Some quick news rapids, I am well and safe.

So 2 trips to Herat are planned:

- a 24 hours stay for the entrance meeting on June 6,
- Departure of the team for Herat planned the week of June 17 for two weeks.

The first stint allowed me to ascert a few things:
1) Herat airport is a catastrophe ;
2) UN flights do get cancelled or delayed ;
3) Peshawar is a depressing place (at least, the airport) ;
4) Herat is pretty ;
5) I will be staying in a 5 star hotel

Afghanis for the moment seem to be very nice people. There are in Kabul the pleasant places to take a meal - on the exterior it looks like nothing, but the garden, once one enters, is very pleasant. It is if the restaurants were to wear the burka.

Myself, I wear the Kameez (long Pakistani tunic) and a scarf on my head and shoulders, or a abayah (a long monk like dress) with a scarf to be in agreement with the local culture. But as soon as I am at the hotel, the office or in an expat restaurant, buh bye decorum.ABAYAH

KAMEEZ

Yes, the cover, it is exhausting, and somewhat unpleasant. My colleague, a girl who usually adapts well, seems to have trouble this time. It is says much. I acknowledge that the abayah is a little much, but when I am satisfied with the paki look.

Environment with the team is good, we have a lot of challenges so we really stick together.

I do not smell myself any direct threats, but I acknowledge to have seldom seen as many AK-47. It is a little distressing. This said, as these machine-guns are most of the time destines to my protection, so I try to make abstraction of it. Not always obvious.

I give the context, but I repeat it, I feel safe. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

In my last life, I was....

THERE IS A MOVIE HIDDEN IN THIS VERY VERY LONG UPDATE.
THERE ARE ALSO PICTURES AND A FUN TEST TO TAKE !

Otherwise, be patient and hear about my field trips to North and West Bengal from these last two weeks...

For West Bengal pics click here.
For North Bengal pics, click here.

The whole thing was an ordeal to be honest. It started on Sunday - my colleague (let's call her June) and my 2 local counterparts (let's call them Bob and Patel) drove to the Kolkatta airport to catch our flight to the Bagdrogra air base.

Of course, nothing ever is THAT simple. So it started off with us having to wait an extra hour, with me undergoing a particularly thorough security check (oh boy do I hate those). We finally got on the plane, which took off. Everything seemed to be going well (at least this time I had made the flight) - but my proverbial bad karma caught up with us.

The poor landing conditions in Bagdogra - apparently there was too much fog - scared the pilot. He turned the plane around after having hovered over the base for 2 hours (it's typically a one-hour flight) and took us back to KOL. By the time we deplaned, found a car, underwent the long drive back with the mandatory 5 long stops in traffic, I got back to the hotel, disgruntled and disgusted that I had lost a sunday afternoon in KOL for no good reason.

Anyway, the next day we tried again and succeeded. I count myself lucky because some people had been trying to get to Bagdogra since Saturday!

Upon arrival, we greeted the staff of the office and even had a long sit-down with the local Bishop. That man made a memorable impression on me. Such a lovely person, well spoken, invested in his diocese, and so very aware of the local issues. I will remember our conversations very fondly. Some topics that were touched on:
- Elephants are a nuisance in North Bengal. One even disturbed an outside service, sending the priest to run for his life !
- The main livelyhood in the area is the famous tea gardens which produce the well known Darjeeling tea. Most of these tea gardens are owned by private owners and the conditions of the workers (most of which are form the Ranshi area) are not in conformity with international labor standards. Additionnaly, their income is directly tied to the productivity of the garden - so they are the first to suffer from the weather's inconsistencies.

Basically, I was going there to meet with our local counterparts and evaluate their systems. As part of my work, a whole day was spent out in the field visiting the small local organizations who actually channel the ressources (in this case, the food) to the people it is destined to (in this case, children from the tea garden families.) The first place I went to was Julilee Memorial School - the children were, of course, absolutely beautiful. They also were very shy since they had never met a foreigner before. After a shortwhile, they loosened up though, as you can see here :

The children also presented their Indendence Day program which I filmed... so here it is !



The second school I went to was actually an orphanage. I visited the facilities and met the children. They were also very shy, but the group picture I took seemed to really have made their day :

It was very touching - but also saddening because the public agency that is currently feeding these kids is ending the program in four years. And when you see the children and their caregivers, you do understand that the need is not going to go away in only 4 years.

Thankfully, there was, again, a beautiful sunset to soothe my soul on the way back:

At the hotel, an alternate reality was waiting for me. The Sao Paolo soccer team was staying on my floor ! It was like living in a Brazilian dorm !

I got back to Kolkata just on time to go out with June for dinner - but not before i got the famous Mohindi tatoo done !

That feeling was intensified this week after I visited two other schools in the Baruipur region (in West Bengal). They were much poorer than those I visited in the North. Both schools were in fact nurseries, and again I had a chance to meet the beautiful children who attend at the first one:

Because it took us too long to reach the second school, the survey team actually got there after the children went home, but the teachers were waiting for us and gave me a presentation of their teaching techniques. All the teachers are mothers who have children in school and reconverted to teaching.

Although the schools were very poor, it was so touching to see how the teachers had really invested in creating activities and materials to really engage the children in their learning process. It was also very appeasing to to see the Bengali countryside and village scenes.

Now I'm back in Kolkata and slowly coming back to my normal state. The daily drives to Baruipur have, I must admit, really taken their toll on me....

==========================================

Now for the big reveal :

In my last life, I was...........

A Friendly Alien

You scored 36 alien-ness, 28 mythical-ness, 52 angelic-ness, and 16 regal-ness!

Have you ever seen the Steven Speilburg film E.T? You also are a gentle being from another planet, where you have spent most of your previous incarnations. The strife and violence on earth hurts you. Your only wish is goodwill and kindness to mankind. You have a talent for healing - both plants and animals - and should consider some study in this area.

At best you were gentle, gracious and radient.

At worst you were indescive, aloof and clumsy.

In this lifetime you have gifts of diplomacy you should put into use! You'd be wonderful at running a country but are too gentle to promote yourself in election. Be assertive. You're a lovely human being.

