So you may have noticed that the interface on my blog page has changed somewhat since the last post and there seems to be a lot more going on. Well, let’s just say that I’ve been fiddling around with the Blogger tools and found some pretty interesting stuff. Not sure if I’ve done too much and made the site look somewhat cluttered. So, I’d really love some feedback on what you think of the site.
Anyway, it’s passed 11 PM on a Tuesday night here in Islamabad and surprisingly the power hasn’t gone out. Usually, the regular load-shedding schedule dictates that power goes out in my Sector between the hours of 11:00 PM and 12:00 Midnight. I guess someone forgot to pull the plug at the power station. But hey, I’m not complaining! In fact, it’s nice to be able to relax and listen to some good jazz music on iTunes radio web cast, whilst sipping on cognac. Thus far this seems to be the perfect end to a long day…
It’s been almost 1 ½ weeks since I returned from my work visit to Ethiopia. The week following my return was just absolute hell catching up on a mountain of work that landed on my desk the day I returned to work.
My trip to Ethiopia on the other hand, was just heavenly. You would have read about my journey to Ethiopia, with the unexpected upgrade to Business and First Classes on Emirates. The picture slide-show I posted has some pictures of the journey and my brief stay in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia. Although the journey was part of the fun of getting there, for once, the destination proved to be so much more joyous and fulfilling.
Setting foot on African soil once again after being away from the continent for about 1 ½ years, I felt a sudden burst of joy in my heart that’s really inexplicable. It was as if I was coming home again – a feeling I’ve somehow never really encountered going back to my home country or anywhere else for that matter… well, maybe when I lived in Boston, but this was magnified several times. I suppose there’s something about Africa that once you’ve experienced it, once you’ve been bitten by that “bug”, a bond is established between one’s self and the soil. Africa has a kind of “realness” to it - an authenticity -that’s unlike any other. The people of this land possess a generosity of spirit that makes you feel at home. Amidst the great need that exists in many parts of the continent, the people somehow exhibit a desire to share from the little they have and that perhaps is truly one of the most humbling experiences that creates a bond between a weary traveller or visitor and the people and the land.
The weather in Addis Ababa and the town of Debre Zeyit, about 50 km away from Addis, where the training centre I was going to be staying was simply divine. The average temperatures that ranged from 13 C to 15 C (55 F to 59 F) was a welcome respite from the 45-50 C (113 – 122 F) weather I was experiencing in Islamabad, Pakistan the week before.
The workshop itself was quite intense and there wasn’t much time for anything else, but it was 5 full days of productive learning. Whilst I cannot quite claim to be an expert on preparing European Union (EU) concept notes and proposals, I certainly learned a lot about them and some of the skills are certainly applicable to funding calls by other donors, be it DfID, CIDA, USAID etc. The workshop also focused on strategies to pursue work related to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in our respective countries.
The other major benefit of participating in this workshop was that I got to meet some amazing people who are not only passionate but exceptionally brilliant. They came from India, Nepal, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia as well as Germany and Belgium. We had more colleagues scheduled to participate in this workshop from Tanzania, Mozambique and Burkina Faso. Unfortunately due to some visa-related issues, they were held back at Bole International Airport in Addis and were denied entry into the country. The fervent efforts by the organization’s staff to help secure entry for these folks were in vain and the Ethiopian authorities refused to even grant them a transit visa for temporary entry. This incident served as reminder to all of us on the importance of having the appropriate information and clearances in advance before embarking on any travel.
I have to say that one of the highlights of this trip was that I was able to hang out with folks from Uganda and Kenya once again. I must confess that after 5 days of continuous interaction, I found myself slipping into former patterns of speech that I’d picked up in Kenya. :-)
Although there wasn’t much time for sight-seeing and hardly any for shopping – a point of contention for some participants, we nonetheless were able to visit a couple of lakes in Debre Zeyit and check out the area surrounding our training centre. Seeing as it was World Cup season, extra effort was made to catch as many matches as possible. Unfortunately, the euphoria that came from Ghana’s victory over the US in the World Cup match (see previous post) did not last as Ghana was unceremoniously defeated by Uruguay in the following match. That was certainly a mood-buster for almost all of us in the group.
During this trip, I had the opportunity to visit one of the local youth associations in Debre Zeyit that was supported by the organizers of this workshop. The primary aim of this youth association was to promote awareness on Sexual & Reproductive Health (SRH) issues amongst their community. The centre has counselling services as well as a small library. They also support two (2) income-generating activities, one of which is quite extraordinary and very different from the usual income-generating activities that most development workers are familiar with. This particular group goes round to the local bars, clubs and hotels and sell condoms to the patrons of these establishments. Although free condoms are available in the government health centres, these youths do surprisingly well – they sell approximately 12,000 condoms each month in this relatively small town!!
The young people from this association also have a mobile dance troupe that performs at weddings and other functions in the area. We were privileged to have this group perform for us on the eve of the workshop’s conclusion. These kids are just absolutely talented and vibrant. Watching them perform with full of life and passion re-affirmed my belief in the potential of every child in this world and it inspired me to say a prayer for these kids that they will have all their needs met and have all the opportunities that they so rightly deserve. It also inspired me to want to work for the realization of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that sets out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children worldwide, thus seeking to create the most conducive environment for them to achieve their fullest potential. As a side note, whilst I believe firmly in the rights and potential of children, I am still not a fan of having kids within 50 yards of my personal space, especially on air planes and closed spaces!! I maintain that I love children as a concept!
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and I now find myself back in Pakistan. Although, I know that there is a purpose for my being in this part of the world at this particular period, I nonetheless have left my heart in Africa and hope to make it back there some day to work in that part of the world. In the meantime, I hope to fulfil my purpose and mission where I am right now and have a positive impact in the lives of the people here.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
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