Disaster response

At this time, when the elections are coming up there is a lot of tension between tribes whop are burning each other’s homes and slaughtering cattle. So there are a lot of displaced people staying in schools or churches, but other are hidden in peoples homes, so part of the job is assessment going to the place and talking to elders and investigating; how many people are affected, where are the people staying, collecting names… so then we can go with food stuffs and non food items.

The things taken are: maize, beans and oil as food items, then as non food items: mozi nets, kitchen sets, blankets, soap, tarpaulin and clothes sometimes if there has been a church who has organized a collection. The government provides the food and other Red Cross branches or well wishes the rest.

But there are a lot of difficulties such as co-operation of people, waiting around for the government officials to sign out the food, stopping people from taking more than their share…

On the Monday we went to distribute and I saw how people who are not even affected come just trying to benefit from the situation, then other people pretend to be someone else, or a husband and wife will both go so that they get double the provisions. It is tough to keep control which is why the army help, they are really needed as at one point I saw what it is like when all the people swarm around you wanting to get something! Or when we pack up the truck and those who were not successful grab and demand to be given things.

But it is great fun, we get up, come pack the trucks, usually about 12 people go from the branch and sometimes we are joined by volunteers from other branches. There is a big truck that goes to carry the maize and beans sacks, wowa rather nice sight watching the strong young men lift the sacks! But that’s besides the point! Then there are the land rovers and on VERY old truck dating back from the Vietnam war. Pretty interesting to see how it operates. Yesterday I was in the truck, great view from up the top, the other day I was in a land rover, the seat kept almost falling off, pretty exciting!

On the first day I was told to report at 7am and it was not till 11 that we left, that day it really pissed me off the lack of time keeping and efficiency, but after a week of it I have leanrnt that hey, this is Africa, I might as well go with the flow, there is that phrase, ‘God give me the strength to change the things I can, the patience to accept the things I cannot and the wisdom to know the difference,’ (or something to that meaning) and I have realized that this is one of those, accept it situations! I can’t do anything about is so I might as well not stress out and have fun!