This test tracked 4 variables. How the score compared to the other people's:
Link: The PREVIOUS INCARNATION Test written by Fyrdancer on Ok Cupid

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

At last, in the city of Joy (Bilingue)

ENGLISH VERSION IN ITALICS

Photos : Click here

Il est encore très tôt pour que je puisse donner des nouvelles vraiment intéressantes de l’Inde. Pour le moment, je suis à Calcutta, dans la province du Bengal Oriental. J’ai passe moins de 24 heures a Dehli et n’ai presque rien vu – sur la route de l’aéroport a l’hôtel il faisait sombre comme dans un four et je n’ai pratiquement rien vu. J’ai cru déceler sur un rond-point un mini-bidonville, mais dans l’obscurité, c’était presque un vision fantomatique. Dans la journée précédant avant-hier donc je suis arrivée a 1h du matin a Delhi, j’ai passe quelques heures a l’hôtel, je suis allée passer quelques heures au bureau, et a 16h je partais pour l’aéroport prendre mon vol sur Calcutta. En passant, j’ai manque mon vol, le chauffeur ne savait pas ou était l’aéroport !!!! This is India, I guess !

With regard to India, it is still very early for me to give you guys really interesting news. For the moment, I am in Calcutta, in the province of West Bengal. I have spent less than 24 hours in Dehli and so have almost not seen anything considering that on the road from the airport to the hotel the it was dark as in a furnace. I believe I noted on a roundabout a mini-slum, but in the darkness, it was a ghostly vision. The day before the day before yesterday I arrived at 1AM in Delhi, I spent a few hours at the hotel, I went to spend a few hours in the office, and at 4PM I left for the airport to take my flight on Calcutta. However, I missed my flight because the driver did not know where the airport was!!!! This is India, I guess!

Depuis mon arrivée à Calcutta, je n’ai pas vu grand-chose, je fait la navette entre le bureau et l’hôtel. Les Indiens (devrais-je dire les Bengali) sont très gentils, très serviable. On sent en eux un désir de plaire et de faire plaisir très palpable, c’en est par moment même un peu gênant, je dois l’admettre. Calcutta pour le moment me semble très loin des stéréotypes qu’on a en tête lorsqu’on évoque la ville. En arrivant de l’aéroport, je ne pouvais pas m’empêcher de me demander : mais ou sont les gens ? Papa aurait été déçu (ou soulage?) : j’attends encore les grandes foules et les rickshaw promis par la Cite de la Joie.

Since my arrival in Calcutta, I did not see much, I have just been shuttling between the office and the hotel. The Indians (should I say the Bengali) are very nice, very obliging. One feels in them a desire to please which is per moments even a little awkward, I must say. Calcutta for the moment seems to me far from the stereotypes that one has in mind when the city is evoked. While arriving at the airport, I could not prevent myself from wondering: but where are the people? My dad would have been disappointed (or relieved?): I am still waiting to see the large crowds and the rickshaw promised by the City of Joy.

En ce qui concerne l’insalubrité et les odeurs, je ne constate pour le moment rien qui soit bien différent de ce que nous connaissons de nos expériences africaines. Les odeurs ceci dit sont peut-être plus fortes que je ne le pense : je suis enrhumée jusqu’au front – donc je ne sens pas grand-chose pour le moment. Par contre, la légendaire humidité de Calcutta est très visible, les immeubles sont noircis par la mousse, un peu comme à Conakry. Tous les matins, je suis réveillée par les cris des corbeaux. C’est un peu sinistre, mais ca a l’avantage que je ne suis pas en retard au travail !

With regard to insalubrity and odors, I do not note for the moment anything which is quite different from what I have experienced in Africa. The odors however are perhaps stronger than I think: I have been down with a bad cold for a while - thus I do not smell much for the moment. On the other hand, the legendary moisture of Calcutta is very visible, the buildings are blackened by moss, as in Conakry. Every morning, I am awakened by the cries of the crows. It is a little sinister, but it has the advantage that I am not late at work!

L’hôtel a Calcutta est très confortable – il y a un gym que j’ai teste hier matin – j’ai couru un beau 20 minutes avant le petit déjeuner, et j’ai recommence ce matin. J’ai du mal a trouver des repas légers par contre – me croiras-tu si je te dis que ca fait deux soirs de suite que je mange de la soupe, faute de trouver de la salade? J’ai décidé d’essayer d’arrêter de fumer hier. Comme en Inde il est socialement inacceptable pour une femme de fumer, le contexte se prête a une tentative.

The hotel in Calcutta is very comfortable - there is a gym which I tested yesterday morning - I ran a beautiful 20 minutes before breakfast, and again this morning. I however am having trouble to find light meals - will you believe me if I tell you that two evenings in a row I ate soup, since I can’t get my hands on any bunny food? I decided to try to stop smoking yesterday. As in India it is socially unacceptable for a woman to smoke, the context lends itself to an attempt.

Ce dimanche je prends encore l’avion pour un trou perdu du Nord-Bengal du nom de Siliguri – je vais y passer 4 jours avec un partenaire. Comme il y aura une journée fériée dans le milieu de mon séjour, je vais passer une journée en visite dans la province voisine de Darjeeling, ou je pourrais visiter un hospice tenu par un prêtre canadien. Ca devrai être intéressant. Dans la province de l’Ouest Bengal, le gros de nos activités se définit en distribution de nourriture aux indigents. Notre plus gros sous-récipient : les Missionnaires de la Charité de Mère Theresa – je m’attends donc à voir des lépreux et autres miséreux pendant mes visites de terrain. En quelque part, c’est bien. Je pousse mon intérêt pour l’humanitaire à l’ extrême.

CLICK ON THE MAP FOR LARGER IMAGE

This Sunday I still travel by plane for a godforsaken hole in North-Bengal by the name of Siliguri - I will spend there 4 days with a partner. Because there is going to be a statutory holiday in the middle of my stay, I will spend one day visiting the nearby state of Darjeeling, where I will visit an hostel held by a Canadian priest. It should be interesting. In the province of West Bengal, our largest activities is food distribution to the needy. One of our larger sub-recipients are Mother Theresa’s Order of the Missionaries of Charity - so I expect to witness leprosy and other miseries during my field visits. In a way, it is fitting. I am pushing my interest for humanitarian affairs to the extreme.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Welcome to Ayiti Cherie

It's a lazy day, it's 30 degrees outside and sunny, some light brazilian samba is playing. I am sitting on a sofa, outside. One of my friends is playing pool with himself, two others are surfing with their laptops. Casanova is playing in the background but nobody really cares.

