Sunshine and Rain

That’s right, it’s been a bit of both this week, but certainly more sunshine than rain, and more joy than pain. As a matter of fact, it’s rained twice, both between 5 and 7 in the morning, before the sun was strong enough to dry up the clouds and clear the air. Other than those few hours, it’s been more of the same baking. It’s an odd feeling, sitting in an air conditioned room and not cooling off, so that you feel as if you’re cooking from the inside out!

The highs this week have included successful negotiations to extend funding, increase funding, and provide more sustainable solutions for water supply. On the low side, logistics has reared its ugly head, and I’ve had to work with our team to coordinate vehicles, order supplies, and other things that have just taken longer than expected. Also this week, the government decided to stop turning on the generator, so we don’t even get power from 6-10, as previously took place. This means no showers, no lights, and no charging cell phones, computers etc., which frustrates the working process. It definitely means no cold drinks, ever.

This week has also been an exciting food adventure week. Yesterday we had a cold sardine, boiled egg and raw onion salad for breakfast, with leftover sardines in fried spaghetti noodles for lunch. This morning breakfast was canned luncheon meat (SPAM), warm canned carrots, and raw onions with bread. These have been a welcome change from chicken and rice, but not the breakfast of champions. My thanks to the Hyde family Christmas gift exchange, which supplied a lifesaving pound of Starbucks coffee for our little team.

Here’s some pictures of this week:

Kids who have been displaced by the floods.

The beautiful game...

"stamping" in to receive food

The receding river has left big swamps in farmers' fields

One week in Mozambique

Yes, it has indeed been one week already, and what a week it has been. So much has been accomplished this week, I am not sure I will be able to make it to the end of two months! I can share with you now why I am really here, because I think I am beginning to know myself...

FHI implemented three relief programs in Caia District.The first, under the direction of a Mozambique staff member, is the coordinated distribution of foord provided by the World Food program, for people who have been relocated. This has gone exceptionally well, and is wrapping up next week.





The second, run by a Kenyan water technician, is the provision of water and latrines for people who have been relocated. This project has provided more than 80 latrines, done hygiene and sanitation education in resettlement areas, and will start digging new wells next week. We have succeeded in extending this program for another month.


The third program, run by an FHI American staffer who usually works in Bolivia, is a nutritional surveillance program which checks children for malnutrition. This program is exciting because the local staff trained to do this are already working in local communities, and will be able to continue with this training long after the emergency has passed.

After days of meetings, working out deals, firming up negotiations, I spent Saturday visiting our project sites.

This involved over 8 hours of driving through the day, but was well worth it to get a visual connection with the work.

That's it for this week, except for two more things - on Friday I was able to share a pleasant reunion with my old friend and co-worker from Vietnam, Scott Barton. Scott was sent with the Samaritan's Purse water response team and had no idea I was here, although I had heard he was here. We only had time for a quick hello, shared a Coke, and said farewell, as he was on his way out of the country. It was definitely a good time of reminiscing, while others watched with curiosity. It's not often you meet an old friend in rural Mozambique...

The second thing was my church visit this morning. As I had mentioned earlier, there are very few Christians in Mozambique, and this is evidenced in Caia. Most business is as usual here, but we visited a small church where one of our colleagues with FHI is the lay pastor, and had a great time listening to an exciting (and relatively short) sermon, with all the foot-stomping, amen-calling and arm-waving necessary to ensure engagement of the audience.

That's really it for now, and with current internet status, I will be down to one post per week from now on, hopefully on Sundays, but personal emails ARE BEING RESPONDED TO on a daily basis.

Caia Calor

Well, for all those of you thinking I'm in a tropical beach resort, justice is now served. I arrived in Caia on Tuesday afternoon, travelling 6 hours north from Beira in a Land Rover Defender, with temperatures in the cab reaching 38 degrees. No shade, and my bag (with sunblock) on the roof, meant a nice burn on my left arm and left side of my face.

