Entries by Fraser Stephens

So, it's back to Holland for a briefing. Staying in a Hotel in Amsterdam, but popped over to Utrecht to meet up with Udo and Tamara and have supper. Will hopefully not be too late tonight as I'm sure the next two days are going to be very busy.

Thanks for all the messages of good luck. It's been quite an emotional departure this time, and not just because it is for 3 months longer than before. I promise I'll be careful and I'll be back before you know it!

Making use of having broadband before I go. I notice MSF is too - from the international site: http://www.msf.org/
For example This clip

I'm off again... this time to Burundi for nine months as a Logco. MSF Holland again. Very mixed feelings about going since I leave behind Dawn and her two boys. I wish I didn't have to choose between two very different things that both mean a lot to me. Many people have pointed out that nine months will pass very quickly, but it does not make it any easier. So where is Burundi I hear you ask? Just south of Rwanda. What sort of Mission is it? I don't know yet - but I've been warned that it is a "lot of work and more complicated than a straight forward MSF program because we are working with the MoH" I don't know an awful lot more than that, but follow this blog and I'll let you know more...

I've been really bad at getting round to sorting out my Ivorian pictures. Anyway, I've finally put a few up - hopefully I'll get round to giving them titles and descriptions at some point. http://www.pefe.co.uk/msf04

When I left Danan?he mood amongst the locals was up-beat. “The war is over”, “The UN are finally arriving” etc. Even the owners of businesses such as the sawmill had visited the town to see what was left of their factories. But when I debriefed in Abidjan the mood was quite different - the peace process was stalling and the political situation going downhill. And indeed it has totally unravelled in the last few weeks. The best source of news for the time being is the bbc news website (http://news.bbc.co.uk) and the most uptodate reports are best found on the world service (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/wsnews_aod.shtml). I have been in touch with my friends in the Ivory Coast and the last I heard from Grace was on Friday: The Bin-Houy?roject had evacuated and they had been ready to do the same, but did not get the green light. Given the violence demonstrated by Gbagbo’s supporters, I would imagine that they won’t be heading for Abidjan. I hope to hear from them soon... preferably from an internet cafe in Accra or Monrovia!

Well, I have been back for about 4 weeks, but not posted anything. I had hoped to be recovered by now, but by rushing around and doing the odd bit of work I have not really got all my energy back. I haven't even got round to posting a full set of pictures on the web yet... they are coming soon though. And what is next? I don't know that either - I promised myself that I would not make a decision for at least until after MvSvB, which is mid-november.

Mission's over, 32 page long handover finished, and flown back to Holland. Original plan had me debriefing, having a medical checkup and heading back to the UK on Wednesday, but I've been distracted by the opportunity to attend the MSFH LogCo-days - basically the conference of Logistical Coordinators. Since Ivory Coast has not had one for the last four months, and I therefore filled some of the gaps, they invited me to join them. All facinating stuff, and it is wonderful to be able to feedback stuff directly to the people who can make a difference. The downside is that I won't get back to the UK until Friday lunchtime.

Well, I have not been keeping the blog updated, that's for sure. With a hectic start, and a long period without a full team of expats, the first half of my mission was always going to be a case of working flat out. I hoped that after half time I would start to reap the benefits of all the hard work putting proper controls in place and sorting out the filing system. But it was not to be. To start with, when returning from Ghana I had a crazy couple of weeks catching up with all that had gone on while I was away. I know people who don't take more than a week of holiday because they feel that the difficulty in catching up after two weeks away negates the benefits. Well, it was a bit like that. Also after ages being down at 6 expats (supervising 180 national staff and providing healthcare to about 300,000 people) our HR crisis was suddenly cured. We now have 11 expats... so twice the number of expats can believe I am just there to answer their every need. Actually that is far from the truth - I can not have wished for a better team and having the staff means that finally things such as staff training, sterilization, consumption monitoring and reporting can be given the attention they deserve. Weekend before last I was due for my 2nd R&R - unfortunately this coincided with me feeling decidedly unwell: 8 hours in a landcruiser when you have had a headache for 2 days is not a pleasant experience. Also being away from your own bedroom and your own hospital is just where you don't want to be: Hotels are not ideal and you don't have a lab on the end of VHF radio to call of to try and work out if you have malaria or not. I don't think I did have malaria, but I took the normal course of treatment. Amodiaquine sure does knock you out - I now know why all my staff claims the treatment is worse than the symptoms! So R&R was not the break that was required... but I went back to the project nonetheless and soldiered on for another week, taking a couple of half days. I could have stayed back, but there was too much to do... and like I said, when unwell, I can't think of a better place to be. And I do feel better... but still very tired. As it happens, the surgical block has now been turned over to Alex and Christianne - it's almost running, but the finally rehab stuff consists of a few shelves and they can ask Moctar for them directly. And the big drug order has now been handed over to the capital - all my work getting stock and consumption figures together have finished. Also William, (our capital log) and Erwin (FinCo) are departing this week, leaving an understaffed capital office, so being down here makes sense from a work of view too. The project is in the safe hands of the multi-talented Grace (Admin extraordinaire) and Carol (PC). So here I am in Abidjan - satellite TV (just so happens the Olympics are on, in case nobody noticed) and ADSL. Kill Bill II is on at the local cinema (French language only) and the supermarket is well stocked with all the French food anyone could ask for (at slightly above French prices, one must add). Today has been spent mostly surfing the internet and emailing people. It is great to have the time to write individual replies to each email I receive. Keep them coming! And it's only about 5 weeks before I'll be back home. Most people's lives change surprisingly little in six months, but I also know there are a lot of little lives that are changing very rapidly, and I'm sure I'll be amazed by how much Zo?Holly, Hughie & Jamie, Anna, Eadlin, Georgia and so many others have changed since I left... and of course there are several new faces to meet. I managed to leave the full backup of my photos at the project, but I did have a small selection with me - I've put them up at http://www.pefe.co.uk/cijuly. Enjoy!