Nearly 19 years in East Africa and counting...

Monday, March 25, 2024

High-level Visit 2

On arrival in at the airport in Mogadishu, we bid farewell on the tarmac to those who would continue on to Nairobi. My regional colleague and I would remain in the “green zone” to attend a function at the British embassy. This area, which is essentially a military base with an international airport, has changed radically over the years. It’s basically compounds with high security located within a massive compound with high security. It sits on a piece of land along the coast. Private contractors drive a distorted economy and charge huge amounts to UN, foreign governments and international organizations for rent, food services, security, etc. It’s a big racket and I’m not sure how the international community will untangle itself from the whole thing. I’m just glad we’re not a part of it.


After our event, we made our way outside the “green zone” and to our office/guesthouse. The previous week or so had put me considerably behind in my work and I was happy to sit outside on our veranda in solitude and plug away at my emails.

The next day we had an all-Mogadishu staff meeting with about 60 or so staff in attendance. We have about double that in this office but for those who work in clinics throughout the city, it can be impractical to come all the way to the office. Afterwards, my colleagues were off to the airport and I would have the guesthouse to myself for the next couple days. The time would consist of internal and external meetings with little time for anything else.

* * *

On Thursday, it was time to travel home. It was a relatively stressful couple of weeks and a long time since I had had a day off. I was looking forward to packing up and heading out. But the day turned out to be rather strange, even by the strangeness that I’m accustomed to.

It began as it normally would. I packed my bag, had breakfast, conducted a brief last-minute HR meeting and then made my way downstairs just as the armored vehicle arrived to pick me up. The boom gate lifted, the perimeter gate opened, and we were off. 

The construction on the main road to the airport was expected. It's supposed to last for several weeks. What I didn’t anticipate was that as we approached, the driver blew past some police officers who began yelling at him to stop, reaching for their guns. Eventually the driver did stop and the yelling between the two parties ensued. We were only about 50 meters from where I would need to get out anyway, to walk the stretch where the construction was, so I just go out and started walking. The driver was so engaged in his argument with the police that he barely noticed. The only problem was that I was supposed to be met by the security guys who would walk me through the construction area to the waiting vehicle on the other side. I think it’s the first time I’ve walked alone on a Mogadishu street and I was hoping to hell the security team would be waiting on the other end. There was no line of sight so I couldn’t know for sure.

I stuffed my UN badge in my pocket given the reputation the institution has in the country, particularly among militant groups. I don’t work for the UN but they provide me an ID to facilitate my ability to get in and out of the “green zone” and access the UN compounds inside. Having that dangling around my neck would not be a good thing.

After walking up and down the sandy hills of the construction area, my security guy eventually came into view. I expected him to be agitated that I ventured out across the construction area on my own without waiting.  That didn’t appear to be the case, probably because he knew the issue was caused by their guy.

As we approached the vehicle, an elderly woman in a hijab came up to me begging for money. The security guy held her back and motioned for me to get in. As the door shut, the woman began tapping on the tinted bulletproof window.

Though I get approached like this in Kenya, and many other countries, it never happens in Somalia due to the fact that I am never visible. My security, particularly in Mogadishu, is so tight that I could never be seen and certainly not approached like this. Today was an exception.

The woman obviously couldn’t see inside but she kept tapping on the window with one hand and extending the other with her hand cupped. Just as we were pulling away I told the driver to stop. Before leaving the office, one of my staff had given me two boxes of baklava as a gift for my family. He’s very kind and he’s done this before. He said it was a gesture for all that I had gone through the past couple of weeks. While I was appreciative of his gesture, it occurred to me that one of the boxes might be more appreciated by this woman. I quickly opened my heavy door, handed her one of the boxes, and then off we sped. I would have enjoyed seeing her eyes as she saw what was inside the blue bag.

* * *

Getting in the “green zone” went rather smoothly (by the way, I use quotes since no one here calls it that). Before I had the badge, it was often long and difficult. We then made our way to the UN compound where I would have a meeting prior to heading to the airport.

Quick high-level meetings like this border on pointless. It’s not so much the content because I think the discussion went pretty well. It’s just that important people from UN HQs have the challenge of overly ambitious itineraries combined with the complicated logistics of our context. Conversation was frequently interrupted by handlers and security people popping in and out, whispering messages in various people’s ears. There are also a lot of people who like to feel important and/or convey importance during these things. It’s the inflated view of one’s value-add that I’ve mentioned previously.

