Volume 6
August 3, 2004Hi, everyone.
News has been less frequent lately, but I got a fresh email from Allyson today, and I think that, rather than paraphrasing, I'll just excerpt some of what she sent me, so she can tell all of you, in her own words, what's going on in Garsila, West Darfur.
“We are fine, although we know that sanctions are being threatened, which sure might make things more tense here. Hope not.
“The feeding clinic is going better, although it's still difficult to communicate, as everyone speaks Arabic and/or Fur, which is a tribal language. I usually have an interpreter, who speaks Arabic only, and they must interpret what I say to another mother who speaks Fur and Arabic and then to the mother herself. So sometimes, it takes three people to interpret.
“Also, MSF has taken over the local hospital, which is a huge job. The hospital is unbelievable, although I'm sure it’s pretty typical for third world hospitals. A baby was born a few days ago in the hospital, and though we didn't deliver it, it was still touching.
“Also, I was helping in the hospital since we are taking over and the staff isn’t sure what to do. A little girl was there with bad burns from falling in a pot of water. They removed her dressing without any pain medication, and it was excruciating to watch, but they got it off and changed it. I felt good because I found her some pain medication afterward, after giving her a snack of the high-protein peanut butter concoction that we give out. It's very cool because it's designed to have so little water in it that it can't spoil, which obviously comes in handy in countries like these.
“Can't tell you how much I dream about home....”
And I can't tell y'all how often I dream about her being home. Neither can I tell you how proud of her I am. Hearing these stories -- and also hearing from her about the smells, the bugs and the rats that are now part of her daily life -- I'm just kinda in awe. I know if she read this, she'd bust my chops and say, "You make me sound like a saint, and I'm not." And that's right. She's not.
But she seems to be getting closer every day.
-- Chuck
Links to Aid Organizations
Doctors Without Borders UNICEF International Red CrossInformational Links
CIA Sudan Factbook United Nations Passion of the Present New York Times (Africa section)
NPR "Fresh Air" program on Darfur The Guardian's Darfur Diary
Last updated Wednesday, January 19, 2005