Maria i Yambio

tisdag 22 mars 2011

Hand over of school latrines - and new refugees in Ezo

Last week I was in Ezo to hand over school latrines to 4 schools in the town. The latrines looked good - and so did the children in their new Intersos t-shirts! We have been visiting the schools for 6 months, teaching about hygiene, water and sanitation. We also formed School Hygiene Clubs that will help to ensure that the schools are looking after their latrines and maintaining good hygiene.

I don't exactly blend in... :)
A small article about the hand over can be found on Intersos webpage, www.intersos.org/en/news/future-hope-south-sudan The English is not very good, but at least the main points are clear

Little girl from a nomad clan that have sought refuge in the refugee settlement in Ezo. Very sweet and not at all scared of the "white woman" (most children here run the opposite direction screaming). We are now supporting these nomads in the settlement until they can continue their journey to Central African Republic. The families were chased from DR Congo to Ezo by the army and local population, and several of their relatives were killed or injured.

lördag 19 februari 2011

Back in Yambio

Father and son: the victims of an LRA attack in a small village some 15 km from Yambio. The attack left some 100 households displaced in Yambio, which already has a large IDP population. Togther with UN and NGOs we went to assess the needs of the population, as well as to verify their numbers.

The "home" of a displaced family. When families run from an attack they usually have nothing with them, only the clothes on their back. This family has managed to at least borrow a jerry can for water, some cooking pots and a bed. The tukul they are staying in was given to them by a kind neighbour in Yambio.

Visting water sources in the area where the IDPs settled. Many people (especially from rural areas) prefer drinking water from shallow wells like this one, rather than from a hand pump. The shallow well water tastes "sweeter" than the hand pump water, which also sometimes becomes red in colour from the rust in the pipes.

During the assessment I was talking to some of the women displaced, among them the woman who lost her husband and son. Now she is alone with 2 other small children to look after - and no belongings, food etc. Thankfully she has some relatives (also displaced, but from 2010) who takes care of them best they can, sharing what little food they have.

On motorcycles to do hygiene promotion in the IDP camps together with our local partner organisation, YWCA. They move house to house and inform about hygiene and also lend tools to construct latrines.

IDP woman in her kitchen - under a tree! She is shelling ground nuts, which is a very important part of the diet here. G-nut paste is put in everything: meat, greens, beans.

Justin from YWCA is explaining how to look after a latrine. People are very interested in learning about hygiene - and especially to see the pictures and discuss.

lördag 12 februari 2011

Winter holiday: Sweden, Norway, Switzerland

lördag 4 december 2010

Congo

On Thursday I went to Congo for assessments in two villages. It was only a 1-day trip, but I don't think I have ever been more tired after a mission! 8 hours on a motorcycle on terrible roads... But, it was amazing to see DRC - to see the villages were some of our Congolese refugee staff comes from (I even met a brother to one of our staff!), to see what they left to come to Sudan.

The villages we visited had literally no services. I did not see a single protected water source, no hand pump - and only 1 latrine. No clinics or schools.