I nearly fall out of my chair today during a phone call with one of my staff members in a North Darfur camp.
It has gotten quite cold in the area where we works and most of the agencies have started planning their responses to the approaching winter weather. I ask him for a quick update on our plans in this camp, and nod along approvingly as he lists the programme activities that he wants to carry out.
Blanket distributions, yep. Lots of them. Plastic sheeting to fix some of the shelters, yep. More clothing for the children, yep.
"Oh, and we're also encouraging people to get married before the winter starts." We are doing what? I jump to attention (this is stage where I nearly topple out of my chair). Surely, we're having a language problem again here.
But no, he repeats it. "We're encouraging people to get married, especially the ones who don't have blankets yet. They're cold inside their shelters at night. Just think about it - it's a lot warmer for two people sleeping together, and then of course..."
Dear God. I'm sitting up straight now and cut him off mid-sentence. "What are we doing? Hassan, can you start again from the beginning with this one? I really don't understand."
There is a silence on the line, but I think he can sense my utter disbelief. "Hassan, are you still there?"
Finally, he erupts with laughter, I can hear some others behind him joining in. "Calm down, I was just joking with you. We haven't started a marriage service yet. But it's a good idea, no?"
I'm smiling now. "Ok, you got me there. We'll keep it in mind, the marriage thing. But stick to the blankets for now."
Tags: Sudan, Darfur, aid worker, winter, marriage
posted by sleepless in sudan @
5 comments
5 Comments:
You are doing an amazing and difficult task. Keep up your great work and your reports on it. Thanks you.
Ross
I hope the Kristoff column promotes a lot of readership for your blog. We are not going to know what's going on over there through our TV and newspapers, so you are doing a considerable service.
Sleepless, I'd hoped that Kristoff's column would have driven lots more readers here, but the price of being a voice crying in the wilderness is that it's awful lonely. Thank you for your work, your words, and your faithfulness. I, for one, will spread the word about your blog. Don't fall asleep just yet.
I, like most of the others, read about your blog in Nicolas Kristoff's column today. I believe you are both the kinds of heroes our world needs more of -- people who speak up after they've taken actions that support their moral and politcal beliefs.
I humbly thank you for your courage.
Amazing work you are doing!
Due to your courage displayed in your writings, I would like to draw to your attention and denounce the slave condition in which the people of Haiti who work in the 'caña de azúcar' fields in Dominican Republic are living.
These people are brought from Haiti with the promise to work in fair conditions only to find that they have been bought and are going to have to work for free: they wages consist only of a certain amount of food and water. Recently an illegal cemetery of slaughtered slaves has been found in one of the fields: these slaves had not worked hard enough...
There are two families responsible for the working conditions of these people: the Vicini family and the Franjúl family. And one man is fighting them alone in the name of all the slaves, and has consequently been the victim of numerous death threats: Father Cristopher Hartley, an admirable and brave young man who belongs to the Spanish and English highest society and who has however decided to dedicate his life (and die for if needed)to bringing justice to this situation.
You will be able to find more information on this subject
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