Standing in the several security checks queues at the airport, I thought I’d gather my thoughts on my week here. I was here this last week working on a project for an application for funding an early warning system for the meteorological authority. We're applying to the green climate fund (GCF) for $10 million to upskill their forecasting and warning capacity. Arguing the need for this project to be implemented essentially writes itself as it’s pretty evident the people of Sudan are in dire need.
It’s been an interesting week here, far far too hot. Totally not helped by everyone reminding me that it's winter and therefore actually quite cool. Somehow my brain wasn't fooled. But it's been good, met lots of interesting people and went into a community north of Khartoum that was recently flooded for a bit of impact ground-truthing. Everyone has been very friendly, particularly when it comes to food... they are feeders... really... not helped by the fact that they eat breakfast around 10:00, which happens to be the time when most meetings happen to be scheduled. Nothing like an old Arabic man force-feeding you sheep while you're trying to ask him about receiving flood warnings.
Having just come out of a revolution early this year, everything is wrapped in complex sensitivities. Good thing I’m totally not someone that just stomps into conversations asking awkward questions (sarcasm). For instance, part of the GCF requirements is that at least 50% benefit goes to women, so interesting challenge, asking them questions like, "what decision-making authority do women have in your community?".... Crickets... Old man eats more sheep...
I managed to do some limited tourist things. Most awesome and yet disappointing was going to the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. Awesome to be at the meeting point of the world longest river, but there was no line in the water... lame.. but still pretty amazing to be there. Other fun tourist experience was trying to navigate taxis and tuk-tuks getting around without speaking Arabic.
It's rather a culture shock visiting here, things we take for granted, like road traffic rules or the sense of personal space as defined by my experience, haven't quite made it into the collective consciousness. But all in all, a good trip. While there are stressors beyond what most of the world could imagine, there is strangely a sense of optimism in the people I met. The pessimist in me says it may stem from people not being able imaging things getting worse, but I actually think it’s deeper than that. I think it’s coming from having some a sense of resilience, something like, “Look what we’ve just come through” and “we have the opportunity to make things better”. It’s a strangely beautiful place perhaps from it being so harsh and unforgiving and so very foreign but couldn’t help smiling looking at the people, the city, at the craziness of it all and feeling that optimism too.
Yorumlar