September in Lyon

Wow. I just realized that I haven’t posted since the beginning of July.
I went to Kinshasa the 8 August, to prepare for and close down the MSF-France representation office there. There was a lot to do, including firing the 9 people left in that office. They worked the last week, knowing that they would soon be finished, and with the new tenants, MSF-Spain moving into the house at the same time. It was not really comfortable, but it went pretty well. I am proud of the staff to have been motivated right up to the end. I paid all the final payments Friday the 13th (great omen), then paid a LOT of daily workers the same day. In all, I paid out well over $ 100,000 that day. Then the next night we had a closure party in a bar/restaurant not far from the office. It started out pretty subdued, but after a couple of beers, the atmosphere lightened up and we had a lot of fun. A couple of the oldest employees even came in the following Monday and Tuesday to wrap things up. They didn’t have to do that, and I was overjoyed to see their loyalty. Of course they ARE hoping to get jobs in the new MSF-Spain office.
I got back to Goma the day before my replacement arrived for a short week of handover. He’s a great guy. He came with his companion who will work with us as a psychologist. She’s great too. I feel that I have left things in good hands. He has already worked in human resources in Congo for MSF-Switzerland, so he knows the labor law of the country and the way things work.
My going away party was Saturday the 21 August, and it was great. We had it at the house in which I live, and there were a lot of people (as always in Congo when there is free beer). We had most of the staff from Goma, staff from our bank, my favorite waiter in a small shop, and a few friends I know from outside of work. At the end, around 1:30am, I had to break up a fight between to guardians – it reminded of when I had my bar in Aix-les-Bains!
I left Goma Tuesday the 24 August in the morning, because I had some last minute work to do in Kigali, Rwanda. I got everything done that I needed to, and I also had time to visit the Genocide Museum. It is very interesting, but not really a very happy place. When you already have the blues about leaving after 2 years, it is not the best place to go.
I arrived in Paris the morning of 25 August, and all my debriefings were the 26 August, so I made the rounds of the headquarters to say hello to the people I know. After 5 years, there are a lot of them, but it is amazing also the amount of turnover. I am starting to feel like a dinosaur.
I arrived in Lyon Thursday night the 26 August. It is great to be back in my own place. Being so small, the great thing is that you can clean it completely in one afternoon. Since being back, I have arranged some more storage in the kitchen area and painted the window frame.
I also had news that a friend from Zanzibar, Tanzania is in Spain. He got married to a Spanish woman in Zanzibar and came up with her. But right now they are both living in her parent’s place in Madrid, and it is not easy. I have invited them both to live in my place for the winter, since I am never here, and they will probably take me up on it. If they arrive while I am still here, it will be VERY tight, but Ndende is a good friend, and I would be very happy to help him and his wife Alma
Lyon has a dance festival every 2 years, and it is happening right now. I went to the parade Sunday. It was a beautiful day, and the parade was great! It is a huge event. Tuesday, I went to a presentation by the Ailey dance troup from New York. It is modern dance, and it was really incredible. I have tickets to 2 more events before the festival ends at the beginning of October.
And this weekend it the annual “Heritage Days” in France. That is a weekend where a lot of national treasures open their doors to the public. I plan on visiting quite a few.
Yesterday was a day of information at the Lyon branch of MSF for people wishing to be volunteers with MSF. I was invited as keynote speaker to talk about my experiences in the field, and then to answer questions with others. For me it was interesting – I still remember how it was for me at that meeting more than 5 years ago, hoping to work with MSF. It went very well, and the questions were interesting and pertinent.
The person who came from headquarters for this meeting is the woman who is responsible for my next assignment. I have asked to be in a pool of flying human resources officers. She told me that, for the moment, they have one person, and they will need another, but probably not right away. In the meantime she has LOTS of possibilities for me: South Sudan, Nigeria or Haïti; one or the other for 6-9 months beginning in November. (I hope my money holds out – I didn’t put a lot aside during my stay in Congo). Any one of these would be great for me – especially Haïti. The emergency is over, but it is still a very interesting project.
So I am on vacation, lots of things are happening in Lyon, I will probably helping a friend in his pursuit of happiness with his new wife, and I have an assured future with Doctors Without Borders. All is good with the world.