Posted in Africa, Stories that I wrote at work on April 16, 2010| 6 Comments »
I wrote this story for “In Sudan” magazine April 2010 edition. You can find this article on page 6 of the full magazine below.
Though they live beside the banks of the Nile River, Malakal residents still find access to clean water a daily challenge.
In 2007, the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) established a unit called the Urban Water Department within the Upper Nile State government’s Ministry of Physical Infrastructure to improve water supply in the city.
“We have been supplying up to 6,000 cubic metres per day to residents,” said Urban Water Department’s Deputy Director Peter Nhia Gai.
But the majority of Malakal residents continue to use untreated water from the river, according to UNICEF Water and Sanitation Specialist Eissa Mustafa.
“The 6,000 cubic metres of clean water are not enough for the entire population of Malakal,” noted Mr. Mustafa. The 2008 Sudan Population and Housing Census estimated the population of Malakal County at 126,483.
“The distribution network is not well established,” he said. “There are so many households (without) clean water connections.”
The city’s Central Water Station, currently under renovation, distributes water to three points known as Dar Salam, Central Malakal and North Malakal.
Malakal girl carrying jug from water point.
Built in 1937, the station and its network supply infrastructure collapsed during the country’s second civil war. The aging water station failed to resume full operations until the founding of the Urban Water Department three years ago.
The United States Agency for International Development provided a new pump and water treatment chemicals to the department, which now relies on government funds for its day-to-day operations.
“The funding is only enough to pay the employees and to buy fuel to run the water station from 6 a.m. to 12 noon,” said Mr. Gai of the department. “We are supposed to run it for 12 hours.”
He added that the government has also been unable to provide water treatment chemicals like chlorine and aluminium sulphate.
The department charges a monthly fee for its service. “Each household with access to tapped water pays 15 Sudanese pounds per month,” said Mr. Gai. “However, this amount has not been enough to cover the cost of operations.”
The Urban Water Department has received support from different development partners. UNICEF, which tried to renovate the Central Water Station in 2003, supplies water treatment chemicals to the department and runs a chlorination project that teaches local residents how to treat the Nile River water.
Water treatment unit, Malakal.
The UN agency supplies the city with 80,000 litres of clean water each day through two distribution points in the Upper Nile State capital, according to Mr. Mustafa.
It has also installed water distribution pipes and donated clean water tanks to schools and hospitals.
The French non-governmental organization Solidarités has opened eight water distribution points in Malakal since it commenced operations in the city in 2007.
Solidarités treats the water and delivers it by truck to distribution points on a daily basis.
“We supply on average 2,000 to 5,000 litres of water every day,” said Solidarités Programme Manager Julien Racary. “Each water point has a different capacity depending on the needs of the community.”
When the renovation of the water station is completed, said Mr. Gai, it will be capable of supplying 10,000 cubic metres of water each day.
But there is no such thing as a free lunch, especially when it comes to H2O. The department official says the cost of the service to consumers may more than double at that point to 40 Sudanese pounds a month.
The copyright of this story solely belongs to UNMIS. If you are interested to republish it please contact unmis-insudan@un.org for permission.
Posted in Africa, Mission Life on April 15, 2010| 16 Comments »
Sudan elections is officially over today and I’m happy that the overall situation during the balloting was peaceful, at least that’s what happened in Malakal town, the capital of Upper Nile State in Southern Sudan.
I’m grateful that I got privilege to be one of accredited media who could cover the Sudan elections. I had freedom to visit every polling centre in Malakal and the whole counties in Upper Nile State, taking photos, and interviewing people.
The first Sudan multy-party elections after 24 years
This experience was completely different than what I had in Afghanistan back in 2003/2004 when I became a Publications Officer for UNDP Voter Registration and Election Project for Afghan presidential election. I was allowed to cover the election but it was very limited due to security threat.
This was the first multi-party elections in Sudan after 24 years. I was very excited to be able to go and witness this historical event with my own eyes! However, the weather remains a challenge in Sudan. I have never experienced the heat like in Sudan! If you want to get your skin tanned within minutes, just go to Sudan.
Umbrella is definitely needed to prevent too much heat!
The good thing when I covered the elections in town is I got a chance to do small culinary tour. On the first day of elections I had lunch at Ethiopian restaurant which I didn’t do it for a long time. Ethiopian food is one of my favourite food such as Injera, the sourdough pancake-like/large thin flat bread of Ethiopia made from the Teff cereal, and Kefta, the Ethiopian Spiced ground beef kabob.
Me & my lunch, Ethiopian food!
On the second day I was invited by my local colleagues to have lunch at local restaurant. We had traditional Sudanese food which was made from flowers, wheat, and vegetable. I don’t remember its name but I recall my colleague called it a “Shiluk food” (Shiluk is one of the tribes in South Sudan).
Shiluk food
When I went to the polling stations on the first and second days, I saw the excitement of the voters. They came to polling centre at 6 a.m. and in fact the balloting was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. The first day was a little bit chaotic because the ballot papers and boxes were delivered late to the polling centres due to logistical problem so most polling centres started very late between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Some of them even decided to open on the second day instead.
Queue at 6 a.m. to vote!
On the second day, the voters didn’t seem to lose their enthusiasm, they didn’t mind to line up under the sun for hours to wait for their turn to vote. There was this old man lined up in Tharawa polling centre. The Abuna (old man)’s name is BA, he is 80 years old and has voted several times in his life. “I have voted several times but I don’t remember when except the one in 1986 and now,” said Mr. A.
