Blogs from Pagak, Upper Nile, South Sudan, Africa

When I signed up for this assignment, I was supposed to come and see how the local Development Committee organized by CARE was doing, and propose a few ideas for moving forward. Turns out there was no Committee yet. It had not been even discussed. We organized so Mama Hellen, head of the compound, could propose it to the local leaders. During breakfast the morning of the presentation, Mama Hellen made me a confession. She had struggled to get a hold of the concept of the Development Committee, and was not sure if what she was going to present was what she was supposed to. She politely asked me if I could direct the workshop. My immediate response was ‘Sure!’. Now, I have seen these Development Committees at work in India, and read extensively about ... read more

People in Pagak already know me. I am, after all, one of three ‘bogni-bogni’ (whites) in Pagak. All the other NGO personnel are African, mostly South Sudanese, Kenyan, or Ugandan. It is Sunday, and Mama Hellen and I are jogging through the airstrip. She cannot run much, so I do a few sprints here and there. A few children approach, and I start playing around, pretending to chase them, while they run and yell all around. It was a lot of fun. One of the children is running away from me and suddenly falls and starts to cry. Hellen turned white… ‘Mr. Mario, think it is better we go’ I saw she was worried. While we are leaving back to the compound, she looks back. The girl is OK, and is playing with her friends…. Why ... read more

The following dialogue finished only five minutes ago. While working in my ‘office’ (CARE’s dining room in Pagak), Duony enters the room. He looks at me serious and asks the dreadful question… ‘So, Mario, do you have wife in your country?’ ‘Nope, why?’ Duony smiles like somebody that just won the lottery. ‘I have Nuer girl for you. It will only cost you 30 cows…’ ‘Thirty cows????’ ‘Or the equivalent in dollars, no problem…’ Wiping the (virtual) tears of laughter from my eyes, I thank Duony for the offer… ‘Seriously’, he adds, ‘Nuer women are good. They faithful, work, clean the house, take care of children, you just have to relax…’ ‘So, they do everything?’ ‘Well, no’, he replies, ‘we men have all responsibilities’. If your father in law sees that you really love the girl, ... read more

When I arrived to the ‘Home and Away’ Center in Juba (late, of course) for the World Bank workshop on Governance, the first speaker was already talking… and he talked for around hour and a half…about everything: history, decentralization, governance, the war. The perfectly dressed gentleman delivering this speech, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, was South Sudan’s Vice-President, Riek….General Riek. If you read the ‘Brief History of the War’ entry, you will recall that General Riek was the one that rebelled against John Garang and divided the South Sudan rebellion, but also the key player in the reconciliation and final victory of the resistance. Riek is a Nuer, born and raised in the area where I am currently working at. I met a friend of his in Pagak, John Amaza. ‘Riek ruined us’, he started. Before ... read more

It is 8pm and dark already. Tomorrow, I’m supposed to fly to the border.. but am I? Justin is driving the CARE mobile like crazy. It is clear he does not know well how to drive it. ‘Justin, please, stop!’ He barely stops the car in time. In front of us, the SPLA soldier is shouting and pointing a rifle on us. The whole thing started last night when Justin, logistics officer at CARE, realizes that I had been 8 days in Juba, and he had never ask for my passport and travel permits to register me with the local police at the airport. Five in the afternoon the day before leaving , I ask: ‘Justin, gotta go, where is my passport?’ Justin went pale (and he is not precisely white). ‘Please forgive me, I will ... read more