After the meeting, I found my way back through the labyrinth that is the UN compound to my waiting vehicle. Upon exiting the gate of the UN compound, you need to get checked out. My badge was quickly scanned. The driver, on the other hand, had to go inside the guard station to retrieve his non-UN ID. I sat in the vehicle for about 10-15 minutes before I got out and went to the guard station to see what was going on. Turns out that the UN guards had lost his ID. They apparently hold visitor IDs in a blue wash bucket (?!). There were dozens and dozens of them with tangled lanyards in a mess that looked from a distance like a colorful bowl of spaghetti. The clock was ticking and I desperately didn’t want to miss my plane. We finally agreed that the driver would come back to sort it out after dropping me off at the air terminal. I don’t think he was keen on the idea of leaving without his ID but we didn’t have any choice.


Off we sped on the dusty road. If all went well, I would just make it in time to check in.

* * *

As you might guess, all did not go well. Before reaching the terminal, we hit a massive queue of SUVs, trucks and armored personal carriers. And nothing was moving. After about ten minutes of waiting, I gave up. I told the driver (who didn’t speak a word of English), that I was getting out and walking the rest of the way. I think he was uncomfortable about me bailing on his ability to carry out his mandate, but I didn’t have too many options. It was less problematic to do this here than what I had done earlier in the morning given that we were at least within the “green zone”. My biggest issue was the intense heat of midday, and, of course, the possibility of missing my flight. Thankfully I travel lightly.

I tromped along the sandy roadside passing the dozens of standing vehicles, eventually arriving at the terminal. Other than being soaked with sweat, I was happy with my decision to walk. I was late enough that navigating security was slightly easier. The first stage of the gauntlet is the first of two sniffer dog checks (and the usual request for “tip” from airport security guys) and then the security check as you enter the terminal building. I know one of the guards quite well and we had our usual, albeit quick, chat about the weather, family, etc. It’s helpful to have and maintain these connections in case something unpredictable happens.

I was one of the last to check in. I arrived too late for the gate sniffer dog bag check which didn’t seem to bother anyone. As we filed out to walk to the plane, I knew I was going to make the flight and, though soaked with sweat, I was feeling a bit relieved. I had had a rather arduous couple of weeks and I didn’t want to extend it by a day (or more) by missing my flight.

As I boarded the airplane there was an elderly Somali woman in my seat in the front row of the plane. That seemed to follow the pattern of my day thus far. My frustration was tempered by the fact that the lady didn’t look well at all. The guy next to her, likely her son, was giving her sips of water. I’m assuming they were trying to get her to Nairobi for health care. I temporarily sat across the aisle waiting for the flight attendant to find me another seat. As looked over at her, she had a haunting, almost desperate look in her eyes. It appeared she needed help ASAP.

I was eventually put in a row behind her. I proceeded to open my laptop to catch up on my neglected email inbox while I still had internet.

Soon the door of the plane closed and we began to taxi. All of the sudden, the plane stopped. I looked up and there was some commotion around the sick lady. The door of the plane opened and within a few minutes paramedics boarded. One of them checked the woman’s pulse and shook his head. Sadly, and shockingly, she had just died.

After about ten minutes, an ambulance arrived. They carried her out of the airplane and lay her on the gurney and covered her face. There was no yelling and pointing which seems to accompany most logistics in this country. It was a very methodical and reasonably quiet process. As the ambulance drove away, it took a bit to collect my thoughts. The front of the plane was relatively quiet since it was apparent to most what had just happened. Farther back, it appeared that most were unaware, other than the fact that a passenger was loaded into an ambulance.

the ambulance pulling away from the airplane (through a dirty window)

It was a sobering moment that stuck with me the remainder of the day. Interestingly, the woman’s seat was taken by another woman with a newborn baby.

Monday, March 18, 2024

High-level Visit 1

After the week in Diani, we returned to Nairobi where I would be launched into one of the busier times of the year. The next week I spent in global meetings, thankfully hosted in Nairobi just a few blocks from our house. No need to travel, and in fact I was able to commute by bicycle, my preferred mode of transportation.

The meetings involved our country leadership from around the globe. It was the first time we had met as a group (just us) since probably 2019 in Tunis. Some new faces. Some people I’ve known for over 15 years. Good to connect and discuss some critical issues. It was the first time in our history that men were in the minority in this group. We’ve come a long way.

* * *

On the heels of the week-long meetings (i.e. at 4am the next morning), I would move on to my next commitment. We had been asked to host our Senior Vice President, and a small entourage, for a short visit in Somalia. We had some fairly limiting parameters. He only had two nights available and he had some specific activities that he wanted to visit. And I couldn’t return to where we went when he last visited in January 2018. We ended up deciding on Puntland in northern Somalia where it appeared we could pull off such a visit. Complicated logistics in the country can make tight visits unravel in a hurry. Puntland is the safest bet since travel there tends to be more reliable than other places, largely due to its stability.

