Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Made it to New York
Long haul from Luanda. Had to sprint through Johannesburg airport and only just made the connection. Disappointed not to have been able to shop in South Africa's duty free. Flight was fine, we stopped in Dakar to refuel and then did another 8 hours to Kennedy. Arrived on a beautiful sunny NY morning. I made it in one piece, my bag did not. It's still in Jburg. Oh well, no huge deal - it will arrive tomorrow. Currently at laguardia waiting for shuttle eating an ice cream, so nice to be back in the land of edible food!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Kwanzas
Forgot to mention - apparently you are not allowed take Kwanzas (local currency) out of the country. You know how much I enjoy a challenge.... I would like to understand their process for ensuring this is the case, how they measure effectiveness of their program and statistics for the last decade, maybe a scorecard? Should be fun at the airport.
Saturday morning, end of the mission
I am so looking forward to my hot shower at home, my own bed, a cold gin and tonic with ice and no smells or noises. Of course I feel bad that this is my sentiment but it is clear that Luanda is a tough place to be or to live.
I admire the Unicef staff who live here. That is the big difference between people on the periphery of humanitarian efforts like myself and people who are on the ground making that difference each day. They do so at great personal expense and live in conditions most of us would refuse to live in. Graham, head of education (married to girl from Kerry) told me his predecessor, a lady, arrived here sat through the UN security briefing and left the country two days later. We had the same briefing on Monday ourselves and now that the week is over (and I cannot worry you Mom) it scared the be-jaysus out of me. It basically said this is the most violent underprivileged city in the world, you should expect to be held up at gunpoint, mugged or car jacked and under no circumstances should you resist, just hand over what you have, your life is much more valuable. It would not give you the warm and fuzzies. We were in Unicef trucks all week and yesterday had police with us in the slums so I did not feel threatened, but it is just an unsettling feeling that everyone out there wants what you have, your camera, phone etc. They only want it because they have no other means of making money and they can see the injustice that visitors seem to be wealthy and they live in the dirty streets of Luanda.
Anyway, off to airport at 10am flying back to South Africa and from there 17.5 hours to New York. Looking forward to getting home. Lots more to share on this trip so continue to watch the blog and the photos are really amazing, so should be able to get them up by Sunday.
Last breakfast awaits - I stick to coffee and pastries as they are fully cooked, but the range on offer includes meatballs, eggs, fish, cold meats and fruits of unknown variety and other such lovelies.
More anon and thanks to all who tuned in this week, this kept me connected when other devices did not and I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. ciao
I admire the Unicef staff who live here. That is the big difference between people on the periphery of humanitarian efforts like myself and people who are on the ground making that difference each day. They do so at great personal expense and live in conditions most of us would refuse to live in. Graham, head of education (married to girl from Kerry) told me his predecessor, a lady, arrived here sat through the UN security briefing and left the country two days later. We had the same briefing on Monday ourselves and now that the week is over (and I cannot worry you Mom) it scared the be-jaysus out of me. It basically said this is the most violent underprivileged city in the world, you should expect to be held up at gunpoint, mugged or car jacked and under no circumstances should you resist, just hand over what you have, your life is much more valuable. It would not give you the warm and fuzzies. We were in Unicef trucks all week and yesterday had police with us in the slums so I did not feel threatened, but it is just an unsettling feeling that everyone out there wants what you have, your camera, phone etc. They only want it because they have no other means of making money and they can see the injustice that visitors seem to be wealthy and they live in the dirty streets of Luanda.
Anyway, off to airport at 10am flying back to South Africa and from there 17.5 hours to New York. Looking forward to getting home. Lots more to share on this trip so continue to watch the blog and the photos are really amazing, so should be able to get them up by Sunday.
Last breakfast awaits - I stick to coffee and pastries as they are fully cooked, but the range on offer includes meatballs, eggs, fish, cold meats and fruits of unknown variety and other such lovelies.
More anon and thanks to all who tuned in this week, this kept me connected when other devices did not and I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. ciao
Friday, July 9, 2010
Resolve to evolve
Today was a tough day - we spent it in the slums of Luanda and while we saw pockets of hope and progress the overwhelming takeaway was huge over capacity in the city and slums which are enormous, leaving me feeling a little depressed. People with so little and so disadvantaged living in conditions which are entirely unbearable. The smells, the waste, dirty babies everywhere, the manky dogs eating trash. It was a lot to take in.
We went about an hour out to the edge of the city and first stop was a fish market of sorts. When I tell you this place stank it is the understatement of the century. There were literally millions of fish lying in the dirt, being salted, being sold. The smell was so overpowering and I honestly thought I might pass out. The boats were right on the beach with the fish and women everywhere selling them. I lasted about 10 minutes and had to get back into the car. We did meet a US NGO there called PSI selling water sanitation products for less than a dollar. These seem to be catching on and one drop can make a gallon of water safe to drink. The PSI lady, from Seattle. seemed oblivious to the smell. I was dumbfounded as to how she could stand there talking normally. I got pictures to share, as I always have.