Yesterday was my first full day in Caia, and it looks like it will be typical for the next few weeks, so here's my itinerary with Centigrade temps in brackets:

5:30 Alarm goes off, climb out of the mosquito net and have a bucket bath (5 liters if I'm lucky), get dressed in yesterdays clothes and have devotions while the sun comes up(32)
6:30 Brew coffee for the management team (I brought 2 lbs, so we'll see how long that lasts) and share fried egg on a bun breakfast (34)
7:00 Get to office for a quick meeting with our team leader, who is the local staff in charge of all development projects for this district. We touch base each day to clear any relief vs. development issues, and work to streamline.
7:30 Devotions (38)
8:00 Start meetings, which include meeting with donor organizations, other organizations that do similar programs, my staff to coordinate logistics and trouble shoot,meetings with all agencies and the government, the national disaster management team, and with logistic support teams.
12:00 Lunch - Chicken and rice (40)
1:00 Continue meetings, write reports, hike to WFP office for internet access (42)
7:00 Back to the house for another splash bath, change into shorts. The power came on at 6, and will last until 10 (37)
8:00 Eat dinner, ordered at 7, goat and french fries (34)
10:00 Government shuts off the power, and I go to sleep (34)

Today I visited one of our projects, supplying water and latrines to a resettled area, so may be able to provide pictures this afternoon, if all goes well.

That's all for now.

PS Calor is Portugese for hot

Arrived!!!

Well, I arrived safely in Beira ysterday afternoon, and had no problems with customs or immigration. No thefts from the notorious Johannesburg baggage handlers either (that is if I left my sunglasses at home, as they didn't make it here...) Anyways, i was met at the airport by my new boss, a Rwandan named Onis. He took me to his place for a much needed shower, and then a drive around the town, a walk on the beach, and a supper of fresh seafood as we watched the sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Okay, so that sounds a bit idyllic, especially for those suffering the latest cold front moving throught the Northeast US and Eastern Canada, but I just spent 50 hours in transit!!!

After waking every three hours, adjusting to jet lag all night, I got up at 5:00 to run with Onis, but saw a torrential downpour outside and was reminded of why I'm here. We cancelled the run, and I went back to sleep. On the way to the office, the water was standing on the road 4 inches deep, after only about 4 hours of rain. We went to a cafe for breakfast, where they served a decent espresso and cafe au lait, and we had toasted chicken sandwiches. Definitely not Asia anymore!

Today was sepnt in orientation, which included being issued with a mobile phone, a laptop, and a flash disk full of policies, budgets, project contracts, etc. In the afternoon i took my driving test, and am an approved driver (despite three near collisions.)

All in all, a full day, jet lag is hitting me, and I have dinner tonight with the country director. Tomorrow I'm off to Caia at 8, where I will be based for the majority of my time here, managing the relief projects in the Zambezi river valley. There may not be internet acces for a while, but when I can, I'll be back!

Lost in Transit?

Well, I'm half-way through the transfer to Mozambique. A delay leaving Toronto was countered by an accelerated flight to London. A brief stop in London with FH/UK for lunch has been a much needed break from airports!

Mozambique Situation Report

For a complete and current situation report on the cyclone/flooding emergencies in Mozambique, check out this UNICEF report.

For a press release from FHI about emergency response to the Zambezi flooding in Mozambique, click here. I have been asked to join the Relief Unit working in the Caia district to meet the needs of people displaced by the floods.

Meanwhile, in the southern Inhambane province, Cyclone Favio (a cyclone is similar to a hurricane) has ravaged the city of Vilankulos and left many in need.

This PDF map from the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent shows both areas in detail. If you can not see the map, click here to download Adobe Reader.

That's all I know for now, more when I get there! CS

Changing Over

Well, after much delay, I'm posting to the blog again. This is because a serious of events have unfolded, providing a measure of certainty to my life (although not all would agree ;0)

As follows:
1. No job for two months lead to frantic concern, followed by a new resolution.
2. The new resolution was to return to school if nothing came up, enrolling in a paramedic program.
3. The paramedic program starts April 30, at which point I take no further offers for employment.
4. I have four positive interactions, to discuss Africa, Asia, Ottawa and "somewhere" as possibilities, but nothing concrete.
5. I start the enrollment process for college.
6. I am contacted, confirmed and offered a position in 24 hours, effective immediately.

So, tomorrow I leave for Mozambique, on a 60 day contract with Food for the Hungry International (FHI), as a Relief Program Manager. The certainty comes from the fact that regards of the length of time in this or any further contract, I am looking forward to the opportunity, if unemployed again, to train as a paramedic.

The last few days have been a flurry of farewells, and last minute preparations. My apologies to those dear friends and relations with whom I have been unable to connect this week. My appreciation to all those who have assisted in the preparations, and have committed to support me with prayer and encouragement.

I am more prepared now, to make less future promises of postings, and just deliver with what's available. Please don't be afraid to remind me of any delinquencies. BTW, emailing me is more effective than posting a comment, if you want a personal response. It's actually difficult to reply to a comment, unless you log in, or I already have your address!!

Off to reserve my seats,

Chris