Cholera in Juba

Like we don’t have enough problems.

While driving back into Juba (from Mundri), saw a cholera treatment center  - white tents, health-workers in white overalls and gumboots, tanker trucks – I assume with chlorinated water – (I’d spent the past few days talking to health-workers about cholera- transmission, protection against, and management but I don’t think it had really hit home until I got to Juba.)

Went out to dinner with some friends, and everyone around the table was like, uhm, ya don’t bring any salads, actually anything uncooked…

Knowing Juba, and how swampy it is during the rainy season – I live in Tony Piny, there’s standing water everywhere – and the overall lack of clean drinking water, the really poor sanitation standards - one understands how dire the situation can potentially get.  Like we don’t have enough problems.

There are also cholera cases in Jonglei State.

Add to that talk of half of the country’s population on the brink of starvation. Half. And it really makes one wonder where we are headed.

Perhaps this is what defines a failed state. Some of us are despairing of the state of affairs – months after all this has started, we seem to lack direction, ideas of how to move forward, or anything that one could grasp at. 

Mundri West! And Mvolo

I have the worst sense of direction- and I didn’t realize just how badly until the other day. I am currently in Western Equatoria State- WES (Mundri West and Mvolo Counties)

 The other day I went to have lunch at my regular spot in Mundri West town-Safari Hotel. If ever driving into the town, it is just after the South Sudan Red Cross, on the right side of the road, just on the edge of town. Can’t miss it! it’s a rather large restaurant and quite swanky by WES standards – shit, I’d wager by South Sudan Standards - at night they serve beer, and play Congolese music videos on the T.V. (If I lived here it would quickly become my local pub.) The owner, this nice lady named Night, caters to my needs (I have her phone number –and call from Juba when I know Im coming to Mundri –its that serious). Last week she made me the local specialty –Mbirinda, (which is a local bean that is ground, cooked with peanut butter and something called Combo – no I cant describe what that is, all I know is that its amazingly good. Yes, that’s my plug for the restaurant! 

Anyway, I have been going to this place all week. I’ve been going to this place everytime I’m in Mundri. But, on this particular day, when going back to the guesthouse, I took one wrong turn and got completely lost. I had NO IDEA where I was. All the tukuls and compounds and scenery were exactly alike. I kept taking turns and wandering into people’s yards (okay, it all looks like one big yard with huts strategically placed here and there). Once or twice I walked into families having lunch under their mango tree. One girl (after I passed her about 2 times- while trying to look nonchalant) finally asked whose house I was looking for. 

What’s really sad about this scenario is that twice, at night, I have made my way from Night’s restaurant– to guesthouse - by flashlight without getting lost. This incident was in broad daylight. And I promise  it wasn’t an ulterior move to find out what villagers do to fill out their days.

But yes,  I finally found my way. I wonder how anyone navigates here. It gets completely and absolutely dark at night. Very few people have any electrical/light source. And even during daylight, everything looks almost the same. (or is it just me)

Im back in Juba on Thursday – and I need to write about Juba. Im currently in Mvolo. Yesterday I witnessed a localized form of football hooliganism (maybe hooligan is too strong a word). I went to watch the local ‘league.’ Mvolo County (WES) vs Wulu County (Lakes States). Watching the game was in itself an event (why are there two soldiers – one with a gun – watching over spectators and making sure no-one crosses the chalk mark into the pitch, one team scored, and a group of women with umbrellas swarmed the pitch, why the umbrella I have no idea). Anyway, after the game- like 100 kids ran into the pitch, mobilized and organized and then took off singing and dancing into the town, completely blocking the main road for about 30 minutes.  This was the major ‘highway’ into Mvolo town (like 3 cars a day, but still).    I am not sure if they even knew who won. It looked like fun!

One of  Western journalists favorite descriptors for Sudan is failed state.
It's catchy,just vague enough to elude scrutiny,slightly patronizing and can be used in almost any story.
I guess you know how I feel about that term now,
However,every once in awhile something happens that's so ridiculous that it makes me pause and wonder if that descriptor is not actually accurate.
In today's newspaper, residents of Almulazmeen,Omdurman, described how they had a big tree on the main road,whose branches had started pushing against the High tension electric wires running down their main street{That the High tension wires running through a residential neighborhood are not the story should tell you something}.
A group of neighbors repeatedly called the authorities and after being passed back and forth determined that they should take matters into their own hands.
They started to cut down the branch,which then slid ON to the wires creating a precarious situation.
After filing a report with the Electric company,engineers were deployed by the company to asses and deal[ha] with the situation.
On arrival the engineers took a look and pronounced that this was not in their scope of work as the wire was not disconnected per se .
They told the local residents to call them WHEN the wire fell under weight of the fallen branch as it would then fall under their jurisdiction.
Before leaving they very helpfully informed the residents that the branch was a safety hazard and that WHEN it snapped , the surge could damage their home appliances.
I imagine they drove off to cheerfully to wherever at this point.
After reading the article{complete with catchy quotes from outraged locals and a picture of the offending tree and fallen branch},I put down the paper and had a big laugh.
Another day in Sudan.