Oooops I did it again……

 OK troops it’s almost time to come in and get me before its too late.

I’m getting dangerously close to either being exposed or being expelled from the country.

It’s not my fault! I’ve told people often enough that I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing but  oh no people insist on sending me to high level meetings and giving me responsibilities. Fools.

I’m no longer just a danger to myself you know, this is getting serious.

On Thursday, the President declared an official state of national emergency with the Cholera Epidemic which has now reached over 10,000 cases with around 200 fatalities. http://www.examiner.com/article/west-silent-on-oil-rich-sierra-leone-cholera. Worse it’s suspected that it’s not yet hit the peak and at best guess, they are projecting that these number will more than triple.

So as the ‘health’ coordinator for the charity at the end of yesterday I was summoned by the Ministry of Health to attend a crisis meeting all day today.

So off I tootle, knowing full well that I had nothing to offer, but thought I’d better show willing, especially as I’m chasing them to give me back the money that they, err, ‘misallocated’.

But oh I couldn’t just keep my big mouth shut could I.

So this is what happened. All the people involved gave presentations on the (rather good) actions being taken. Obviously I didn’t quite understand most of it “bucket chlorination of wells” “sword and shield methodology” blah blah blah.

The problem came when I sort of noticed one small fact, that people with disabilities had of been missed off list of ‘vulnerable groups’ category.

Now in my defense I had a hangover (of course it’s Saturday morning, what else would I have??!!)

Second, I honestly believe that I have a little man living in my head who, without warning takes over my thoughts and speech processes. It could be voldermort, I’m not sure.

But what started as a simple innocent question as to why disabled people had been forgotten, came out as a full on accusative attack, followed by a rabble rousing sermon and ended up with a room full of top emergency and development humanitarian workers stunned into complete silence.

Even I was in shock. Especially as at the end of my little gremlins oration, and in response to the deathly silence in the room, the Ministry’s only response was “Wow!” “Well you think you’re doing OK, then suddenly this hits you”.

You see the gobby git in my head, suddenly started to do maths and throw out projections of his own about the % and numbers of people with disabilities who would probably contract the disease.

He then went on to describe in detail why disabled people where more vulnerable than the average population and then took turn to tell each and every Cholera response actor what they needed to do to prevent loss of life amongst this vulnerable group. Oh aye, he was well and truly on his soap box as he instructed Medicines Sans Frontiers and the District Medical Team that they needed to seriously rethink  the positioning of the emergency treatment units. He told the water and sanitation departments that they had to put more consideration into which wells they chlorinated. The people developing sensitization activities and materials were given a very stern warning about the things they needed to postulate over, and to the latrine guys, well he sort of shut up here as was clearly was completely out of his depth.

I only meant to ask a question and I ended up momentarily derailing the whole crisis response action in the country.

Ooops

Sorry about that.

Taxi for Jo………

So even though my ticket for my holiday back to the UK is now booked for the 20^th Sept, (yipeeeeeee) you could well being seeing me sooner than you think. And don’t rule out the fact it could be on the BBC – I’ll be the one with a pillow case on my head, handcuffed, being bundled into a police vehicle at Heathrow airport.

I think I’ll let the Ministry keep a few quid eh!!

xxx

Come Fly With Me

This is an official announcement:

The rainy season is shit!

Seriously shit.

I am living in a cloud.

Literally.

It’s wet.

And grey.



What was once my wonderful seaview :'-( 



I am wearing a cardigan.

And Socks.

I don’t like it.

I saw a slither of blue sky today for almost a full 30 mins. But by the time I had gathered all the cushions and unshackled the wicker furniture from its protective weatherproof tower, I only benefitted from 20 mins of diffused sunlight.

I promise you, I am as pale as when I arrived. And God only knows what vitamin D deficient illness I’m going to get – cos you just know I’m going to get it!!

So, as the most sunburnt I have gotten this year was in Birmingham my ticket is booked for a holiday back to the UK next month.

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, how cool is that eh!!!!!

I also need a break as I’m almost beginning to think I have now been here too long. I’ve stopped reacting like I think I should. I mean I didn’t even blink when I realised that everyone, even the most educated of my National colleagues, believe that witches use peanut shells to fly at night. I understand they mostly go to the USA. I’m not sure why.

Nor did I get particularly upset at the amount of Mmmmmm, shall we call it, ‘reallocating’ the Ministry have clearly done with funds that I gave them.

And even though every bit of mail that does get through to me leaves me with a much needed sense of being loved, I haven’t freaked that the man at the post office is now holding all my post hostage until I buy him phone credit. “Aye Bo” as the local expression goes!

So what’s going on?? Is this adaption? Apathy? Desensitization? Or dare I say it – has old age and maturity started to creep in?!!

Or is it just this confounded rain dampening my spirit once and for all!!?!!

But the rain isn’t just tempering my emotional reaction to life. Sadly it is having the more serious effect of compounding the Cholera problem.

Over 8000 people have now contracted the disease, it being most prevalent here in the capital, amongst the slum dwellers. But it is spreading, despite the desperate attempts of the Ministry and charities to contain and manage it.

Part of the problem lies in local people not changing their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. So in the same way that the witches use the peanut shells to fly, other traditional beliefs are also hard to shake.  Therefore no matter how often a ‘do – gooder’ explains about clean water or handwashing, people do not change their practices, and when they get sick – well, it is the curse of that same witch wasn’t it!

And while on the surface the ‘re-allocation’ of a few $ meant for rehab hasn’t made me explode with rage, when people are dying due to drugs not being in the store because the money to buy them found a different destination, I find that I do have a little spirit left in me after all!

So I think time for a flight to the UK is in order.

Now where did I put those peanuts…….