Ellen: UN Flight to Rumbek

I took a walk around the compound from 5:00 - 5:30 this morning, enjoying the breeze and early cool - and disturbing a couple of guards asleep in tucked away places on the grounds.  Let's see - "guard" denotes protective presence.  Hummmmm....

 

Angelo arrived promptly at 6:00 a.m.   We were in line - some semblance of a line anyway - at the airport by 6:30.  The crowd began to gather, and it was difficult to hold my place with all the pushing and shoving.  Some crowd control measures would be so helpful.

 

Bags weighted and checked, Angelo and I, thankfully, headed to VIP.  The most adorable little girl - all dolled up in a frilly white dress, lacy socks, and white patent leather shoes with rhinestones on the bows, was sitting with her mother across from me.  I tried to be friendly with the child, but she took one loo at me and screamed - screamed bloody murder, as we used to say - and hid her face against her mother.  Obviously I was the first kawaja she had ever seen.  I've had this experience before in the Bush.  Some children are terrified of people with white skin;  others are fascinated and can't stop staring - like Tomba's students earlier in the week.

 

The UN Humanitarian Air Support/World Food Program flight was on time - amazing!  This must be on-time day - and it's about time, no pun intended.  It's hard to tell where UMHAS ends and WFP begins.  UMHAS provides critical transportation for humanitarian workers and light cargo, in addition to facilitating medical and security evacuations and relocations.  WFP operates UNHAS on behalf of the humanitarian community, using contracted services to support and enable emergency interventions in countries where safe and reliable services are not available for UN agencies and international and local NGOs. 

 

The last two words of this paragraph, admittedly copied from a flyer in the seat back in front of me, explain how I qualify for these flights.  I support a local NGO - non-governmental organization - as well as provide other humanitarian support services.  That's why I'm here for the next two weeks. 

 

For the past three years, I have served as president of "Abukloi," an NGO, which, in the local Dinka dialect means "We Can!"  Abukloi sponsors a secondary school that currently has 176 students and 6 teachers.  We have just started an agriculture project, and it should be about time to harvest the first money crop - peanuts or g-nuts (ground nuts).

 

I am settled in at Pan Door, the Catholic Compound, and have had lunch - posho, rice, beans, greens, and beef liver.  Having had breakfast, anything would have tasted good and this was fine.

 

Justin, the Abukloi in-country director came at 2:00 and we met for an hour.  There is a schedule for a week, at least.  One of the things he mentioned was that the g-nuts had not been harvested, because the ground is so hard - we need rain.  It hadn't rained in two weeks.  Clouds were gathering while we talked, and providentially, by 3:30 the rain came.  Wind gusts blew dirt and dust.  From all over the compound I heard Bam!  Bam! as debris came down on metal roof tops.  I sat at my open door, watched, and smiled.  As badly as I wanted to check e-mail, we needed this rain to get the g-nuts out of the ground - and there's nothing like the sound of rain on a metal roof. 

 

For five hours the rain came down - slow and gentle.  I believe the g-nut harvest will begin tomorrow!

 

Blessings!

Ellen

Ellen: Terekeka to Juba

From Ellen Wicker Cummings:

I slept reasonably well - awoke at 3- up at 4- dressed, packed, everything in order by 6 and able to attend morning worship with the children.  Abuna asked me to speak to them again, which I choked through.  Why do I do this?!  I'll be back in a month.  You'd think I was leaving never to return!

Harriett - pronounced here "Hahrriett," sent me away fortified with omelet, mandazi, African tea - sweet girl!  Loki, new director Samay, teacher Susan, and I left the orphanage shortly after 8, arriving at the taxi park just before 8:30.  No passengers.  A taxi will not go without a full load, so I was in for a wait.  Susan wasn't feeling well, so we dropped her off to see a doctor and tried to find rice.  All proprietors - obviously Arabic, were at morning prayers, so back we went to the taxi park.