After that we went with the vice mayor and opened five water pumps in the slums. These were funded 70% by unicef and 30% by the government. They did the ribbon cutting, and at two openings had champagne bottles they opened and threw around, which I found to be very insensitive to the surrounds. Clean water pumps for communities living in squalor - it did seem hopeful and lots of smiling and clapping all around.
We stopped at a clinic in the slums called Paradise clinic - some bad joke that is. After the tour by the director we were told they have not had any vaccinations for 3 months, hence no patients. Unicef have provided them with a motorbike which is supposed to be used for community outreach and to go get supplies. We left with officials speaking among themselves about who was to blame for not getting stock and letting donors come under such circumstances.
Back closer into the city we stopped into the largest orphanage in Luanda. 300 kids live here, abandoned or orphaned. The physical building etc was so in need of repair it was unbelievable. These kids were dirty, many physically or mentally disabled, babies who had been found in plastic bags, kids who no one cares for and the government is failing too. Honestly it was shocking, the smell, the dirt the general disrepair. Two kids to a bed and the smell was like the smell at the zoo from animals. When we asked why we were told it is just the smell from the bathrooms and the fact that disabled kids go to the loo everywhere. Unicef partner with the government on legislation changes for abandoned or orphaned kids, and we were joined by the head of the child survival program. They have been successful in getting many of the kids fostered but overall this visit was difficult, heart breaking and a reminder that the most disadvantaged in any society need moral justice and others to look out for them.
Last visit of the day was with a 60 year old widowed foster mother of two. She was delightful and the kids have blossomed in the two years with her. We saw pictures of the before and interacted with the after. An 11 year old boy and a 7 year old girl. They warmly welcomed us into their home and showed us their homework etc. It was very hopeful that those kids can be fostered or adopted by Angolans and that there are people who care. That said, to get to the house we walked through a slum which had the most appalling smell and again saw people living in awful conditions.
Enough for now, a hot shower awaits as I think I can still smell the fish on my clothes and hair.
Two great quotes from the day to share - a sign on the road *this is your road, it would not be smart to destroy it* and on a kids t-shirt *resolve to evolve* Amen to that!
We went about an hour out to the edge of the city and first stop was a fish market of sorts. When I tell you this place stank it is the understatement of the century. There were literally millions of fish lying in the dirt, being salted, being sold. The smell was so overpowering and I honestly thought I might pass out. The boats were right on the beach with the fish and women everywhere selling them. I lasted about 10 minutes and had to get back into the car. We did meet a US NGO there called PSI selling water sanitation products for less than a dollar. These seem to be catching on and one drop can make a gallon of water safe to drink. The PSI lady, from Seattle. seemed oblivious to the smell. I was dumbfounded as to how she could stand there talking normally. I got pictures to share, as I always have.
After that we went with the vice mayor and opened five water pumps in the slums. These were funded 70% by unicef and 30% by the government. They did the ribbon cutting, and at two openings had champagne bottles they opened and threw around, which I found to be very insensitive to the surrounds. Clean water pumps for communities living in squalor - it did seem hopeful and lots of smiling and clapping all around.
We stopped at a clinic in the slums called Paradise clinic - some bad joke that is. After the tour by the director we were told they have not had any vaccinations for 3 months, hence no patients. Unicef have provided them with a motorbike which is supposed to be used for community outreach and to go get supplies. We left with officials speaking among themselves about who was to blame for not getting stock and letting donors come under such circumstances.
Back closer into the city we stopped into the largest orphanage in Luanda. 300 kids live here, abandoned or orphaned. The physical building etc was so in need of repair it was unbelievable. These kids were dirty, many physically or mentally disabled, babies who had been found in plastic bags, kids who no one cares for and the government is failing too. Honestly it was shocking, the smell, the dirt the general disrepair. Two kids to a bed and the smell was like the smell at the zoo from animals. When we asked why we were told it is just the smell from the bathrooms and the fact that disabled kids go to the loo everywhere. Unicef partner with the government on legislation changes for abandoned or orphaned kids, and we were joined by the head of the child survival program. They have been successful in getting many of the kids fostered but overall this visit was difficult, heart breaking and a reminder that the most disadvantaged in any society need moral justice and others to look out for them.
Last visit of the day was with a 60 year old widowed foster mother of two. She was delightful and the kids have blossomed in the two years with her. We saw pictures of the before and interacted with the after. An 11 year old boy and a 7 year old girl. They warmly welcomed us into their home and showed us their homework etc. It was very hopeful that those kids can be fostered or adopted by Angolans and that there are people who care. That said, to get to the house we walked through a slum which had the most appalling smell and again saw people living in awful conditions.
Enough for now, a hot shower awaits as I think I can still smell the fish on my clothes and hair.
Two great quotes from the day to share - a sign on the road *this is your road, it would not be smart to destroy it* and on a kids t-shirt *resolve to evolve* Amen to that!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)