Hi there,
I am in Garsila - West Darfur, for about two weeks now. Living condition is basic but comfortable. The manpower here is increasing and workload is not that heavy but rather fractured, as there is not much continuation of the expatriates in the work.
FLEXIBILITY is the word followed by ADAPTABILITY. I was initially assigned to hospital, then to the Garsila feeding centre, and now am assigned to the outreach feeding center. Initially I had new assignment everyday and I was kind of lost. But I am lucky that I have worked in Liberia and got some experiences in the feeding center, if not I would be very lost. I was alone on the way to the outreach feeding center on the first day out. It is rainy season now and the roads are difficult. When it rains - it really rains. Our roof would leak and sometimes it gets blown off. It is fun though....
In Sudan it is very dusty, even the water is brown in colour. It seems we are always covered in dust even after taking showers. It feels like bathing with sandy water. We kind of get used to the environment. Security is rather strict. We have to get permit each day to go out of the town and travel, and we have to check in the security post when we leave the town and on return. So far it has been good but taking photos is not allowed. It is a shame as Sudan is a beautiful place. You can see many camels, donkeys, goats, cows, dogs and various species of birds. Garsila is surrounded by hills and mountains. When I arrived here, the place reminded me of the movie Mummy where soldiers surrounded the hills before they attacked.
So much about me, what is happening over at your side?
Am signing off now
Suan
Singaporean nurse Suan CHUA joined MSF in 2003. From 2003 to 2005, she participated in the MSF emergency programmes in Liberia, South Sudan and Indonesia. In December 2005, she set off to Bagh, Pakistan for Pakistan Earthquake emergency relief work.
