The Move

So yes, the move. As for the new job, I’m overseeing our program in Somalia, based in Nairobi. The expression that often comes to mind is “out of the frying pan and into the fire”. It may be the case but I’m actually quite happy so far and now that I’ve been through a lot of briefings and security training, it seems to be a good fit. The staff have been very welcoming and all indication is that they are quite talented, both those based in Nairobi and those in Somalia. I will be taking trips periodically into various parts of the country and I look forward to seeing the good work we are doing. The first trip will likely be in the next couple of weeks.

the best finance controller, Schofield, day before leaving

Though there are drastic differences between the two contexts, there are some interesting comparisons that can be made between Burundi and Somalia. Both have populations that are around 10m people. Both were launch into nasty, protracted civil wars in the early nineties until about ten years ago. Both generated hundreds of thousands of refugees in neighboring countries (Burundi of course was able to get the refugees back into the country by 2012 only to have a security nose dive last year to quickly generate another quarter million displaced. Somalia’s are mostly still in exile but the announced closure of the largest Somali refugee camp may start generating large numbers of returnees over the next couple of years).  Both countries are still dealing with the legacy of these conflicts – though Somalia seems to be making more of an effort to move on. Time will tell.

looking older than her five years

There are obviously some stark differences as well. Somalia has generated some international interest for geopolitical reasons. Burundi has made little headway in this regard. No oil. Few minerals. No bastion of international terrorism. Not much to make Western countries devote serious resources to fix the problem.

my new office, nothing like my old one (top left)

Somalia’s power has traditionally been based on a complex clan system. That system of elders and traditional leaders is the basis upon which a parliamentary government is being overlaid. I don’t understand the context well yet but it seems that many would like to see the clan structure completely supplanted by a federal parliamentary system but it seems that such a profound change may take a generation (or two). Expectations will need to be realistic, particularly with other challenges plaguing the country such as drought, Al-Shebaab and, more recently, ISIS.

view of downtown from my office

While most bilateral aid has been suspended for Burundi’s government, aid is increasing for Somalia. It seems unfair that Burundi, the hungriest country on the planet, is receiving so little humanitarian attention. I will no doubt continue to follow the situation, even though I move on.

Our Time in Burundi Draws to a Close

As previously said, I’m in Nairobi. And I’m not here on a visit. I have a new job. I wish I could say WE live here now but alas the family is yet to arrive. After six years in Burundi it is finally time to move on. At face value it should be an easy decision to leave a chronically troubled, economically tanking, hungry and sometimes violent country. Unfortunately it’s more complicated than that. Over the past six years needless to say we’ve grown rather attached to the place. 

our first month in Burundi, easy to see the attraction

We moved to Burundi in 2010, soon after the previous controversial elections. If you were to graph the growth and stability of the country you’d have a gradual improvement from then until 2014. You’d then see it begin to dip late in the year and then begin to plummet in 2015 – a decline that continues to today.

by April 2011, Kiran was well on the way

With this as a backdrop, we set up a home in Burundi. It was almost love at first sight. The people. The tropical-without-the-intense-heat climate. The beauty. Easy to get around. Yes, there are things that Westerners have to do without but after our time in Tanzania, particularly in Kibondo back in the day, we were not in need of luxury. The violence was never too bad until last year. Even then we rarely felt that our family was in any kind of danger.

...and then we were three

 The friendships have been important. Over the past few years we have met some really wonderful and interesting people. Great Burundian friends and colleagues. Expat friends that have moved on. Expat friends and colleagues that we are leaving now. It has been a rich experience.

Kinaya arrived in 2013 - and then we were four

Professionally I’ve been very blessed. I have had a fantastic team that are both talented and wonderful to work with. The organization tripled in size, peaking out at about 430 staff. We did some great work in support of a population that has suffered off and on for decades. It really gave you the feeling that you were having an impact on the country.

Singapore in 2014

My departure has nothing to do with the declining situation in the country. If fact we had initially committed to 4-5 years and it ended up being quite a bit longer. I prolonged my time there to navigate last year’s crisis. Now, with things having stabilized a bit, at least compared to how it was, and a new program management team in place, it’s time to make my exit. 

the Seychelles in 2015

On a personal level it’s not quite as evident that it’s time to depart. We are plugged into a good community and the girls are in a good school. We have a diligent and loving nanny. And so forth. To be honest, there will never be a good time to go when one considers all aspects of one’s life. But we have discussed it, prayed about it, discussed it some more and it’s become clear that it’s time. On to Kenya.

opening farewell gifts during my last weekend

Harare

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to sit down and write – about anything. Closest I’ve come has been jotting down meeting notes.

I was looking back to see what the last blog post was and I was stunned to see that it was to discuss events so long ago and a world away. So much has happened since then.

After returning to Burundi, I was in Burundi for a couple weeks before heading off to Zimbabwe for meetings. I realized this afternoon that the blog entry that I wrote while I was there never was posted. So here it is:

8 September

I’m in Harare, Zimbabwe, as I type this. I’m here for meetings this week. I’m my first time here and, in spite of its troubles, I must say that I think it’s pretty nice. I’d heard good things about the country/people/climate and it didn’t let me down. Obviously the country has struggled over the past few years. It’s suffering economic collapse, a cash crisis, poor production (land reform), stagnated foreign investment and of course political turmoil. You would think that the place would look like hell but it doesn’t. You can tell by looking around Harare that at its high point things were probably quite good. It feels like a proper city that has let itself go, sort of like Marlin Brando in his later years. It’s a shame, actually, and most Zimbabweans will tell you that it didn’t have to be this way. It could have been the shining start of Africa.

my hotel, pretty sweet place actually

Most are aware of the general reasons behind why things are the way they are. If not, I urge you to look it up.  It’s a fascinating and rather sad tale of abusive colonization, economic progress, wacky retribution by the cliché African Big Man leader. The now aged president, after steering the country into an economic abyss, is nearing the end of his days. 

Lately there have been demonstrations. The govt. has a habit of cracking down hard on such things. We were told that the protests were banned for a couple of weeks covering the time that I was in the country. But then the Supreme Court overturned the decision stating that banning demonstrations is illegal. So the path ahead will invariably be rocky as president-for-life reaches the end of the “life” part and there is no clear way forward. The question is what will happen afterwards since the power vacuum will likely be an opportunity for the piranhas to fight over who’s next. 

As I said, it’s sad. Many African leaders just don’t have the integrity to walk away when their time is done. It’s all the more damaging given that those very Big Men have made messes that will require decades to clean up, even if their successors have integrity.

cool view of Kilimanjaro while heading through Nairobi