Stuck in the mud

Literally and figuratively, we are here in Malakal until Thursday. The visit is longer than anticipated for several reasons, but I am quite happy we'll be traveling via WFP flight on Thursday rather than the commercial vehicle we took Sunday.

So much has happened I have nearly 100 photos to document it. But the memory card reader here is not recognizing my card and I do not have the right wire with me. So, unless I get the situation figured out you'll just to use your imagination. It rained yesterday afternoon so while moving around was quite slow and difficult yesterday, the mud has hardened to a near-cement like consistency today. That is obviously both good and bad. It is less like driving on oil-slick ice and more like driving in ... well, I just don't know. It's different.

We visited one of our test agriculture plots on the land rented to us by the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the community field that is loaned to the community by the town government. Over 100 women work the 1 hectare sized plot to learn to cultivate vegetables that will do well in the soil but that are not traditionally grown by households. Yesterday morning tomato seedlings had been transplanted. Great photo-op.

We had lunch at an Ethiopian place in town. And then we worked in the office almost all afternoon. It is pretty much all work all the time around here. We are under pressure to get a proposal done, review 4 on-going projects, and in general meet each other and establish working relationships that we can carry forward via email. The generator has to get a periodic rest so there are moments of lightness, such as lunch and dinner. But we are easily working 12 hour days. It's basically 9 am-11 pm (at the earliest). I am over jet lag, but keeping this late schedule should help me ease back into life at home. Which I cannot wait to get back to. :)

I've just been told lunch is about to be served. And we are giving the generator a break. So time to go socialize and talk to face to face. Our staff here are very friendly, full of interesting experiences and a lot of fun. Even if they do work very hard. I'm very grateful for having the chance to meet and work with them here.