I have been very bad about keeping this blog updated. I apologize. I have let a lot of things slide, like family birthdays, since having lost my original email address to hackers. I will try to do better.
Things here continue to be busy. I have been out of Abuja a lot. Since my last posting, I have replaced the project coordinators in both Port Harcourt and Kazaure, each place for a week. So I have done this now in each of our 3 permanent projects. I am really thankful to my head of mission to have put this trust in me. This has really opened up new horizons for me. I find the work was very interesting, and I hope to move out of administration and into this post for my next mission, if the powers that be agree.
After this, I returned to Kazaure nutrition project to announce to the ministry of health and our own staff that that project would be closing (and our staff will thus be out of jobs) in early 2012. I have done this at least 5 times in MSF – we are an emergency organization – not a development organization. They were pretty much aware of this, so it was not really a surprise to them. I think that they were relieved that it has finally become official. Anyway the meeting went well, and we will now be doing what we can to help them find new jobs and keep them in our files for future interventions.
We have also been working very closely with the Nigerian Ministry of Health to contain a couple of cholera outbreaks. The cooperation went very well, and so we have completed our work in each of those interventions. We are now planning a vaccination campaign in another state to contain a small outbreak of a rather rare disease.
My human resources administration manager left near the end of September, so I am trying to cover her post. We have found her replacement, but he is working in another project, so I will not steal him until they have recruited his replacement and he has trained that person. And my dear deputy has finished her mission and returned to the States about a week ago. Her replacement arrives at the end of this week.
Of course, this all falls during the time for preparation of the 2012 budget! I just prepared the budget files for the field and got them all out on Friday evening, so that they have a week to work on them. This was especially difficult, because the communications software between here and the headquarters did not work! I had to re-install it 3 times. But finally after 5 hours of rather intense swearing (my team is now starting to talk as badly as I do – this is worrying!), it is working, with the poor internet connections that we have. Nigeria has some good connections, but MSF-France is a bit cheap concerning internet.
This is a big country for MSF-France. Our total budget is over 8.4 million euros, and we have around 650 employees including around 35 expatriates, local staff, some daily workers, and Ministry of Health employees for whom we give an incentive. We are receiving 50% funding on our Jahun emergency obstetrics program from EuropeAid. The rest comes from donators in France, U.S.A., Australia and Japan who give donations directly to MSF. Thanks to all of you!!!!!
Now, I must also prepare our budget for the coordination. This will be a bit of work, because we are splitting out our Emergency Team from the general coordination. Next Friday, when we (hopefully) receive the field work, we must control everything and consolidate it, then send it (via this software which I hope will continue to work) to headquarters.
I think I will be returning to France for a week in December, just after submitting our budgets. My residence visa there expires in February, and I may have to extend my time here until after that. So I plan on returning to start the process, then come back here with a temporary French residence visa, picking up my 10 year one when I return. I am not completely thrilled about returning to France in December. I haven’t experienced a winter in 6 years. I don’t even own a winter coat anymore. Plus my water heater died during my last trip. So that will be another thing to work on very quickly during that week. Until then, I will have to heat water on the stove and take bucket showers, like when I am in the field in some countries! I was really hoping to take my vacation in Benin, but what the hell. The good thing is that I will be able to buy lots of small gifts and French Christmas food (heavenly) to bring back with me. Aieaieaie, it is going to cost me dearly! But since I am a very large, old kid at heart, I am happy.
The reason that I might have to extend here is that we are doing a complete human resource policy review with the help of 2 people from Paris headquarters. Our implementation plan is very tight, and I cannot leave with a good conscience before having gone out to the projects to announce and implement the plan. Certain changes will be very good for the staff, but certain others will be more difficult to accept.
It is not difficult for me to extend here for a few weeks. This is a good country. Yes, there are problems, especially right now for security, but the government is handling it well, and the people here are wonderful. This is the most developed country that I have worked in yet. I have now been here 1 year! We will see where I go next, and in which position.
I go now. It is Sunday night. We have no cook on Sundays, so tonight we prepared barbeque with 3 different salads and a pineapple and watermelon fruit salad for desert. Yum-yum
