Monday, March 31, 2008

Bitter Sweet Success

I finally got to visit down to some schools that I have been working with after 6 months of not being able to travel on the road. It was so great to get out on the dusty Darfur roads again. We have had a strict vehicle travel ban for a long time so it was nice to bump along the roads to the Sudanese music that all sounds the same as we wave to everyone as we pass. It was also great to spend more time with some of my new staff and get to know them better.

I was able to see these schools before we brought in supplies and now I am seeing them after 6 months. I have been able to watch student numbers increase from my office in Nyala but it was great to actually see the success of our program with my own eyes. In this area which includes 17 schools, the total student numbers have increased from 6,200 to 6,800 in 6 months.


But as I was being all proud of my team and all the work that they have done our attention was brought to a school on the outskirts of the main town. This area has a group of IDP’s that fled their villages about three years ago and have permanently settled in the town. They are still a very poor population as they have to rent land to farm and find odd jobs in the town to supplement their income. Usually as people first flee an area they live in dome shelters that are covered with anything they can find that will protect them from the elements. Then as they are able to earn some money they build a hut or two for their family. Even after three years many people in this displaced community are still living in their dome shelters. They have a school where grades 1-3 are taught but the classrooms are simple shade shelters that hold up to 100 children in each small shelter. It broke my heart as we saw this community struggle to form some sort of existence and life with the very limited resources that they have. Often IDP’s are marginalized in the communities that host them. This is very evident in this town. All day I was discussing with teachers about their brick classrooms and how they need more permanent classrooms as students 5 minutes away were huddled under a small shelter to keep them out of the sun.

Now comes the best part of my job - I get to see these things and do something about it. We were able to leave some school supplies with one of the teachers and promised them that classrooms were on their way. His smile was the best that I have seen in a long time. It’s that smile of joy and relief that comes from surprises. So as I continue my final tour of my programs I will remember that no matter how far we have come in the last year, little schools like this have to keep pushing us forward.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

How to Meet the Man of Your Dreams and Marry Him in Four R&R's

Some of my friends are encouraging me to write a 'How To' book on Bryan and I's whirlwind romance. How it works in Darfur world is that people get breaks which we call R&R's every six to eight weeks. In the last three R&R's since October I have met the man of my dreams and somehow convinced him that he wants to marry me. My fourth R&R will be off to Canada to actually get married. This is a rather uncommon occurrence here amongst this transient community of aid workers. My friends and coworkers are more than excited for me and want to know how they can do the same. I'm not too sure what to tell them but I do highly recommend it.

In February I met up with Bryan in Kenya where he proposed to me overlooking the Rift Valley. It was truly romantic. Then we prepared to head off to very cold Canada to meet the family. We had a great time over eating, spending time with family and friends and trying to plan the wedding during the two weeks that we were there. Bryan's parents were able to come down for a few days which was really great to get to know them and show them the Rocky Mountains for the first time. Our time in Canada couldn't have gone better, we had a great time.

Our time in Kenya before I had to go back to Sudan was extended a little. This we were both very thankful for. We have spent so much time apart that when I had delays in getting a visa to enter Sudan plus a deportation once I got there, we were very thankful for the difficult Sudanese government. However after some apologies for my wrongful deportation and their promises that I could re-enter the country we had the painful task of saying goodbye once again.

So now I sit in very hot Darfur (43 degrees today) and wait for the man of my dreams to come for a visit. Here's a hint for my single friends - when you meet a man that will travel to Darfur to visit you, marry him. In a week Bryan will be coming out here to see the strange place that I have called home for the last two years. It's great timing in that I have to take a grand tour of all my locations over the next month to write final reports and wrap up my time here.

As I prepare all my information to complete my programs for the year I have to say that I'm pretty proud of my team and everything that we have been able to accomplish. Last year when I came in we had one program for about $175,000 and this year I am hoping to pull in $1,200,000 for the education program. So even though I won't be seeing all of this through I'm pretty pleased to leave it on a high note. I will write more about things as I get some more photos and info over the next few weeks.

It's strange to think of leaving Darfur but I'm really excited for the adventures that I'm going to have as a married woman. Who knows, we could be back here together.