Africa Vision 27

Africa Vision 27

N’Djamena, December 26, 2007

The year’s reflection -1-

Well that a roller coaster it has been. Let me write down where I have been and what I have done over the last 12 months. Country wise: Cameroon, Chad, India, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, the USA and Mexico. Activities: writing a blog, a book, hatching eggs, holidaying, working in a refugee camp, networking, touring the USA talking about resilience, humor and dignity of the refugees in Chad, dancing, sleeping, meeting new people, meditating, sweat lodges, horse back riding, beach football, hug campaigns, daily appreciations, random acts of kindness, seeing a documentary winning an Emmy, hearing from 19 year olds organizing events for Darfur, having great meals, planting trees, planting seeds, being inspired, being touched, feeling out of touch, being in a flow, teaching public health, doing deliveries, choosing to follow the heart, helping out the setting up of a new NGO Africa Vision, opening the heart again, try out a hand of patience, becoming a god father and a gazillion things more.

Things new to me or at least things I am doing with more devotion now are the following. Every day in the morning one hour of meditation. The technique is called the Divine and the Immersion. It gives a sense of balance and also a focus to do the day what needs to be done.

Then there is writing. As a friend quipped it is hard to keep up with the output. I write this blog roughly every second day and then there is the exchange of thoughts with Elizabeth Garcia-Gray on the Utmost. Why we do the work we do. Disaster and relief work across the globe. Moments of contemplation mixed with mischief. Writing is fun and it is a good way to get rid of negative energy or better turn it into positive energy. It feels like a good habit. Reflection of the day, what did you feel, what did you do, who did you talk to. There are some many interesting people you meet here from all walks of live. And Chad has myriads of different cultures and tribes, clashing and cohabitating.

Small intermezzo

Faizal just asked me to see a patient. Two traditional healers had seen her and they had treated her with herbs in the eye and scratches to the legs and arms. With a smile on her face the 20-year-old girl is telling me she is blind. But observing her from close by and seeing her walk at the arm of her mother something is fishy. After the inspection of the eyes by ophthalmoscope and heavy duty eye measuring machinery it is clear that the problems do not come from the eye. It is the second case of voodoo or witchcraft I have encountered in 2 days. It sounds a bit like hysterical blindness. We asked her to come back in three days to monitor the progress and send her off with some minor antibiotics. I think reassuring here will help more than the medication.

Trying to learn patience. This to me is hard. Things can take forever to get going here. Yet I am seeing the point of step-by-step approaches. If you force the pace you will end up losing time and energy. If you follow the flow things may change. Little by little.

Networking has been a joy this year. From the USA to Chad and all the other countries in between. Meeting fascinating people doing great stuff. People of all ages, like minded souls and putting them together gives a great multiplier effect and great joy to exchange experiences and laughter.

On to the next Africa Vision.

Number 28

Hooray
Ashis