A few passengers were gathering and Loki began the process of getting my ticket.  The driver wanted 140 South Sudanese pounds to take me from Terekeka to the Juba taxi park, then another 100 pounds to go from the taxi park to the hotel.- just a couple of miles.  Did this fellow think Loki just fell off the turnip truck yesterday?!!  There was no way he was going to agree to this arrangement.  An intense discussion followed before a total of 200 pounds was finally agreed upon - still too much, but what are you gonna do?

By 10 we were under way - every seat filled.  The road was rough, but graders were at work so the ride should be smoother and take less time pretty soon - until the next rainy season when the process will start all over again.  Can't we just pave these roads and be done with it?!

The cows were really on the move today.  I lost count of the different cattle camps crossing the road, that we had to wade through.  When we were in the middle of the first one - hundreds of cows - I asked if I could take a picture and was told to do it in secret.  That was going to be difficult.  Finally someone said,  "Take it now!" - so I did.  That photo is attached.  I remember a couple of years ago, stopping to take a picture of a large cattle camp, when suddenly a tribesman rushed toward us, spear in hand, and demanded money.  These guys are obviously testy about pictures and the folks advising me knew that.

The radio volume was much too loud, but I wasn't about to complain with a full load of South Sudanese on board - although the driving beat was about to drive me out of my skin.  Then another radio started playing from the back.  At first I wondered if I was hearing two tracks of the same tape, but no - there were definitely dueling radios going on.  Surely some rule of etiquette was being violated here!

The upside is this vehicle - a new van - was comfortable and air-conditioned.  We didn't have to deal with road dust, as is usually the case.

I am checked into AFEX - the same container as before.  I had a nice dinner at the restaurant by the Nile.  This outdoor eating area is the only place I know of where diners can enjoy a meal in full view of naked men bathing in the river.  A lot of NGO staff members are quartered at AFEX, because it's nice and very secure. Tonight tables right at the edge of the river bank were filled with kawajas - white skin - gathered for happy hour.

I enjoyed vegetable spring rolls, a small salad, with a glass of white wine, and apple strudel for dessert.  It was a welcome respite after beans and rice - and I'm not complaining about the food at Terekeka.  I don't want to live like an ex pat in this country, but a change every now and then is appreciated. 

I'm settled in for the night.  Angelo is supposed to pick me up at 6:10 tomorrow morning for 7am check in for my UN flight to Rumbek.  Internet is tough in Rumbek right now.  I hope to use the Catholic diocese again - we'll see.

Blessings!

Ellen

Ellen: Returning to Rumbek

On September 13, 2015, Abukloi President Ellen Wicker Cummings returned to South Sudan for an 8 week tour. Upon arriving in Juba, she immediately went to Harvesters Orphanage in Terekeka along the Nile where she worked on reading and math skills with the young children.

Tomorrow, she returns to Rumbek to spend time at Abukloi School. Here is her first update with some photos from Terekeka:

It was a pleasant day for my last walk to the school - last day in my outdoor classroom.  Some cloud cover, a cool breeze - nice weather conditions for anywhere in the world, but especially in South Sudan. 

I leave for Juba tomorrow and an overnight at AFEX before flight to Rumbek on Friday.  I had planned to stay another day here in Terekeka, but very recently the Juba airport has ceased operating on Saturdays, causing all sorts of difficulties for travelers like me who normally fly on week-ends.

Conditions in Rumbek are not the best right now, and I have been advised by friends to be extremely cautious.  My prayer partners see no red flags - there appears to be a definite green light for me to go.  That said, prayers are greatly appreciated for the next two weeks, in particular, that conditions will be calm, because I have a lot of running around I need to do.  I have been in touch with several NGO friends in Rumbek, who indicate that things are relatively stable, and I should have no problems.

I spent the afternoon packing and putting finishing touches on my message for 4:00 chapel.  Loki kindly took photos, which are attached.  I took kids across the road for brooms, enjoyed potato salad, bean soup, mandazi, and African tea for dinner.  I've said my good-byes and am in for the night.  I'll check in tomorrow from Juba.

Blessings!

Ellen