Well here I am. Leer , Unity State, South Sudan. Day 3!
What a lovely team of people, I have been welcomed to their number and already feel like I belong among them.
I arrived here after the dreaded flight from Juba on Friday. It was in fact ok , I suspect that 5mg of Diazepam added to the acceptability level! The small 10-12 seat World Food Programme aircraft always make me very anxious, they really shift in turbulent air and I am always on edge. I was in one of them flying to Yambio in 2008 and picked up a magazine that was stuffed into the back of the seat in front of me. It was a flight safety magazine highlighting the causes of aircraft crashes in Africa – smooth reading!!
The compound is nice (except for the hideous toilet which is definitely going to interrupt normal proceedings). My Tukul which you can see in the photo (next to the grotesque bog) is comfortable and will be a nice home for the next six months.
The Hospital is a short walk from the compound and after some recent security problems is going to be resuming normal services Monday . We are expecting it to get very busy over the next few weeks as the rainy season takes hold.
We only have a few poorly babies in my section – the Therapeutic Feeding Centre at the moment. The ones we have are all doing well and looked good when we did a round this morning. I even got a little smile from one of them. I am worried about this as I could potentially compromise my reputation for not liking children!
I will update the blog as much as I can in order to keep you all involved.
I will close by asking you to support the work of MSF in this and other projects in around 60 countries. You can do so directly from my website at www.walka2b.co.uk . You lot are responsible for keeping me in MSF T-shirts and the children in Plumpy Nut!
Ill write again soon.
