Loki News (Nov 1/02)

Karibu!

so... the week in Loki...!

I've mentioned that Lokichoggio is the UN base camp for operations in
South Sudan, right? (aka operation lifeline sudan, OLS). If you search
for a map of Kenya you'll see how close it is to Sudan, which gives it
its strategic importance. All of the NGOs working in SS have their field
bases here - flights go to and from various locations in SS & back and
forth to Nairobi all day, goods are delivered and stored here, people
coordinate their efforts here, it's the base for security operations,
etc. Without NGOs, the town probably wouldn't be worth visiting - it's a
nondescript, indigenous shack town, in the shadow of fairly
steep-looking cliffs, in the middle of a bakingly hot desert region.
HOT.
But now it's got a few fence-enclosed areas, complete with huts, tents,
offices, restaurants, cappachino bar, gym, pool, etc. (wow, it sounds
delightful when I list it like that!) But really, remember the water
situation - as in, not much around - and the dust, and the heat, and the
availability of construction items, etc. It's pretty rough-looking, but
less ad-hoc that I would have expected. My tent is in Afex B, standing
for African Expeditions, the Nairobi safari company who owns that camp,
and otherwise known as Hotel California! It's a permanent tent -
concrete foundation, large tent with bed, furniture, electricity, and
thatched rooftop. The maids clean it everyday - plus they pick my
laundry, handwash/dry/iron it, and return it by the time I come back
form work. The meals are in mess halls, but actually pretty damn good. I
can see how some people may get bored of it - it's kinda like buffets in
a resort - but I'm loving it so far :) Lots of meat (of course, it's
Kenya!) and fresh fruit.

I went to 748 both Friday and Saturday nights - a Java House bar outside
of the OLS camp. Java House is that Nairobi coffee/brunch spot I raved
about in an earlier email, and it turns out it's owned by Canadians!
They got their start by flying planes back and forth from Nairobi to
Loki, so after they opened the Nairobi restaurant, they figured they
should have one here in Loki as well. They're putting another by the UN
in Nairobi - which is also by the new Canadian high commission &
Amercian consulate - they know who the coffee-drinkers are! (Kenyans
are only into tea - very strong tea, mind you - though may have instant
if they're forced to drink coffee). Needless to say, it's my favourite
spot - both locations :)

Of course I met a bunch of guys. I must say, I'm very popular (she says
resignedly) - being a mzungu is a curse I tell you! (mzungu is white
person - I don't think it has any connotation in itself - it can be
applied in many contexts, man or woman, though depending on the
situation it can take on certain stereotypes). Every Kenyan I pass feels
it's his right to stare - as in not take his eyes off of me for a second - until
I'm out of eyesight. I walk by a group on the road - they stop talking
and just stare at me. I go to the buffet, turn around, and find at least
three pair of eyes have been staring at me the whole time. As I was
eating my breakfast the other day, I could tell this guy at the bar was
watching me. I gave him a few sharp looks - like, what's so fascinating
about a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich anyways? - and then he comes
over, rather hesitantly. "You are beautiful" he says, and I nearly
choked on my toast. Then he got all concerned - upset that I was nearly
choking. But what can you say to a statement like that in the morning
before coffee?? I don't think I'm all that - it must have something to
do with the white-blond hair. Kenyans love it. I can hardly wait till it's gone
(next haircut!)

Anyway, the office is air-conditioned, so that's the good part :) My
skills are becoming known around here, and I'm getting requests for
service wherever I go. Actually, I think there might be a niche for a
tech support consultancy - I'm checking into the viability while I'm
here! NGOs can rarey fund an IT person, so they're stuck with regular
users who try to figure out the computer stuff (shudder!). The hardest
part is the data communications - land lines are fairly non-existent,
and even if an NGO is lucky enough to have one, bad wiring and constant
radio interference makes connecting practically impossible. Email over
HF radio, satphone, or cell phone are the options - but all are slow and
expensive. This is part of my mission here - find the appropriate
solution for the VSFs. (I have borrowed a friend's account to send this
mail btw - asante sana Ed!). I have not been able to check my mail since
I left Nairobi, so don't expect any individual responses! I was just feeling
a bit isolated so wanted to send my news :)

Besides the VSF-Belgium staff, who are all Kenya/Sudanese, I have been
hanging with a bunch of expats, mostly security guys, Medair, and
Tearfund staff (one's even Canadian, Allan). Andries, a senior security
officer, recognized me right away - "skydiver, huh?" the first time he
met me (it's my parachute pin necklace, I knew that would come in handy
:). Obviously he also jumps, and was planning on going to the Mombasa
boogie this weekend, so I would have had company - except I'm stuck in
Loki for another week or so, and he's now in South Sudan). However...
he's also invited me to Cape Town for Christmas - another skydiving event,
plus that's where he's from... and from what I hear South Africa is THE
place to go, and it's even cheap! [I'll have to discuss with Bryan
(Botswana) and Jeff (Tanzania) to see what they're up for - we were tentatively
planning on meeting in Zanzibar, but I hear it's an expensive resort town, and
didn't Bryan rave on and on about Cape Town? ...Anyway, if there's
skydiving involved, I'm likely to head there at least for part of the
holiday :) Maybe I'll bus from Nairobi to Dar, ferry to Zanzibar, then fly from Dar
to Cape Town (I hear New Year's there rocks!)... guys, what do you
think?]

I also to Lodwar during this trip - it's a small town about 2 hours
away, on a surprisingly decent road (phew!). We had security guys with
rifles accompany us for the first hour or so, and I was supposed to
return in a convoy (didn't due to time contraints - but we made it
safely!). It's even hotter and dustier there, with not much to do, but
at least I got more work done on yet another VSF-B project. I also got
to eat Kenya-style fish, straight from Lake Turkana - they just pop the
whole thing in the pan, cook it, and serve it, no forks or nothing... so
I picked around the eyeballs and bones with my fingers... yummy! :) I
was glad to return to Loki - to my tent and my security guys :) Loki is
quite a cool place to be - I'm enjoying it, meeting tons of people, and
getting a bunch of work done (lots of training, data communications, and
inventory control stuff).

Aside - a few weeks ago when I deployed a PC from Nairobi to Loki, I
made a copy of my MP3 CD and included speakers - it's so wicked to hear
my "Canadian mix" music from the next room!! (and luckily for them, they
love Big Sugar ;)

So I can't send any pictures this time, but I've got a mission now - my
protege here, Alpha Kilo (oops, that's Anthony Khisa in radio-speak),
wants to document the whole camp and even outside in the manyatta (=
village), so we'll be doing that over the weekend. It's great to find
up-and-coming geeks in this part of the world! I'll send photos upon my
return to Nairobi... and hopefully answer the tons of email I'm sure to
have as well!

Note to Son & Tara - got your voice messages - thanks for calling,
guys!! It's rather prohibitive to call from here so you'll have to bear
with me. Try again if you want, I've been keeping the cell phone with
me. I think I was busy looking at the stars on a rooftop when you called
the first time, and by the second call I must have been long since
crashed! I'm jealous of your Hallowe'en - there's no such thing in Loki
:( I wanted to dress up as a UN peacekeeper :)

Kenya people - obviously I won't be back in Nairobi for a while, but
I'll keep in touch with Ash to let him know what's up. Pass the word,
and see you soon!

hugs,
juliet victor (aka johanna :)

 

 

 

Copyright Johanna Voerman Khisa, 2002-03. Reprinting or reposting without permission is prohibited.