Refugee camps that I’ve been to don’t look like your Sally Struthers’ camps from TV. I’ve never seen anyone starving and kids don’t sit in the dirt with flies all over their faces. They are dire places for obvious reasons - hot, dusty and above all, crowded. People arrive on foot from bordering war-torn countries and are provided with just enough to survive - food and water rations as well as basic health and school services. But these come at a price - refugees that seek the security of a camp are then not allowed to leave, unless it is [View Full Entry]

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:D [View Full Entry]

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The event was called "A Village Christmas" and, in our determination to get into the holiday spirit despite the African heat, my friend, Jocelyn, and I decided we would go where no white man has ever gone before - downtown Nairobi after dark. Memorial park (named for the 1998 Hilton bombing) did not disappoint. The tasteful holiday decorations and free "white coffee" (local favorite - powdered coffee with hot milk) made us almost forget that the concert started 2 hours late. Finally, the first musical act took the stage to great applause - a Christian Rap band ("JC - you so [View Full Entry]

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This is my last entry from Banda Aceh, Indonesia. I am at totally different extremes emotionally - so happy to be starting a new position in East Africa...so sad to be leaving my friends here in Aceh. My heart is getting a workout these days. I haven't had time to reflect back on my time here this year...but I wanted to jot down some thoughts on things I’ve learned about myself before heading off: 1. the moment you force religion or authority is the moment it starts to weaken because it drives out the creative thinkers, leaving those that only know [View Full Entry]

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If you come all the way to Banda (and you should if you come to Sumatra), don't just head directly to Sabang. See the major sites (Grande Mosque, beaches, Pasar Atjeh, etc..) but click on the photo's below to get information on other things to see and do in and around Banda. [View Full Entry]

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4.25am: I open my eyes, stunned that I can have energy at this time of the morning. Geni, my roommate is already in the kitchen, eating her pre-prepared breakfast of rice and fried chicken. I am still full from the night before, but I eat my usual yogurt, oatmeal and fruit. We down a few glasses of water and soon the horn from the mosques start to sound - the fast for the day has begun. She goes off to pray, I go back to bed. 7am: My alarm rips me out of a dream for the second time of the [View Full Entry]

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I spent the last week running a computer training workshop for staff in our Calang field office. I love this part of my job - training our employees so they can do a better job of strengthening the communities. I got to attend one of our community PRA (participatory rural appraisal) sessions where fellow colleagues walked a community through identifying their most pressing needs and prioritizing the solutions. These guys know how to get things done and it was amazing to see (with my own eyes) how this really can have an impact. Ahhhhh, but visiting Calang is stimulating for more [View Full Entry]

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It was 11am when my flight landed, but it might as well have been night. The sky was dark, the weather, damp. And the humidity hung over the city the way smoke does in a bar just before closing. But that didn’t matter. It wouldn’t have mattered if the sewers had backed-up and varmints had finally taken over. I loved this dirty town. I had taken a 2-week vacation from my assignment in the Far East. A visit home seemed like a good way to catch up with old friends, spend time with the family and eat as much salami as [View Full Entry]

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Head: She’s making us all look ridiculous, running around like a little schoolgirl telling everyone “my boyfriend is coming for a visit this week!” Heart: Speak for yourself. I think it’s wonderful to see her so excited. C’mon, it’s been 6 months since they last saw each other and I’ve jammed her pack full of emotions…I’ve been looking forward to this day since we left Brooklyn. After all, I’m the only one here that never gets any rest. Head: Not so fast! What were you saying a few months ago?? Um, allow me to remind you: “This is never gonna work! [View Full Entry]

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Although my Dad would surely disagree, I don't consider myself an idealist. I came to Banda Aceh because I felt my skills would be useful and I would get work/personal experience that I couldn't get back in New York. I wanted to be in a motivating environment and part of something extraordinary and unique - the rebuilding of a region after the greatest natural disaster in present history. The reality is, well, different. And there's been a few things I've discovered recently that i've had to reconcile personally: FACT: The Humanitarian Aid Industry is a big, highly profitable business. FACT: Aceh [View Full Entry]

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