Line up under the sun
The man who was retired from his work as a Forest Oversee Officer six years ago said that back in 1986 he voted in Malakal.
BA came to the polling station to queue at 9 a.m. because he was very eager to vote, “I’m going to vote someone who has been very active to work and is going to bring Sudan into a good future.”
The Abuna was finally being called to cast his ballot at 12 noon and he was helped by one of the polling centre’s officers witnessed by political party’s accredited representatives. “1986 elections didn’t have a lot of ballot boxes as we have now,” Mr. A compared, “Although the process was complicated but I’m very happy to finally be able to vote and I urged all my six children to vote too.”
The Abuna casts his ballot
If there was an old man who has voted several times, there was also a middle 40 year-old lady who surprisingly has voted twice in her life. She is a teacher of Boys Banderi Primary School, her name is MP. “This will be my second time to vote. I voted for the first time when I was still in the senior grade of secondary school back in 1984,” said Ms. P whose name listed as a voter in Lelo constituency in Central Malakal. 1984 elections was a single-party elections to People’s Assembly in Sudan.
"I’m voting hoping that the future leader will bring us into a better future."
The teacher who teaches social science said that there is the difference in her motivation to vote back in 1984 and now (2010). “Before, I went to vote without any goal. I didn’t know the real meaning of the elections because I was still very young,” explained Ms. P, “Now, I’m voting hoping that the future leader will bring us into a better future and a good change such as providing more schools, health centres, and clean water.”
Sudanese voted for a better future
BA and MP may have come from two different generations. However, they have the same hope that the future leaders of Sudan should bring a better future for their people and the country.
The historical Sudan elections 2010
Posted in Africa, Mission Life on April 14, 2010| 13 Comments »
I had this short field trip was actually a month ago when I covered the visit of the newly appointed UNMIS Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG) of Humanitarian Affairs, GC, in Southern Sudan including Malakal and Dolieb Hill, the nearest village of Malakal.
In Dollieb Hill, DSRSG visited medical centres, refugees’ way station, clean water project and the market… Yeah, I was particularly interested in Dollieb Hill market, it was impressive for a small village!
Dollieb Hill market along the Nile River
Fresh fish from the Nile River
The main livelihood in Dollieb Hill is fishing and farming. These IDPs are supported by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in doing “coping mechanism” where they will be fishing during dry season and cultivating on the rainy season. They have done this in order to survive, at least they won’t be having food shortages.
A lady sells sun-dried fish in the market
They also sell some of their fish and vegetables in the local market. They have small market opened everyday a long the Nile River. I was very impressed with the variants that they sell. I saw fresh fish from the Nile, sun-dried fish, green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, ocras, and even chicken eggs! The conditions of those vegetables were fresher than what I found in Malakal because they grew those vegetables in their own farms.
Onion is one of the important ingredients for Sudanese. They almost eat everything mixed with onion!
I was happy to know these IDPs can survive in the land of stranger by providing their own food. They knew that they can’t count on food distribution from UN agencies and/or non-govermental organizations forever. They have to find a way to survive until they are able to return to their homeland.
Posted in Africa, Imeechan Photo Gallery on April 13, 2010| 11 Comments »
I took this photo yesterday when I covered the second day of Sudan elections in Malakal of Upper Nile State capital in Southern Sudan and it has been picked up by UNMIS as one of its featured photos on its website this week.
My elections photo got chosen as one of featured photos on UNMIS website
The original photo:
Voters queuing for their turn
Posted in Africa, Mission Life on April 10, 2010|
Spring holiday is officially over! Work & studies are waiting…
Some of you may already know that Sudan elections will kick off tomorrow till 13 April. Tomorrow is going to be the first elections ever in Sudan after 25 years. I’m so happy & grateful to be given a chance to witness this important moment for the Sudanese & also for the world.
I have already gotten my media accreditation card from the National Elections Commission so I’m all set to be one of those who capture this historical momento.
Wish me luck! 🙂
My media accreditation card for Sudan elections
Posted in Africa, Mission Life on April 6, 2010| 5 Comments »
“What’s your name?”
“Garuij”
“How old are you?”
“Ten”
I met a little boy who always comes to the State Elections High Committee Office to clean and shine the shoes of every gentleman who is visiting the office that day.
Garuij Lul
The little boy’s full name is Garuij Lul, he’s from Nuer tribe. His age is eight (not ten as he told me earlier) and he is in the second grade of Qiyada Elementary School in Malakal.
Garuij has two brothers and three sisters, some of them live in the village called, Lou. As for Garuij and the rest of his brothers and sisters are living with their parents in Malakal.
Garuij works as a shoe cleaner and shiner everyday after he came back from his school and he is doing this to help his parents to support his school tuition. He got 50 piesta (25 cents) for every pair of shoes he cleaned.
He may not earn much but his courage and struggle to keep on study will bring him forward to get whatever he is dreaming of!
Posted in Africa, Imeechan Photo Gallery on April 6, 2010| 20 Comments »
The picture that I took on the arrival of elections materials in Malakal was used by UNMIS as one of the featured photos on its front page website this week.
The arrival of elections materials in Malakal photo was chosen as one of UNMIS website featured photos
Here is the original photo:
Ballot papers arriving to Malakal and being transported to Upper Nile State elections logistics warehouse.
The Window... 