Hadjer Hadid, 22nd June 2005

Eastern Chad, October 2004- June2005

Women sitting under a tree, selling little bags of peanuts or chillis, men at the 'mosque'; a tree with some fencing, kids with dirty faces and clothes running around, bikes beautifully decorated with plastic flowers ploughing through the sand, women taking care of their 'houses' sweeping the sand, a typical picture of African village life except for the fact that the houses aren't really houses.. they are tents and there are many, many tents. The letters 'UNHCR' you can still vaguely see on a now very brown and dusty - but once white- tent. From straw little walls have been created to create some privacy around the tent, UNHCR-sheeting creates sometimes another wall or a shed against the burning sun.
This is what you find driving through Eastern Chad on 12 occasions, and 3 in the region that I just spent 8 months. The Bredjing camp houses 30.000 people in the desert on a small area, in Treguine just 5 km's away another 15.000 people and Farchana houses 20.000 Darfurian refugees. Most are from the Massalit tribe, although in some camps you can find some Zaghawa or other tribes. And this is only a small part of the people that had to flee Sudan, because of the war raging through the region.

Even though the camp is a sad sight in many ways, besides all the dust and desert sand, in a way it is colorful with the women in their enormously colorful layers of clothing. The heat seems to me unbearable to wear these clothes, I wonder all the time but they seem more than used to it. With Arbab, our refugee logistician, I go visit the camp regularly. His English is good enough to at least have small talk. We always go visit his brother, an much respected older man who suffers from lepra and cannot walk anymore. He is well up to date with his old radio on what is happening in the world. He speaks English and he tells me their stories on life in Sudan. Afterwards we visit Arbab's wife who just had her 5th child in their tent where it is at least 45 degrees. And Arbab has something else new... when walking up to his tent, a big white dish sticks out behind it. Arbab just bought a TV and satellite dish! It is quite strange to see this high tech dish in between some tents. It isn't quite working yet but he is hopeful. He'll get it to work, inshallah.

When walking through the camp kids run up with drawings. With enthusiasm the first time I received some and than realized what they actually drew. The images show men on horses with guns, houses burning and some are quite violent with humans with blood running along their bodies. Even though the kids run around and play like anywhere else in the world, a child in the Netherlands won't draw that most likely... But as time passes and months go by and again on walks I get drawings, I see a bit of a change. More and more flower drawings or of the bikes going through the sandy camp and even great pictures of MSF cars with nurses in front...

I see ‘Mobile 0’, our donkey ambulance, maneuver between the tents to go pick up a patient to sick to walk. We have 2 of them making tours all day in the camps. The latest rumor though I hear from our national staff is that one of the donkey's (the black one and strongest!) has been refused by people. It has been said that when you go with the black donkey to the Health Center you won't get better and may even die... The daily problems we try to solve.

As I am writing this in my office, sand is everywhere, strong desert storms and out of my window I see our little 'strumpf village'; 10 African roundhouses and our row of latrines... with in the background some hills and more sand. This is my view from my office in Hadjer Hadid, a very remote little village in the desert of Eastern Chad, about 50km from the border with Darfur-Sudan. Once a completely isolated village with just a few families; now the home of 5 international NGO's with many cars, employees and new built compounds.. The social and economical changes are big for such a small place.
I have 1 days left of an 8months stay here and I do feel odd to say I am leaving behind many many refugees in this desert, in their once white UNHCR tents..

Many days I have spent doing paperwork, security plans, visiting local authorities, fixing national staff problems while trying to follow the Chadian labour laws or working with the expat team of logisticians and medics. Though every time and again when I drive into the camps it makes a big impression on me the way the refugees live here.

A camp is suppose to be a temporary solution, but is this the case? Speculations are that the camps will be there for a long time. Something that is left somewhat unspoken for now. Too early to face certain realities. For the moment it is just survival; how to live in this environment and make the best out of it. Besides all the difficulties, life continues. Weddings and births, deaths and parties. It is all part of the daily life in the camp in Bredjing, Chad.

I was a bad email writer this mission.. There would be much more to tell you but enough for now.. Tomorrow my last day here in Hadjer Hadid and by July 1st I should be back in Amsterdam. It has been a great and a very special time in the desert. The 8 months has been intense and I am tired...

Am off to the Netherlands for month of July, than I am heading back to Bhutan and mid September I am starting a next mission with MSF in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh!

Please from now start using again my own email address, soon I'll be back to the world of internet and also mobile phones....

Akke