We met at the Nairobi airport around 4:30am. For me this is a very regular thing. Checking in for flights to/from Mogadishu can be chaotic. Usually there are lots of massive bags, partially due to the fact that shipping things in and out of Somalia is not easy, or cheap. I’ve seen car tires, small appliances, etc. all going in as checked luggage (but no poorly sealed buckets of raw fish as we experienced in the interior of Tanzania). There are usually lots of tired children, elderly needing assistance, issues at immigration, etc. and things that end up making the process a bit less orderly. You just need to show up early and take it as it comes. It’s like fighting against an ocean rip tide. Getting frustrated and pushing against it won’t help. Just be mentally prepared, relax, and know that you’ll be clear of it eventually.

* * *

Garowe

The flight went directly to Garowe without passing through Mogadishu. That was a big bonus and we gained considerable time. Immigration in Puntland is more straight forward than it used to be. As a semi-autonomous part of Somalia, they have at times created redundant processes as they have navigated their love-hate relationship with the federal government. Currently there seems to be more love than hate, though it’s not always rosy.


steel door with deadbolt lock (same for the window which didn't open anyway)

Normally I stay at the office guesthouse when I'm there but because we were such a large group (six altogether), and security is simplified if we don't split up, we all stayed in a hotel. This was a new, and quite pleasant, experience. Though I enjoy being at the guesthouse, I must admit that having AC, satellite TV and a restaurant was nice.

The town of Garowe has grown significantly over the years. Migration is fed in large part to the greater security it provides compared to almost every other part of the country. The roads are good. Buildings are under construction everywhere. I read that over 80% of the energy being consumed is renewable (solar, wind). I don’t know if it’s sustainable, but for now it seems to be moving in the right direction.

The first afternoon we were there we met with staff. It’s the thing I probably enjoy the most when visiting the field. This team in particular seems to have a lot of energy and ambition. It’s good for them to have a high-level visit like this in that it feeds some of that motivation.

* * *

Burtinle

The next day we were on the road shortly after 7:00am. We had a long day ahead and we needed to get an early start. We needed to travel in a convoy of five vehicles: three for our team (plus a couple of Garowe colleagues) and two mandatory security vehicles at the front and back.


We arrived in the town of Burtinle by mid-morning and proceeded straight to meet with the mayor. I’ve been to this town a few times and have met with previous mayors. There is generally a lower level of corruption in this part of Somalia than elsewhere and the local government had recently moved to general suffrage for local elections for the first time. It sort of gives hope that this is the direction the rest of the country might be headed in the future. Maybe.

The visit was cordial and I think it reflected the good collaboration we have had over the past several years. It was good to finish up, however, and head out to visit some activities. The plan for the day was to load up the morning with visits, have lunch early afternoon and then begin heading back. You don’t want to be on the road after 5pm.

* * *

The first stop was a safe space for women and girls that we have supported over the years. They do a lot of skills training (henna tattooing, tie-dye, tailoring, basket weaving and other classes). These places tend to be very valuable to the community and it’s good that we can help keep them continue to be operational. I think the downside is that there just isn’t a big enough economy to support everyone with a livelihood once they’ve been trained. We need to figure out a way to tap into new markets such that we can diversify the training a bit more. Regardless, it plays a vital role in the community.

dangling camel strips

* * *

The next stop was at a market in town. We support these women’s savings and loan groups that turn into small businesses. We were able to visit a couple of these businesses and hear their stories. Pretty exciting to see that they are able to generate an income. It’s not huge but they are able to put food on the table.


The third visit was at a mobile health clinic where we provide malnutrition screening focused on children under five years of age. This effort is pretty cool in that it’s a cost-effective way of reaching a lot of people without the cost of a dedicated facility and without them needed to travel long distances to access care. Would be great if we had the funds to expand this further but it was good to see it in action in this community.

healthy (and curious) herd

The final visit, now early afternoon, was to a borehole that we rehabilitated and provided with solar panels to support the water pump. Removing the need for a diesel generator is huge for these communities since they don’t have the means to obtain diesel fuel nor maintain the generators. I’ve visited these boreholes throughout the country and the functionality of the water access can be life or death for these people. It’s always nice to happen upon a pastoralist camel herders passing through. This time it was not to be, though a herd of goats graced us with their presence.