Today, I woke up late, had room service for breakfast. I will spend the afternoon lazing away before the evening starts. Tonight is jazz night, and I have been asked to sing Hotel California for the hotel guests. I am not on vacation though. This is a well deserved rest from a long week of work.

This week, I spent 2 days out of PAP and I think it has a lot to do with my mood's improvement. I went on a site visit in a place called Deschappelles. (Full photoset can be found here. )This is a partner which I visited before, and truely enjoyed going back there.

The road was, as usual, very folklo. I had a blast taking pictures of the local public transportation and of the guys who get on at mid-flight.

The place is gorgeous. The luscious vegetation is georgeous, the people are more laid back and less agressive then they are in PAP. I was sleeping in a guest house with no running water, but paradoxally, there was a pool in front of the guest house.

When I arrived there a 4PM, I paid a visit to my counterpart, settled down, and had some dinner (local food, of course). At 7PM I went over to Anne's. Anne is a French Canadian teacher who has lived in Haiti for several years. Coincidentally, she knew my father way back when, and is now working for this partner. So we spent 2 evenings in a row having Barbancourt rhum and chatting with our haitian colleagues.

It was great to laugh, and talk about home, and listen to her stories of the field. It was great to feel alive again, to swim in the pool at midnight, to float on my back and gaze at the Haitian night sky, counting the stars and feeling vibrantly alive.

Tomorrow, Naya and I have arranged to go back to the beach. Haiti has some of the most beautiful beaches I've seen.

Too bad the country is a mess... and that it's so unsafe. Last night, two jordanian UN soldiers were killed in an ambush in downtown PAP. The ambush theory is not official yet, but it is a reasonnable one, since the 2 guys were shot right when they got out of their cars.

I'm always sad when violence that I can't understand happens. Deep down, it shatters my faith in man.

P.S. I also uploaded the last pictures I took on my Burundi Field Trip and there are some awesome shots... enjoy !

Full photoset for these last pix of Burundi is here.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Africa and Burundi in Pictures

I uploaded some more pictures for you guys. Here are in order....

Some pictures I took on the way back to Bujumbura. Beautiful landscapes of Ethiopia and Uganda from the plane...



Here is the link to the full set of my Flight over Ethiopia and Uganda

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Some pictures I took on the field while working. More specifically, this was a picture taken at a local market while hunting for red beans. I eventually found them but the bag broke at the office. Weeks later, we could still see the trail of red beans from my office to the office of the red bean lover who had requested this purchase !



Follow the link to more pictures from the Field Visits.

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Some pictures that reflect the nighlife in Bujumbura, and the weekends at the beach (by Lake Tanganyika). I really had good times in Bujumbura and already miss the lifestyle. This is a picture of the Havannah, a night club I went to regularly. The sign reads "tenue exigee" which can be liberally translated to: CLOTHES REQUIRED !!!! Other such examples are in this set.


Click to see more Fun moments in Buja

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Earthquake response reflections / Reflexions sur la reponse au tremblement de terre

Il est ici 3h30 du matin... j'ai travaille une partie de la nuit. Pour les prochains jours nous travaillons a l'hotel, precaution d'usage car c'est fete musulmane et le directeur du bureau craint (a juste titre, je crois - j'ai eu ce commentaire de locaux aussi) des manifestations et de la violence. Pour l'instant, Islamabad est calme. Je ne prends pas de risques, mais je doute qu'il arrive quelque chose. Enfin, ca me permet de travailler a mon rythme, je ne me plains pas...

It is here 3:30 AM.... I have worked a part of the night. For the next few days, we are working out of the hotel, just a precaution because it's a muslim holiday and the Head of Office here is (rightly, I think, as locals are also keeping this discourse) worried that there maybe manifestations and violence. For now, Islamabad is quiet. I am not taking any risks, but I doubt anything will happen. Anyway, this allows me to work at my rythm, I am not complaining...

J'ai recu un courriel me contant qu'hier matin, aux informations de Radio Canada, le reporter canadien de R.C Akli Ait Abdallah, a fait un bref reportage sur le Cachemire pakistanais, et notamment la ville Muzaffarabad (MUZ pour les intimes)... C'est la que j'ai passe 2 jours la semaine derniere . Mon collegue et moi avons visite la ville. Il a pris beaucoup de photos de la destruction... et les a partagees avec moi.

I received an email telling me that yesterday morning, on CBC, the Canadian journalist Akli Ait Abdallah was commenting on Pakistani Kashmir, and particularly Muzaffarabad (MUZ). It's there that I spent 2 days last week. My colleague and I visited the city. He took lots of pictures of the destruction... and shared them with me.

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Mis a nu.... Exposed....


MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Who is he? Is the owner of this icon still alive? Somehow, the picture is still intact...

Qui-est-ce? Son proprietaire est-il toujours vivant? Etonnant que cette photo soit toujours intacte...

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Les habitants de cette maison l'ont abandonnee... ils ont peur qu'elle leur tombe dessus...

The owners of this house abandonned it... they were afraid it would fall on them...

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Incroyable que cet oranger soit reste intact et ai produit des fruits malgre la destruction...

Amazing that this tree remained intact and produced fruit despite all the destruction.

Akli Ait Abdallah se rappelait que les "humanitaires "ne pouvaient s'y rendre que par les moyens héliportés de l'armée pakistanaise, que dans cette zone, il y a eu 70 000 morts et plusieurs milliers de personnes sont encore sous les abris de fortune.......Que les interventions étaient maintenues sur le mode Urgence( abris, nourriture et soins), un an après le tremblement de terre.

Akli Ait Abdallah remembered that the "humanitarians" could not go to MUZ by other means then with the pakistani army's helicopters, that in this area, there 70 000 deaths and that several thousands of people are still living in makeshift shelters... That the interventions are still in emergency mode (shelters, food and healthcare) one year after the Earthquake.

J'ai constate tout cela. Mais les helicopteres sont pilotes par des Russes, et font partie de UNHAS (United Nations Humanitarian Air Service). J'ai pris cet helico pour aller a Mansehra et pour rentrer de Muzaffarabad.

I noticed all of that. But the choppers were piloted by Russians, et are part of UNHAS (United Nations Humanitarian Air Service). I took this chopper to go to Mansehra and to go back from Muzaffarabad.

