Day 415: Prefabs

One word for you today: Prefab.

A Prefab for those of you less informed, is a prefabricated building that is originally built in place and then gets reconstructed in a different location. What this says to me is that "it was built properly the first time and now you get the chance to screw it up the second time around". 

In our case, the second time around was not successful. The buildings where I work and live are literally falling apart. Leaking. Cracking. Being eaten by termites. Apparently termites in Juba will eat anything. They are loving the fiber glass.

I currently have a puddle forming under my chair in the office here. And no the water is not dripping off my wet rain coat, or dripping from the ceiling, nor did I track it in. This puddle is forming from the ground up. I can see where the water is filling up under the tiles. I originally thought the small puddle under my chair was from my dripping coat, however about five minutes after I mopped it up the puddle was back. After further exploration I discovered an even larger puddle under my desk. I watched in amazement as the puddle grew and slowly made its way across the floor. The more it rains the more water comes up through the grout. Oh joy. The rainy season has only just begun. We are in for a messy season here in the compound. I had a few floods in my tent when I was living in one when I first arrived in Juba but that is to be expected. A tent is much more susceptible to the elements mother nature has for us. A building with four proper walls, proper floors, etc, should not leak.

Aside from being horribly built and already falling apart, there is nothing good to say about these building except for the fact that I have a roof over my head. The walls are paper thin. Seriously sometimes it seems as though I am sharing a bed with the person living next to me. No privacy here. The students even say they would rather live in a tukul or a tent. I do not blame them one bit.

Even with all the leaks, cracks, breaks, paper thin wall, and dis-functions, this is my home like it or not.

Day 414 - Martyr's Day

Today is the seventh anniversary of Martyr's Day. A day to remember Dr. John Garang and the lives lost in the Sudanese civil war (1983-2005) I have not witnessed what happens on this day but I am sure it is peoples demonstration of the fact that the memory of all those lives lost lingers on in the hearts of all South Sudanese who appreciate the sacrifice they made for their homeland. South Sudanese Martyrs’ Day, comparable to our Remembrance Day, is a day to remember the self-sacrificial patriotism of the martyrs during the struggle towards liberation.

I just watched the regiments of the army march out of the barracks, marching band announcing their presence, in a parade towards the Memorial grounds for some sort of ceremony for the day.

Day 400 - First Anniversary

A celebration. That was what took place on Monday, July the 9^th. Contrary to what many, many news stories say, the mood was high and joyous. “S.S. marks first anniversary of independence in a wary mood”. Obviously the last 365 days have not been perfect, filled with violence, corruption and a failing economy, however the people are still and will always be forever celebrating this day until the end of time. This day is what people have fought for and will continue to fight for. This is their country.

 

Being fortunate enough to experience celebrations last July 9^th, the celebration of the newest country in the world, this year was half of what last year was. This all makes sense considering the budget for the celebrations this year was significantly less, and people celebrated this day in their own home towns instead of Juba. Many factors. Walking the same route we did last year and going to the same Memorial for the celebrations brought back great memories from last year. This year…..

Streets were cleaned, flags, banners and signs hung, soldiers and security spread out, roads closed, shops closed for business and hundreds of people walking down the streets. Celebrations actually began at the night before with tons of kids, youth and adults packing the streets of Juba. People crammed into Prado's, trucks, anything with wheels on it, driving around the city and honking horns to mark the first anniversary since separating from Sudan. It is seriously amazing how they manage to fit some many people in/on a vehicle. Dangerous, but still impressive. There were flags, spray cans being lit, spraying flames. I am not sure why the celebrations involved so many dangerous activities...it was still an awesome sight to see. Everyone filled with pride and joy, and in a lot of cases a lot of booze....

What I would call a parade, consisted of each military sector in S.S. accompanied by the military equipment and machinery, as well as, a fire truck and two transit buses. Transit buses in Juba! Can you imagine? I have no clue where they are from or where they came from.  It is amusing to me that I was more in awe of the transit buses passing by, rather than the massive tanks and machine guns or grenade launches (I am no expert) mounted on the back of trucks passing by. We were able to take photos without any problems for about half of the parade, then a very angry soldier came charging past yelling, “NO PICTURES! NO CAMERAS!”. Of course we put our cameras away as asked and brought them back out once the over zealous soldier had gone. 

  

The Memorial was full of people. Some packed under the shades provided, people straining to see and hear the speeches of dignitaries and the President. There were some dancing; some playing drums and others wandering around aimlessly congratulating each other while taking in the sights of people joining together to celebrate a great day.  Some were taking photos of the sights, or of the khawaja’s walking around, they/we were seriously a big spectacle at times, including us. We were 7 khawaja’s walking around taking pictures brings a lot of attention to a person. We were constantly having photos taken of us, videos, and asked many of times to take picture of and with people. It was entertaining that is for sure. This year there was a truck throwing, not handing out, that would not be the South Sudanese way, throwing water bottles to the crowd. The number of people passing out last year during the celebrations must have taught them something. Good thing they stepped up this year and provided people with water, even if it created a danger of being hit on the head with a flying water bottle if you were not paying attention. 

 

Halfway through the celebrations two helicopters passed by overhead and threw some unknown papers out. We thought it must be flags but it did not really look like that. None of them actually fell over the Memorial grounds so we will never know what the papers had on them. The helicopters were awesome though. Just look how cool they are.

A GREAT DAY.

"We want to... see a South Sudan that grows its own food and is eradicating poverty and ignorance"

I agree Desmond Tutu.