We did see lots of camels as we traveled, however. It was fantastic to see that not only were they putting on weight by they were accompanied by lots of calves. During the drought it was gut-wrenching to see all of the animal carcasses and emaciated animals. We don’t know what the future holds, but at least for now it’s great to see healthy and growing herds.

a good sign to see healthy calves

* * *

Speaking of camels, after the borehole we headed back up the road to a restaurant. We were dusty, hot and a bit dehydrated. We had lots of water available to us in the vehicles but you don’t want to drink too much so as not to be in a situation when you need a toilet and one is not available.

Towns in Somalia often have a few restaurants that are equipped with rooms available to people who need to be less visible. As foreigners, that would include us. It would also include government officials and anyone else who might have a particular security risk.

This room was a bit odd but I’ve seen rooms like this before. There was a sofa and over-stuffed chairs at one end on what appeared to be some sort of stage. My guess is that it is one of the main options for local weddings or important meetings. Good to have something like this in such a remote part of the country.


There is no menu in a place like this, except sometimes in the form of a poster on the wall. In our case, we didn’t even order. The team had arranged in advance to save time and everyone was given the same thing: a plastic plate of rice and, you guessed it, a plastic plate of camel meat.


I’m always curious how foreigners react to this sort of thing. I thought it was good, but the portions were huge. I think most of our guests partook though I think one of them just ate rice.

* * *

We were soon on our way. I had plenty to do in the vehicle so the drive didn’t seem taxing. The pavement is basically non-existent half the time and there is lots of zigzagging, but I managed to avoid motion sickness. We arrived in Garowe around our targeted time and we all went our separate ways. My Somalia phone doesn’t work in Puntland since It’s a different network. So being back in the hotel gave me the opportunity to whittle down some of the messages in my inbox.

I would have another meeting the next morning at 7:30am and then we were off to the airport. This time we would fly to Mogadishu. Half of the team would carry on back to Nairobi. Half would disembark and remain in Mogadishu. I was part of the latter. 


Saturday, March 16, 2024

Diani

Once again, behind in my updates. Incredibly busy time these past few weeks. Will pick up where I left off.

I spent much of February in Somalia. It limits the amount of things I have to recount that might have taken place elsewhere and things that don't have to do with work. We were, however, able to squeeze in a trip to the coast so I’ll start with that.

* * *

I was last on the coast last September, so not that long ago. But we hadn’t been as a family for a long time. May 2022 to be exact. For us that’s the longest stretch of not traveling to the coast since we’ve lived in Kenya. There have been a number of reasons. One is we’ve opted to go to other places, including the trip to Paris last year. We’ve also needed to tighten our belts financially a bit as we were finishing the building of the house in Idaho.

So it was at last time to head to the ocean. The girls were on holiday at the French school for a couple weeks in February so we used one of those weeks to travel. Still needing to watch our finances, we opted on taking the train.

* * *

The Train

Rail service to the coast has existed since the late 1800s when British colonialists built what was then called the Uganda Railway, named after its ultimate destination. The narrow gauge (or meter gauge) train maintained a certain popularity in the early 1900s (before the time of the airplane) as it transported tourists from the port of Mombasa to the interior of Kenya as exotic safari excursions grew in popularity. Theodore Roosevelt raved about his travels on the train in 1909.

early morning at the modern-ish train station in Nairobi

After independence, however, the railway gradually fell into disrepair and eventually was dubbed the “Lunatic Express”. In summer 2016, a reporter for The Economist magazine (someone I knew during my time in Burundi) took the train from Nairobi to Mombasa. He wrote that the railway was in poor condition, departing 7 hours late and taking 24 hours for the journey. Its last run was in April 2017.


The new standard gauge train began service the following month, in May 2017. The route runs parallel to the old line and passes through the transportation corridor between Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park. Viaducts and embankments elevate the track above ground level, with underpasses allowing wildlife to pass safely underneath (allegedly).

 
the ticker says 42 C. (107 F.) outside; it was hot but not that hot

* * *

We took an Uber to the train station the morning of our trip. Unfortunately, the station is a considerable distance from central Nairobi and it’s the same at the other end in Mombasa. The world, including the US, needs to learn from our European counterparts and make rail service more user friendly.

on the ferry in Mombasa

I will say that I was impressed with the efficiency of the operation in general. Sadly, security is super tight and annoying, but I suppose it’s necessary. We were told that the train leaves exactly on time and it did, both leaving Nairobi and leaving Mombasa at the end of the week. It was also clean and the service was good. If you have the time, I think it’s a more enjoyable way to travel than the plane. And we were able to see some wildlife along the way.

hard to see in the photo but lots of zebras as we sped by

Unfortunately, I would be working remotely for the week. I’ve done this before and, to be honest, it wasn’t a huge problem. It was sad not to be out playing with the kids at the beach during the day, but it was manageable. There are worse places to work.