UN Chopper, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Sur la route de retour, on a pu constater la destruction totale du village de Palakot... J'ai reussi a capturer cette vue:

On the way back, we were able to notice the totale destruction of the village of Palakot... I managed to catch this on film:


DSCN02222006-02-04_03-48-36, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

L'ONG pour laquelle je travaille distribue des abris au Kashmir et dans le Nord du Pakistan. On determine qu'un abri peut etre habite par une famille de 10 personnes. Les gens ne mentiraient normalement pas a propos de leur famille. De toutes facons, nous avons des employes locaux qui font des verifications pour s'assurer que l'information obtenue est logique.

The NGO I work with is a major shelter supplier in AJK and NWFP (sorry, no name - gotta keep my head safe!) The way we operate is that we actually determine that a shelter can do for a family of 10. People usually would not lie about their family members. We have local staff checking the background info as well to make sure it makes sense.

Il y a encore plusieurs milliers de personnes sans abris. L'organisation pour laquelle je travaille a pour objectif de distribuer 10 000 kits de construction d'"abris". Un abri peut tenir jusqu'a 10 personnes. Nous distribuons tous les jours sur 3 sites, a + ou - 200 familles par jour. Les distributions vont encore durer 2 semaines. Donc si mon estimation est correcte, a peu pres 42 000 persones (je calcule 5 personnes par abri car il y a des plus petites familles) sont encore sans abri en ce moment.

There are still several thousands of people without shelter. The organization I work for is striving to distribution 10 000 shelter. A shelter can house up to 10 people. We are distributing every day on 3 sites, to more or less 200 families a day. So if my estimate is correct, about 42 000 people (calculation 5 people by shelter, since there also are smaller families) are still without shelter at the moment.

Parce qu'au coeur de l'urgence, les villages eloignes etaient les plus a risque (essentiellement parce que eloigne = haute altitude = froid = danger de mort), nous travaillons du haut vers le bas de la montagne dans nos zones de service.

Because in the midst of the emergency the mose remote villages were also the most at risk (mostly because remote = high altitude = cold = death) we've been working from the top down in the area which we serve.

Il y a bien sur des tables de concertation dans la zone AJK avec tous les acteurs concernes, et des rencontres hebdomadaires pour s'assurer qu'il n'y a pas de double travail dans les zones affectes.

I also know that there is major concertation efforts in the AJK area by all concerned actors and weekly meetings take place to ensure that no double-servicing happens.

Dans tout ca, les grands oublies sont les sans-abris de la ville (MUZ) qui sont completement ignores par les humanitaires au profit des villages recules, plus menaces par le froid que les citadins. A MUZ, les victimes du tremblement de terre sont encore dans des tentes ou des abris de fortune. Jusqu'a la semaine derniere, c'etait plutot froid la nuit a MUZ.

In fact, the saddest thing (as I see it) is that Muzaffarabad has had barely any assistance based on the above mentionned system. So people are still in tents in the urban area. Until last week, it was still pretty cold at night.



Earthquake victims in MUZ, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Toute cela est bien sur desolant.... All this is desolating.

Il y a beaucoup de defis dans le travail d'urgence au AJK. On ne devrait jamais oublier que gens qui sont sur le terrain travaillent des heures infernales et campent au bureau, loin de leurs familles, pour aider les victimes. (En tout cas, c'est ce que font nos gens.)

There are a lot of challenges in servicing the Earthquake relief. We should never forget that the people on the field are actually working around the clock and camping out in the office, away from their homes, to help others. (Anyway, that is what our field people do.)

If you have any curiosity about the Earthquake, check out Kathryn's post, the discussion there is quite interesting.

Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) est un pays de reve. Des montagnes a perte de vu et des paysages envoutants... comme celui-ci par exemple:

Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) is a dream place. Mountains up to the horizon and magical landscapes... like this one for example:

Kashmir at its best, taken by JASON, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

DSCN02282006-02-04_03-52-21, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Bien sur, en bout de ligne, on a aussi eu le plaisir de voir Islamabad vue du ciel... C'est toujours impressionnant, une ville nichee au creux de montagnes...

On the way back, we also got to see Islamabad from the sky... It's always impressive, a city nestled between mountains...

Islamabad... Bird's eye view, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

The Beaver

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Did you like these pictures? I put up over 150 pictures here. Vous aimez mes photos? J'en a plus de 150! Visionnez-les ici.

Enjoy - let me know what you like!

Earthquake bound / Stupeur et tremblement... de terre...

Hey guys... I know I owe you some posts.... I am extremely tired, so I'm going the lazy way and giving y'all plenty of pics to look at! Below all these pictures, there is a link... to more pictures....

Salut tout le monde... Je sais que je vous dois pas mal d'histoires... mais je suis fatiguee, alors je prends l'adage au pied de la lettre: une image vaut 1000 mots, non? Sous chaque photo, il y a un lien... vers plus de photos....

1Chopper ride ISD MAN, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

We took the helicopter twice to go to the field and back. This is just an example of the amazing views we had from above.

Nous avons pris l'helicoptere pour aller sur le terrain... et revenir... ceci est just un exemple des vues extraordinaires que nous avons eu en helicoptere....

Kashmiri children in Muzaffarabad, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

I stole this picture from my colleague (I am very scrupulous about taking pictures of people) - apparently, this kids instisted on having their picture taken. They are probably the hope of Kashmir - I wonder what their living conditions are now though...

J'ai pique cette photo a un collegue (j'ai toujours des scrupules quand vient le temps de photographier des gens....) - mais apparemment, ces enfants voulaient etre pris en photo. Ils sont probablement l'espoir du Kashmir - je me demande quelles sont leurs conditions de vie par contre...

MUZ-Earthquake-4Feb06, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

Standing on the 1st floor of a house.... in downtown Muzaffarabad, we were told the pungy smell was that of rotten bodies that remain unfound to this day.

Debout sur ce qui devrait etre le 1er etage d'une maison... au centre ville de Muzaffarabad, on nous explique que l'odeur acre que nous sentons est celles des corps qui sont, a ce jour, toujours sous les decombres.

MUZ-LandSlides-4Feb06, originally uploaded by The Travelling Beaver.

