A Day in the Life ...

I've had a few requests to post something about what my daily life is like here... so I thought I'd fill you in .. things are fairly slow moving at the mo as the feeding project i'm organising is in the set up phase .. in a few weeks things might be a bit more manic...
I tend to wake up about 6.30, now I'm getting used to my tent i could manage to sleep in a bit longer but much past 7 it gets a bit hot inside the tent. So I'm off for a bucket shower .. usually the water is nice and cold in the mornings and I may even get to shiver with the breeze from the river which pleasing when i am usually hot and sweaty all day. Breakfast is usually flat bread with peanut butter (I don't need to feel guilty about eating it every day) We have team "devotion time" (singing, someone shares from the bible, then praying) at 8.
After that its time to start work .. I usually weigh, and assess any nutrition patients first thing... some come daily, some weekly and sort out the plan for the day in terms of feeding them ... then I mix up the milk. Last week I recuited 2 assistants so they will be doing a lot of the milk making from now on... and I won't have to stay around all day to make up 3 hourly feeds.
After that its generally off to the office tent to check emails and respond, and do some of the admin tasks related to the feeding programme set up. The rest of the day may vary .. maybe assessing new patients referred due to malnutrition in the clinic, training my assistants or once in a while visiting one of the surrounding villages with someone else from the team.
I need a bit of a sietsta at lunch time ... and so afternoon work goes on til about 6 .. then I try to relax near the river for a bit with a book or my Ipod .. before it gets dark at 7 ... then maybe some emailing .. dinnner at 8 then bed ...
Not always exciting !! seem to spend lots of time on the computer... and lots of time in our compound, I think in a few weeks time that should change and I should be out and about a bit more. Will post again soon x

Wildlife

... with regards to the comments from the previous post .. (especially Dora's) There are monkeys .. one was in the compound the other day with a very red bottom .. and got chased away so it didn't eat the food. Unfortunately no giraffes ... not enough trees here for them I think!

There are lots of donkeys and goats, loads of birds, lizards and not too many mossies yet, no crocodiles or snakes spotted either. I will attempt to get some photos of the more interesting wildlife (unfortunately no giraffes until I go back to kenya .. then I will make sure I get a photo especially for Dora) you will have to make do with goats for the moment!

Camping Sudanese Style

I've been in Sudan nearly 2 weeks now and I'm starting to feel more settled - I thought you might like to see some photos of where I am. The site we are on is fairly huge with the clinic in tents at one end by the road and the Nile on the other. I arrived on a little plane to Malakal and then a boat up the nile which was pretty cool ... we spotted a hippo as we sped past! Facilities are basic but I'm starting to feel more at home now. I have my own tent with a fairly comfy mattress so I' m sleeping well. I've been learning more about what my job will involve and helping out with managing the nutrition patients in the clinic, also been out and about in the last couple of days and got to see some of the towns and villages around here. ... was going to upload more photos but it doesn't seem to like it so at least this one shows you I'm alive and well .... i'll add more soon x

Pix of Nairobi - isn't it pretty!

Stop off in Kenya

I'm now in Lockichoggio (northen kenya near the sudanese border) waiting to fly to sudan tommorow. After a smooth journey on thursday night I got to Nairobi on friday morning and had quite a relaxing weekend. After going in to the office on friday afternoon I went out for Sushi in the evening (not very Kenyan, but very tasty) and nearly fell asleep in the resturant! After a long lie in on sat I was out again in the afternoon and evening - I arrived the right weekend for parties .... a garden party in the afternoon and a birthday party in the evening. It was great as I got to meet lots of medair people but also people from other organisations. I went to a massive pentacostal church on Sunday which was fun.
I had busy day on monday meeting everyone at the nairobi office and getting breifed, then we had a fire and ate pizza and drank wine on the patio of the team house. If i get chance later on I'll add some pictures of the house in Nairobi - its very nice will be great to get back there after my 8 weeks on the feild - as you will see i'm not roughing at all there!
Yesterday I flew here to Loki and I've been learning all about what goes on here .. i think its hot but everyone who has come from Sudan says its cool ... I'll find out tommorow.
I fly really early tommorow morning then get a boat up the Nile to the town where our base and health centre is and set up my tent.
The builders are on the same flight as me so should have some builidings soon!
would love to hear your news by email and value all your thoughts and prayers
Love Alice x