While a lot the work that I do here in the Somalia office is not all that different from in other places I have worked--proposals, talking to donors, reading the New York Times cover to cover every morning, er, I mean, checking our program progress against indicators....there are some things that I am learning how to deal with that are quite new to me.
Case in Point Number 1: Being the Primary Point of Contact
How you get chosen: Be the only person left in the office reliable enough to answer your phone on a regular basis and responsible enough to be concerned if it doesn't ring.
How it works: When ever anybody from the team goes into Somalia, they have to check in morning, evening and whenever they leave and then re-enter a secured compound (hotel, guesthouse, etc.) If they don't check in, it's your job to notify HQ security ASAP so they can begin negotiating ransom. Or just follow up and make sure everything is okay, whatever.
Example:
[9:49:00 AM] AM: hi
[9:49:08 AM] AM: just checking with you guys
[9:49:45 AM] Emma: that was fast
[9:49:51 AM] Emma: how's it looking?
[9:50:02 AM] AM: yeah its a 1 1/2 hr
[9:50:10 AM] AM: escort scary
[9:50:18 AM] AM: like black hawk down movie
Case in Point Number 2: Hijacked Vehicles
Unfortunately, this happens from time to time. In the latest incident, one of our nutrition teams working in Eastern Somaliland was on their way back from a rural site to a larger town. The team was pulled from the vehicle and no one was hurt (in fact, in one account--and there were several--the team wasn't even in the vehicle, they were in a restaurant eating).
It became clear pretty quickly that, like so many things in Somalia/Somaliland, this was clan related. It seems that the owner of the car (which was rented to my NGO) is from the same clan as the mayor of the larger town, who had recently demolished some structures in town. These structures belonged to the clan of the people who hijacked the car and that they were on a "revenge mission." Very mature, people.
In the back of the vehicle were several cases of
Plumpy'nut, which is a ready-to-use peanut-based paste which is given in small sachets to severely malnourished children to support rapid weight gain. It is quite delicious and packed full of calories and fat and vitamins--a small 92g sachet has 500 calories.
It's quite new on the scene (its use has been widespread for about 5 years), and has made a world of difference for lots of malnourished children. It lasts 24 months, can be given at home, tastes delicious (a personal taste test confirmed this), doesn't need anything added to it, is light and easy to transport and can be made locally.
Anyway, I diverge. The point is, there was a ton of Plumpy'Nut in the back of the car, enough to feed a lot of kids for a lot of days. And you know what really makes me mad? Stealing food from sick babies because you're mad at another clan. That's just the kind of behavior responsible adults should be demonstrating for the youth of Somaliland. We got the vehicle back after a few days, but the Plumpy'Nut, patient logs and baby scales were long gone.
I'd be on the lookout for an adult man rapidly gaining weight, and we'll have the culprit.