See the white mesh on the mountains? These are landslides. There used to be villages there, which have all been wiped out.

Vous voyez les etendues blanchatres sur la montagne? Ce sont les glissements de terrain. Il y avait des villages ici, avant, mais ils ont ete completement decimes.

The Beaver
My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Beaver FAQ

Never, ever hesitate to ask a question. I will answer, and do the research if I do not know the answer.

N’hesitez jamais a poser une question. Je repondrais, et ferais les recherches necessaires si je ne connais pas la reponse.

I decided to directly answer, to all's benefits, to some comments made by some regular and some not so regular readers :

Pour le benefice de tous, j’ai decide de repondre directement a certains commentaires de lecteurs plus ou moins reguliers :

Salt Water asked : Does your hair style matter in Guinea?

Salt Water a demande: Est-ce que la coiffure compte en Guinee?

I should say it does, because african women are usually very well groomed, unless they are home. African hair can be nappy or kinky (as in very curly) which allows for funky, extravagant, sophisticated looks, mostly involving intricate braiding. While Senegalese women invested a lot in their hair, Guinean women are more sober, so I don't have to step up to so high a standard.

Je dirais que oui, car les femmes africaines sont d’habitude tres soignees, a moins qu’elle ne soient chez elles. Le cheveuz Africain peut etre tres frise ou crepu, ce qui permet de faire des coiffures farfelues, extravagantes ou sophistiquees, en general a l’aide de tressage complique. Alors que les Senegalaises investissent beaucoup dans leur coiffure, les femmes Guineenes sont plus sobres, ce qui m’enleve une certaine pression.

I on the other hand, have straight hair that won't hold anything, so I just comb it and let bad hair happen. That's mostly why I cut it short.

En ce qui me concerne, j’ai les cheveux tres lisses et les coiffures complexes ne tiennent pas. Alors je me contente de brosser mes cheveux et de laisser la nature faire son travail. C’est la raison principale pour laquelle je porte mes cheveux courts.

I for some reason look much better when dirty. Does it do anything special for you?

Mes cheveux sont plus beaux quand ils sont sales. Est-ce que ca marche pour toi?

I need to shampoo everyday. Sweat and dust make it impossible to skip this step. For the same reason, wearing make-up is totally NOT an option (then again, I just never wear any.)

J’ai besoin de me laver les cheveux tous les jours a cause de la transpiration et la poussiere. C’est aussi pour cette raison qu’il est quasi inutile de se maquiller (ce qui ne me concerne guere, puisque je ne me maquille pas.)

Do you wear field clothes or business attire?
Portes-tu des vetements de brousse ou de style corporatif?

When I go into the office, I wear casual clothes, clean and simple. Khakis and a shirt are typical. The one thing I do allow myself to wear which is to make sure I keep a progessional look is the high heels, despite the fact that I am already a giant.

Quand je vais au bureau, je porte des vêtements decontractes, propres et simples (des pantalons de toile et une chemise, par exemple). La chose que je me permets de porter pour maintenir une allure de professionnelle est les chaussures a talons hauts, malgré le fait que je sois déjà une géante.

If you should happen to hear how the Leaf sauce is made or composed, we would like to try and copy it here.
Si d’aventure tu apprenais comment la sauce feuille est faite, ou ses ingredients, nous voudrions essayer de la reproduire chez nous.

I asked about leaf sauce. As I understand it, the leaves are potato leaves. They need to be boiled in water along with "cube Maggie" which is some beef stew concentrate powder. They also add fish, shrimps and other condiments. Then, at the end, palm oil is added. This is as much as I could find out, but I could not get a fix on the quantities or cooking time, because the woman I asked said she made it instinctively.

J'ai posé des questions sur la sauce feuille. Tel que je l’ai compris, les feuilles sont des feuilles de pomme de terre. Elles doivent être bouillies dans l'eau avec du '"cube Maggie" qui est une poudre de concentré de bouillon de boeuf. On ajoute également du poisson, des crevettes et d'autres condiments. Puis, à la fin, on ajoute de l'huile de palme. C'est tout ce que j’ai pu découvrir, mais je n’ai pas pu obtenir specifiquement les quantités ou le temps de cuisson. La femme aupres de qui je me suis renseignée cuisine instinctivement.

007 in Africa said : "I can't get over the fact that you are transcribing each and every one of your posts from one language to the other--that's so much work. You are crazy. But that's nothing new :)"

007 en Afrique a dit : "je n’en reviens pas que tu transcrives chacun de tes textes d'une langue à l'autre – c’est tellement de travail. Tu es folle. Mais c'est rien de nouveau:)"

You know, I must admit I've been using Alta Vista for those. But after I got some complaints from my mum that my french writing was getting bad, I started reviewing more attentively. OOps !

Vous savez, je dois admettre que j'ai utlise Alta Vista souvent. Mais après que j'aie obtenu quelques plaintes de ma maman selon lesquelles ma redaction en francais devenait mauvaise, j'ai commencé à mes reviser plus attentivement. OOps !

Liquidplastic said : "I would also like to know what happened to H".

Liquidplastic a dit : "je voudrais également savoir ce qui est arrivé à H".

I did not see H since that night, nor did I see N, the lady I went for pizza with originally. I did go back to the Pizza place, though. The owner there had seen N the day before, and apparently, H had reported to work. More to come on the matter.

Je n'ai pas vu H depuis ce soir-la, ni N, la dame avec qui je suis allée manger une pizza. Je suis retournée à la pizzeria, par contre. Le propriétaire avait vu N la veille, et apparemment, H avait repris le travail. A suivre...

Anonymous said : "any advice for others of us looking for jobs that require international travel?Have teaching and business experience and have travelled extensively throughout the world already but am not an attorney."

Anonyme a dit: "quelque conseil pour ceux d’entre nous en recherche d’emplois exigeant des deplacements internationaux? J’ai de l'expérience en affaires et en enseignement et j’ai voyagé intensivement dans le monde entier mais je ne suis pas avocat(e)."

Internal audit does not require to be an attorney. In fact, CAs and CPAs have better chances than lawyers in that field.

Il n’est pas necessaire d’etre avocat pour etre verificateur interne. En fait, les comptables agrees ont de meilleures chances d’etre selectionnes que des avocats dans ce domaine.

