greetings from chad
Dear friends:
I write to you from N’djamena, Chad, in the CCF office. Already, I have seen so much and I know there is much more to come. From New York (after a loving send-off from my dear friends), I flew to Richmond to meet CCF staff at HQ. Two days later, after a brief orientation and discussions with the dynamic team there, I flew to Paris then N’djamena.
Who knew that after all these years of dreaming, of studying, of applying to multiple jobs that I would end up in Chad? Until I arrived, I found it hard to believe.
Yesterday, I visited one of the transit centers for demobilized child soldiers. Though I had read so much about them (many of you know what I’m talking about), it was so humbling to meet the youth. They have seen and experienced so much in a short period of time—even more than some people hear about in a lifetime.
Since most come to the centers without any possessions and few pieces of clothing, we distributed some basic hygiene items, clothing, and shoes. Each person was called by name, and each boy would eagerly respond “Present!” and walk quickly to the front to receive his goods. They were vibrant, bright and responsive.
Today, I went shopping with a staff member to buy some necessities at La Marché for the centers. Doucement, doucement. Being from NYC, where time is of the essence and everybody runs around, I wasn’t used to waiting around to look at items, waiting for someone to check storage and waiting for them to return after twenty minutes only to tell me that the item wasn’t available. However, I am accustomed to inflated prices when I appear…I was not disappointed.
Internet access is more difficult than anticipated. We’re using a modem (remember those?), so I’ll attempt to post photos…hopefully it’ll work!
I write to you from N’djamena, Chad, in the CCF office. Already, I have seen so much and I know there is much more to come. From New York (after a loving send-off from my dear friends), I flew to Richmond to meet CCF staff at HQ. Two days later, after a brief orientation and discussions with the dynamic team there, I flew to Paris then N’djamena.
Who knew that after all these years of dreaming, of studying, of applying to multiple jobs that I would end up in Chad? Until I arrived, I found it hard to believe.
Yesterday, I visited one of the transit centers for demobilized child soldiers. Though I had read so much about them (many of you know what I’m talking about), it was so humbling to meet the youth. They have seen and experienced so much in a short period of time—even more than some people hear about in a lifetime.
Since most come to the centers without any possessions and few pieces of clothing, we distributed some basic hygiene items, clothing, and shoes. Each person was called by name, and each boy would eagerly respond “Present!” and walk quickly to the front to receive his goods. They were vibrant, bright and responsive.
Today, I went shopping with a staff member to buy some necessities at La Marché for the centers. Doucement, doucement. Being from NYC, where time is of the essence and everybody runs around, I wasn’t used to waiting around to look at items, waiting for someone to check storage and waiting for them to return after twenty minutes only to tell me that the item wasn’t available. However, I am accustomed to inflated prices when I appear…I was not disappointed.
Internet access is more difficult than anticipated. We’re using a modem (remember those?), so I’ll attempt to post photos…hopefully it’ll work!
posted by elizabeth at 10:12 AM
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