Embassy staffs (USA and South Africa), party people and brothers and sisters from the Church (in the South). As there is a limited amount of restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, sport clubs and events it is quite easy to get to know a lot of people in a short time. Today I made my first ride as a customer of a clando (motorbike). For two dollars I was whisked across town. I had just come back from Plantation. It is the out door club to be on a Sunday afternoon. Last night I spent dancing my heart and lungs out on Saturday night at Blue. The 5-star hotel’s Kempinski’s fancy nightclub. There was a singer from Ivory Coast and my he managed to whip up the crowd.

All this partying is a good distraction. But also a good way to meet people and see what others are doing at a grass root level for Chad’s civil society. Ranging from the international NGO’s to the Government to foreigners and Chadians working to make a difference in grass root organizations. The longer and deeper you search the more initiatives and opportunities you find.

From the domestic front there is good news. I have found a young man named Clement to help me out keep the flat sand free, washing clothes, running errands and receive guests/visitors once the office will be functional (as Africa Vision takes off). It is when you ask what is the minimum monthly salary in Chad that you realize how blessed we are in Europe. Here you get 20000 CFA or 40 dollars per month and you are supposed to work 6 days 12 hours for those peanuts.

Buenos noche,

Ashis