In the States, USAID, Africare, Care, CRS (Catholic Relief Services), the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and other NGOs have internal auditors. In Canada, it's more uncommon.

Aux Etats-Unis, l’USAID, Africare, Care, CRS (Catholic Relief Services), le CDC (Center for Disease Control) et d’autres ONG ont des auditeurs internes. Au Canada, c’est plus rare.

It’s also possible to work overseas in Program Management. There isn't a search engine dedicated to such positions, but DevNetJobs has a good news letter to get ideas on where to apply. Care Canada has a wonderful site for job hunter (http://www.care.ca/) where they cumulate postings for various canadian NGOs. For Canadians, there's also a site called Canadem (http://www.canadem.ca/) which recruits for the UN. Otherwise, you need to apply directly to the Organization. Most of them have websites and will post positions externally in the carreer section.

Il est aussi possible de travailler a l’etranger en gestion de programmes. Il n'y a pas de moteur de recherche consacré à de tels postes, mais DevNetJobs a un bon bulletin qui donne des idees d’endroits où appliquer. Care Canada a un site merveilleux pour le chercheur d’emploi (www.care.ca) qui cumule des affichages de postes pour de différentes O.N.G.s canadiennes. Pour des citoyens canadiens, il y a également un emplacement appelé Canadem (http://www.canadem.ca/) qui recrute pour l'ONU. Finalement, vous devez aussi appliquer directement. La plupart des organisations ont un site Web et affichent des postes a l’externe dans la section carrieres.

The important thing is not to abandon and to follow-up on applications. If you're new to the arena, get someone with experience in NGO work to review your resume and cover letter - terminology is different. Also, if you're currently idle, take the time to do volunteer work on a weekly basis. It pays off in the end.

L’ important est de ne pas abandonner et de faire un suivi de ses applications. Si vous êtes nouveau dans le domaine, demandez a quelqu'un qui a de l'expérience de travail dans les O.N.G.s de passer en revue votre cv et votre lettre d'accompagnement car la terminologie est différente. En outre, si vous êtes actuellement en disponibilite, prenez le temps de faire du benevolat sur une base hebdomadaire. Ca paye à la fin.

Good luck, don't hesitate to ask away if you're curious of anything !
Bonne chance, n'hésitez pas à poser d’autres questions si votre curiosite est piquee !

The Beaver


Merci, Sam a TMR, d'avoir mis ton grain de sel sur ma carte !

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Beaver's job / Boulot de Castor

This is in no way an account of findings that may have occured during an audit - all exemples below are strictly made for the sake of discussion.

Ce qui suit n'est nullement un rapport des résultats qui ont pu être produits pendant un audit - tous les exemples ci-dessous sont strictement faits pour la discussion.

I am an auditor for an international organization. My job is to visit the field offices of this organization and make sure that the operations are done in compliance with internal / donor regulations.

Je suis auditeur pour une organisation internationale. Mon travail consiste a visiter les bureaux de cette organisation sur le terrain et de m'assurer que les opérations sont faites conformément aux règlements internes et aux demandes des donateurs.

I am an attorney, not an accountant. So as the member of a multidisciplinary team, I review all legal engagements taken by the local branch (which usually is in the capital) , including :

Je suis un mandataire, pas un comptable. Pour le membre d'une équipe multidisciplinaire, je passe en revue tous les engagements légaux pris par la branche locale (qui est habituellement dans la capitale), incluant :

• I check that leases are in compliance with internal rules and with local law ;
• Je vérifie que les baux sont conformes aux procedures internes et avec la loi locale ;
• I review the security measures taken by the head of mission to make sure they are adequate and that they are implemented ;
• Je passe en revue les mesures de sécurité prises par le chef de mission pour s'assurer qu'elles sont adequates et qu'elles sont mises en application ;
• I review the personnel management to make sure that the local staff employed is hired and treated in compliance with the law (this also includes a comprehensive review of payroll);
• Je passe en revue la gestion du personnel pour m'assurer que le personnel local employé est engagé et traité conformément à la loi (ceci inclut également un examen complet du livre de paie) ;
• I review the management of the organization's property to ensure that all is documented, secure, and used according to procedure - it's in the course of this review that I can be found turning chairs upside down around the office to see if they have been tagged, or asking the admin officer about a cell phone showing in the inventory but nowhere to be seen.
• Je passe en revue la gestion de la propriété de l'organisation pour m'assurer que tout est documenté, entreposé de facon sécuritaire, et utilisé selon la procédure - c'est au cours de cette revue que je peux vue en train de tourner les chaises a l'envers dans le bureau pour voir si elles ont été étiquetées, ou interrogeant l'officier administratif au sujet d'un téléphone cellulaire manquant apparaissant dans l'inventaire.

Because my organization is involved in distributing food to vulnerable populations, and that is usually handled by a field office or another NGO, we also have to do field missions. I just did one, which I fully accounted in this post : Mission report. In short, we audit the field office's internal controls (only financial) and verify how the goods are managed. We issue recommendations to be implemented by the local branch.

Puisque mon organisation est impliquée dans des projets de distribution de nourriture aux populations vulnérables, et que cela est habituellement géré par un bureau sur le terrain par une O.N.G. locale, nous devons également faire des missions de brousse. Je viens d'en faire une, dont j'ai entièrement rendu compte dans ce texte : Rapport de mission. En bref, nous verifions leurs controles internes de gestion financière et vérifions comment les marchandises sont contrôlées. Nous publions des recommandations qui seront mises en application par la branche locale.

There are other aspects which I have not tackled yet, simply because they are assigned to other team members. Most of them include financial aspects which are normally tackled during a classical audit.

Il y a d'autres aspects que je n'ai pas encore abordés, simplement parce qu'ils sont assignés à d'autres membres de l'équipe. La plupart d'entre eux incluent les aspects financiers qui sont normalement abordés pendant un audit classique.

What if I find a gross discrepiency ? What happens ? Well, I definitely become the bearer of bad news, have to be the tough chick who apply the procedure to the letter. In the immediate, however, it only translates to a report. So I get to stay a nice girl. But if the gross discrepancy is due to human error, the culprit would definitely see it reflect on his/her HR evaluation and it could result in termination. In the case of a NGO partner, it may result in termination of the partnership. I am, however, not the person to make that decision. I only see, hear, make the constatation and report.