* * *

Diani

Diani Beach has been our preferred coastal destination. The beaches are the best that we’ve experienced on the Kenyan coast and there are loads of child-friendly places to stay. I will say, however, that we are slowly graduating out of such locations. I suppose that’s a good thing, in a way, in that it gives you hotel options that don’t involve kid-specific amenities. But imagining doing these things without the girls is a sad thought. It has been an important part of their childhood and has created some of our most precious memories. 

ah, good to be back at the beach...



* * *

Given the need to work during the day, I was obliged to tap into the early morning for my exercise. Though Priya and I normally do our workouts in parallel (more or less the same day/time), we don’t normally do the same activities. This week, Priya decided to join me on the dawn runs on the beach. When we first became a couple back in the Tanzania days, we would often run together. But running isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and over time she migrated to other fitness routines. It was nice this week, to share the experience, feel the coolness of morning, watch the sunrise, take a post-run dip in the ocean, etc. I can’t think of a better way to start the day, especially since I’m unable to sleep in.

running at sunrise


yeh, we did that

* * *

One hesitation before we went was the expected heat. We are at the hottest time of the year and, according to the BBC, the hottest year on record. But the excessive heat is more manageable when you’re at the coast. In the end, it was uncomfortable at times but not a big deal. It was a nice break from Nairobi and a breather before the subsequent few weeks which would be busy and at times arduous.


Friday, February 9, 2024

Discs and Ticks

January was a busy month. We returned from Nanyuki the day after New Year’s (Tuesday) and by the following Monday I was back in Mogadishu and our girls were back and school. It was an easier transition than years past given that we stayed in East Africa and there was no jet lag to overcome.

We did find time on a weekend to join some friends for a disk golf birthday party. For starters, I didn’t know it existed in Kenya. Though I know relatively little about the sport, I do have some history with it.

Back in the early 1990s when I was living in Switzerland, some friends of mine and I played what we called frisbee golf, which was, I think, the type of activity that was an origin of the more sophisticated game that people play today. At the time, playing at the University of Lausanne, we identified nine random targets (serving like holes in golf). It was usually a tree or something easily identifiable. One was a one-meter circular hole in the side of a concrete wall.

By the mid- to late-90s, when I was at grad school, disc golf had become a thing and there was a proper course set up at the local university. It’s a nice low-tech activity to do with some friends, though I didn’t do it very often.

* * *

For the birthday, we all met at a wildlife conservancy just outside Nairobi. It took a while to get there, inching along through congested suburbia. There wasn’t much signage so we relied on Google. Eventually the sign appeared and, thankfully, we were clear of the honking horns, exhaust and crowded streets.


I was curious how you combine a conservancy with disc golf. We eventually found the guy whose family (by marriage) owns the property. He’s an American who seems to have settled in Kenya for good. Can’t say I blame him. It’s an amazing property with loads of wildlife (zebras, impalas, giraffes, eland, etc.). Even though it’s not connected to Nairobi National Park, there are apparently animals that make their way between the two. He said that they have had lions a couple of times. They alert the national park and they come, sedate them and haul them back. It would be kind of exciting to stroll out on the patio with your morning coffee and see some lions off in distance. Though I think they might be disruptive to a disc golf game.

* * *

Once we were all there, we had a rather extensive tutorial by our American host. It’s a good thing since I realized how much I didn’t know. I had never learned properly and there’s a bit more to it than I was aware of.


And then there were the local conditions. One good piece of advice was to wrap double-sided tape around your lower calf to catch any potential ticks. He said that when he’s out in the brush for a few hours, he averages about one per day. Some of us had shorts on which increased exposure. I tend to draw insects to me so I was guessing that I might exceed that. 

Even by the end of the tutorial I had captured a tick on my tape. He said there isn’t any evidence of lime disease in the area so I was hoping he was right and they would be just an annoyance. To be safe, I added a second band of tape a bit farther up my calf prior to heading out for our 9-hole round of play. Turned out to be a good call. By the end of the afternoon, I would about a half-dozen ticks stuck to the tape. 

* * *

Would I go again? Maybe. It’s a nice setting, throwing discs around with curious zebras gazing at you in the distance. It’s just the annoying drive there. And the ticks. I’ll give it a maybe.