Saturday, September 26, 2009

Circumstances helping....

Hello to all,

To break with the usual length between postings, I am making use of a 6 hours layover in Dubai to update my blog, and to update you on the most recent developments...

So we have indeed gone to the Maldives , but had the joy of learning just before boarding the plane that our 4 ACF colleagues and their 2 pilots were finally freed :-) What better news to start our honeymoon? Much has been written and said since they got out, so I will just relay my happiness to you guys and wish them to turn this page as soon as possible, a page that nobody should have to write, especially not an Aid Worker!

Apart from that, we do confirm that a romantic trip to the Maldives is definitely worth it, even though Male airport had disturbing similarities with the Kabul Airport (those who know will sympathize) that the Kenyan coast remains an ideal follow up, and that sadly 5 weeks of work between this posting and us coming back from leave have very quickly shelved all those nice moments!!!

So here we are, after my now regular cycle of debriefs/briefs between Brussels and London I have started my new job as a regional security person for Save The Children, and the Aid world being one, I have had the joy of learning that I would not inherit of the 11 countries I was promised, but of the whole 22 countries in Africa where Save operates, while we recruit my counterpart for Western and Central Africa...thank god for budgetary constraints reducing the number of trips but since September 1st, I have had the opportunity of spending 1 week in Lodnon and 1 week in Cairo, and my planning for the next 6 months should see me alternate between Kenya, South Sudan, Somaliland, the Congo, Ethiopia, and South Africa. I have also begun my quest for a visit to Zanzibar(no laughing please)for sole security reasons and have to admit that it working out would really make my job worthwile ;-) all in due time...

And now, off to Syria for a little week to attend my sister's wedding and reset the counters and then....YALLAH!!!

Finally, and as I grew accustomed to at the end of each posting, I would like to have a thought for Trayle's 3 colleagues still held in Somalia...once those 3 out we will end this Somali chapter, but until then may all our thoughts go towards a quick liberation and the end of this ordeal that is sadly becoming too common :-(