Et si je trouve une irregularite majeure ? Qu'est-ce-qui se produit ? Bien, je deviens certainement messagere de mauvaises nouvelles, je dois être la fille ferme qui applique le procédé à la lettre. Dans l'immédiat, cependant, cela se traduit seulement par un rapport. Je peux donc rester gentille. Mais si l'anomalie brute est due à l'erreur humaine, le coupable la verra certainement se refleter sur son évaluation et cela pourrait avoir comme conséquencela fin de son emploi. En cas d'un partenaire, il peut avoir comme conséquence la fin de l'association. Je ne suis cependant pas la personne qui prend cette décision. Seulement, je vois, j'entends, je constate et je redige mon rapport.

There are two great lies in my organization :

1. Auditors arriving and saying : "We're here to help."
2. Auditees answering : "We are happy to see you."

Il y a deux grands mensonges dans mon organisation :

1. Auditeurs arrivant et disant : "nous sommes ici pour aider."
2. Réponse des audites : "nous sommes heureux de vous voir."

However, no matter how trying this job can get, it's for the greater good. Auditors like me travel the world to give development programs the credibility they need to have continued funding. Without auditors, donors and fund providers would be probably more nervous.

Cependant, quelque soit les defis que ce travail peut representer, le jeu en vaut la chandelle. Des auditeurs comme moi parcourent le monde pour donner à des programmes de developpement la crédibilité dont ils ont besoin pour obtenir un financement continu. Sans auditeurs, les donateurs et les fournisseurs de fonds seraient probablement plus nerveux.

Sometimes, too, the job has its rewards. One of the things auditors do in this business is also ensure that the beneficiaries of food or medication programs do get what they should get. So in a way, I also look out for the interest of those benefitting from the programs. That really keeps me motivated.

Parfois, aussi, le travail a ses récompenses. Une des choses que les auditeurs font dans leur travail est de s'assurer également que les bénéficiaires des programmes de nutrition ou de fournitures medicales obtiennent ce qu'ils devraient obtenir. Ainsi, d'une certaine manière, je veuille aux interets des beneficiaires de ces programmes. Ca me garde vraiment motivée.

The Beaver

Merci, Sebastien D, a Montreal, d'avoir mis une "pinne" sur ma carte ! :P

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

Field Mission Terrain - Am I in Star Fleet now ?

(English readers; scroll down - an english version follows. A pic has been included as well.)

Si la quantite de texte fait peur, lisez... y a une surprise au bout !

Je voudrais pouvoir vous raconter la Guinée, le voyage de deux jours en voiture sur la piste, les nids de poule rebaptisés nids de dinosaures (au grand rire du chauffeur), les collines vertes, les herbes hautes de mètres le long de la route….

L’équipe de mission terrain se composait de notre chauffeur, de mon collegue Burkinabé, du comptable de l’equipe de Conakry et moi-même. Nous avions également avec nous le directeur du bureau de N’Zerekore. Nous sommes partis samedi matin a 8h, pour arriver à 18h a Kissidougou. La route est étonnamment bonne, mais comme la Guinée est un pays de collines, elle tourne et tricote pendant 900 Km… Imaginez la fatigue…

Arrive à Kissi, nous nous sommes installes à l’hôtel. Pas d’eau courante, mais au moins nous avions l’électricité quelques heures par jour. Le lendemain nous sommes repartis sur N’Zerekore, ou nous devions auditer le programme geree une ONG locale nous representant. La route est très mauvaise entre Kissi et Guekedou, mais excellente jusqu'à N’Zerekore. Le paysage est déjà couper le souffle, des collines et des montagnes verdoyantes, des forets luxuriantes. Les animaux sont gras, les vaches, les moutons, les chèvres sont courts sur pattes et rondelets. Les villageois que nous croisons sur la route semblent bien nourris et surtout sont très souriants.

En Guinée, le riz coûte très cher : jusqu'à 150 000 Francs guinéens, ce qui revient à 37$US, plus ou moins. Ca correspond au montant moyen d’un loyer pour une famille de 4 personnes. Ca fait aussi plus que le salaire d’un gardien ou d’une femme de ménage ici. Mais les Guinéens ont d’autres options, comme le manioc qui pousse à foison en Guinée forestière, mais que les gens dédaignent car le riz reste le mets de préférence. Ca explique aussi que le Guinéen moyen se plaint de ne pas manger. En fait, il mange, mais pas du riz !

Lundi nous avons rencontres l’équipe de N’Zerekore. Nous pensions avoir une petite rencontre avec le chef d’antenne, la comptable et les coordinateurs, mais tout le personnel a ete convoque et même la femme de ménage a participe a la rencontre! Nous étions une douzaine de personnes dans cette rencontre. Puis, j’ai pris en main les entretiens préliminaires pendant que mon collegue s’attelait à la vérification comptable. Le lendemain, nous avons poursuivi l’audit dans la matinée, et je suis allée l’après-midi rencontrer les représentants du PAM et du HCR pour obtenir leurs commentaires sur la distribution de vivres effectuée dans les camps de réfugies (ils sont les fournisseurs de données et de vivres, et leurs observations étaient donc primordiale). Finalement, je n’ai pas visite de camp a N’Zere, la distribution ne commençait que le mercredi, et nous devions partir pour Kissi. De toutes façons, en dehors de quelques difficultés fonctionnelles, l’audit n’avait rien revelee d’extraordinaire.

N’Zerekore est une ville qui attire beaucoup d’ONG etc. En plus d’accueillir les réfugiés libériens, les camps de Nonah, Kolah, Kouankan et Laine ont accueillis les réfugiés ivoiriens (vous rappellez-vous les évènements de l’an dernier ?) Par contre, comme les situations politiques respectives au Sierra Leone et au Liberia sont en voie d’amélioration (il y a un processus électoral en branle à Monrovia), les organisations internationales prévoient un retrait progressif du personnel étranger et une réduction substantielle des activités au cours de la prochaine année. La ville en souffrira certainement. Ca veut aussi dire que les ONG devront réviser leur stratégie en Guinée, car pour l’instant la plupart des programmes ici sont lies aux services aux réfugiés. Ils seront obsoletes, une fois les camps de refugies fermes.


