Living Conditions and the Expat Compound in Pictures
25 Jul 2008 23:21:00 GMT
Written by: Lauralee Morris
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"Do you like camping?" my recruiter in Toronto asked me. At the time I did not understand the reason for the question, but now, 7 months later, I totally get it. In many respects, this mission is like a nine month camping trip!
I have been told that the living conditions in Lankien, and in other MSF missions in southern Sudan, are particularly difficult. Of course, no matter how harsh they may be, they are still infinitely easier than those of the general population. Yes, we live in tukuls with mud walls and thatched roofs, and yes there is no running water and limited power. But we do have a reasonably nice pit latrine, a shower, and a combination of solar and generator power in the logistics room and the TV tukul. (Yes we have a TV tukul where we watch DVD's, the latest being Heroes and all of Denzel Washington's movies.) We have staff to cook, carry water and wash our clothes. It is a rather upscale camping trip I would say.
Above: The shower from the outside.
Above: The shower from the inside.
Above: The latrine from the outside.
Below: The latrine from the inside.
Below: The new kitchen tukul under construction.
Below: The view from inside of the TV tukul.
Below: The logistics building gets decorated.
Below: My tukul.
Below: Leanna's tukul.
Below: The back gate.
For more information on MSF field blogs, visit www.msf.ca.
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Dr. Lauralee Morris is a a general practitioner working for the Canadian branch of aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Currently on her first mission with MSF, she is working in Lankien, Southern Sudan where MSF delivers basic health care services, including pregnancy care, therapeutic feeding, and programs for the treatment of tuberculosis and Kala Azar.