Mercredi nous avons repris la route pour Kissi. Arrives sur place a 15h, nous avons tout de suite commence à travaille, selon le même plan qu’a N’Zere : entretiens et verification de caisse pour moi, verifications comptable pour mon collegue . Pour moi, c’est parfait, je préfère voir les gens, et mon collegue est beaucoup plus competent que moi comme expert comptable… Le lendemain, nous sommes allés visiter le camp de Kilikoro, qui accueille à peu près 5000 réfugiés libériens. Le choc !


On est arrive au camp après encore 2 heures de routes sur une piste cahoteuse… mon pauvre dos… Les gens du camp de Kilikoro (près de Kountaya) sont la depuis 2001 et y sont bien installes. Le camp ressemble plus a un village qu’a un camp de refugiees : des maisons en banco, des petits commerces (cigarettes, cassettes de musique, extensions de cheveux…) Ce qui rappelle qu’il s’agit d’un camp de refugiees, c’est que plusieurs maisons sont recouvertes de toiles portant le logo du HCR ou du PAM. Mais les enfants sont joyeux, vibrants, pleins de vie. Pendant la rencontre avec le comité de réfugiés, une ribambelle de gamins s’est attroupée pour voir la toubabou (c’est comme ca qu’ils appellent les blancs au Liberia). Ils sourient, me tendent la main, sans peur. J’étais épuisée, mais ce petit moment m’a redonne l’énergie dont j’avais besoin pour la journée.

On a observe la distribution, fait quelques recommandations. J’ai rencontre seule le même après-midi les responsables du PAM, du HCR et d’ACF pour recueillir leurs commentaires sur nos activités a Kissi. Si un jour on m’avait dit que je rencontrerai des fonctionnaires onusiens dans le cadre de mon travail, je ne l’aurais pas cru. Je jubile encore d’avoir été admise dans la cour des grands !

Bon, voilà pour ma mission. Je suis de retour a Conakry – j’ai retrouve avec plaisir les autres auditeurs… c’est agréable de les retrouver.

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La seule photo qui a survecu...

The only photo which survived...
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I want to be able to tell about Guinea, the two days roadtrip, the potholes renamed nests of dinosaurs (which the driver found quite funny), the green hills, the meter-high grasses along the road....

The field mission team was composed of our driver, C (my Burkinabé colleague), the Conakry team accountant and myself. We also had with us the director of the office of N’Zerekore. We left Saturday morning at 8AM, to arrive in Kissidougou at 6PM. The road is surprisingly good, but as Guinea is a country of hills, it turns and knits during 900 km... Imagine the tiredness...


Arrived in Kissidougou, we settled in the hotel. There was no running water, but at least we had electricity a few hours per day. The following day we set out again on NZerekore, to audit the program managed on our behalf by a local organization. The road is very bad between Kissi and Guekedou, but excellent until NZerekore. The landscape is breath-taking, the hills and the green mountains, the luxurious forest. The animals are fat, the cows, the sheep, the goats are short on legs and chubby. The villagers whom we cross on the road seem well nourished and are smiling. Some wave at us, usually children.

In Guinea, rice is very expensive: up to 150 000 Guinea Francs, which equals 37$US, more or less. It corresponds to the average cost of rent for a family of 4. That makes more then the monthly wages of a guard or a cleaning lady here. But Guineans have other options, such as the manioc which grows in abundance in the forested Guinea, but which people scorn because they prefer rice. This also explains why the average Guinean complains he has not eaten. In fact, he ate, but not rice!

Monday we had the introductory meeting with the NZerekore team. We thought we were having a small meeting with the head of office, the accountant and the coordinators, but the whole staff showed up… even the cleaning lady has participated! We were a dozen of people in this meeting. After that, I took in hand the preliminary talks while the other auditor was harnessed with the numbers. The following day, we continued the audit in the morning, and I went during the afternoon to meet the representatives of WFP and the UNHCR to obtain their comments on the distribution of food carried out in the refugee camps (they respectively are the suppliers of data and food, and their observations were thus of primary importance). Finally, I did not visit a camp in NZerekore, as the distribution began only Wednesday, and we had to leave for Kissidougou.

Zerekore is a city which attracts many international organizations. In addition to accomodating the Liberian refugees, the camps of Nonah, Kolah, Kouankan and Laine also received the Ivorian refugees (remember the events of last year?) On the other hand, like the respective political situations in Sierra Leone and Liberia are in process of improvement (the Leonean civil war ended years ago, and there is an electoral process in swing in Liberia), the international organizations are considering a progressive withdrawal of foreign personnel and a substantial reduction of activities during the next year. The city will certainly suffer from it, because these organizations are an important source of revenue for the area. That means remaining NGOs will have to revise their strategy in Guinea, because for the moment most programs here are services for the refugees – these programs will become obsolete with the closure of the refugee camps.

Wednesday we hit the road for Kissi. We arrived there at 3PM and immediately started work, following the same plan as in NZerekore: interviews and petty cash count for me, accounting verifications for the others. I really enjoy this distribution of duties : I prefer to see people. Anyways, my colleague was so much more qualified then me for the accounting part of the job ! The following day, we went to visit the camp of Kilikoro, which accomodates about 5000 refugees. The shock!

We arrived at the camp after 2 more hours of roads on a jolty track... my poor back... People of the camp of Kilikoro (close to Kountaya) hove been there since 2001 and are well installed. The camp resembles more a village than a camp of refugees: traditional terracotta houses, small trade (cigarettes, cassettes of music, extensions of hair...) The element which reminded me that I was in a refugee camp was that several houses are covered with fabrics carrying the logo of the HCR or WFP. But the children are merry, vibrating, full with life. During the meeting with the committee of refugees, a small troop of kids gathered aroung to see the toubabou (that’s what they call white people in Liberia). They smiled and shook my hand, without fear. I was exhausted, but this small moment gave me the energy I needed for the day.

We observed the distribution, made some recommendations. I had meetings the same afternoon with the people in charge for WFP, the HCR and another private organisation to collect their comments on our activities in Kissi. If one day it had been said to me that I would meet with UN officials twice in the same week, within the framework of my work, I would not have believed it. I’m still revving that I have been allowed to play with the big people !

Well, here is my mission. I am now back in Conakry - I have found back with pleasure my colleagues, the other auditors... it is pleasant to find them back.

The Beaver

Thanks, Bill sailing the world's oceans, for posting on my Guestmap !

My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !