Juba, South Sudan (20 May 2012) — Whew! What a week! I’m looking forward to more things (good things I hope) to happen in the coming week. I feel grateful and what happened this past week helped me have more faith in more good things to come. The week began with the day I finally decided to take the leap and did my first road run in Juba. I have been thinking of running the main roads of Juba for quite sometime but fear of running “in the open” always held me back. Up to the last-minute I doubted myself (I already have changed into my running outfit and had done warm-up stretching) and I was still entertaining excuses in my mind. Anyway, I just made the sign of the cross and said to myself “Bahala na si Batman!” I was glad I made the leap. I felt proud of this simple accomplishment (overcoming my fear of running “in the open” in Juba). I felt proud that I was able to complete a running course that all the while I was thinking I could not finish. The route I took was a total of 15K course (more or less). And I did this all by my lonesome self!!! My decision to run the streets of Juba opened up the possibility for me to be free of the inconvenience of having to find a place to change clothes, arrange for transport (going to and leaving the UNMISS compound) and to some extent having to inconvenience colleagues/friends in the UNMISS so just I could run. I actually can do my run in the morning before going to the office. The road run (my discovery run) also served as a test run of the terrain and feel of the streets. In a weeks time, the Juba Marathon will be held and I intend to join and run my first half-mary. The run last Sunday gave me a feel of running a course that had some variety in the incline of the terrain which I was never getting at the UNMISS compound which is basically flat. I was so happy with my decision and the outcome that I celebrated the occasion by rewarding myself with a big breakfast and in the evening I cooked “Chicken-Pork Hamonado” for the all my colleagues living in the IOM guesthouse.
Chicken-Pork Hamonado — A simple dish but very delicious. Meat is slow cooked in a mixture of beer, pineapple juice (if none you can use Sprite or 7-up), black pepper, salt, soy sauce and dried basil leaves. Goes well with rice.
Monday came and the office was abuzz with excitement and anticipation. The whole operations team and the tracking and monitoring team were “all hands on deck” ready to meet and assist the South Sudanese returnees coming from Khartoum at the Juba International Airport. I was requested to be in the airport to take photos of the event. This was the first batch of returnees coming in by plane after some months of lull due to the ban imposed by Sudan on flights going to Juba. I’ve learned that from this day till about the end of the month, IOM will be receiving, transporting, registering two batches of returnees (two flights) per day and receive, transport and register returnees that travel by barge along the Nile River. I was excited and honored to have been assigned to take care of the documentation of the event. The event was a big one and after having not photograph a big public event such as this one for a while (I’m more into running now than photography), I felt I was getting rusty and slow. On the way to the airport from the office, I was worried and I kept reviewing in my mind some “checklist” and tried to pre-visualize some possible scenes. I was honestly feeling like I was starting all over again. However, as soon as the first returnees appeared out of the plane door and started going down the stairs, I stopped thinking and just started shooting. I was happy with the shoot and was even happier when, after sharing a few shots, our IOM headquarters in Geneva and administrative center in Manila requested for the high resolution shots (in addition to the sample shots I sent earlier) and informed me that these will be posted in IOM’s official sites in an image library.
Welcome Home! — South Sudanese returnees deplane at the Juba International Airport. They belong to the first batch of South Sudanese repatriated to South Sudan from Khartoum through the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). A total of 164 individuals comprised the first batch of returnees. From the airport, they were transported to a transit station were they were provided with food and accommodation. Onward transport support will be provided by IOM for them to finally reach their final place of destination in various states in South Sudan
All Aboard — A father and child boards one of the buses provided by IOM to transport the returnees to a transit site where they will receive food and accommodation. They will stay in the transit site until they are ready to travel back to their place of final destination in one of the 10 states in South Sudan
Tuesday passed like a blur as I had to finish all preparations for a return field mission to Bentiu, the capital of the Unity State (or the place where people are fighting, as our cleaning lady would describe the place). Wednesday to Friday I was out in the bush helping NGOs operating there prepare their project proposals for submission to IOM. Being in the bush for three days, despite being intermittently cut-off from the outside world (internet access is poor & cellphone networks suck) and having no access to conveniences otherwise commonly available in Juba, still presented me with valuable experiences worth cherishing. For one, the second visit to Bentiu reminded me of the kind of work I love doing. Being in the field accords me as well with lots of quiet time otherwise drowned by deadlines, meetings, reports and other distractions when in the office. Despite the difficulties experience in the field, I always come back home feeling more grounded and more confident because of the added understanding of the real situation on the ground.
Unity State from the Air — An aerial view of the landscape of Unity State. Shot taken on my way home to Juba onboard a Canadian managed UN flight.
Here Comes the Rain — Rain clouds gathering on top of the Council of Traditional Leaders Center (COTAL) in Bentiu, Unity State. Rains in Bentiu have arrived late this year. While rain is anticipated by the community (as this would benefit farmers), the rainy season in Unity State also signals the months of difficult travel. Most of the roads in the state becomes impassable even by 4×4 vehicles.
Saturday morning I did my second road run in the streets of Juba. I did an easy 6K because while I was on field mission, I failed to run at the UNMISS compound there because I was not stationed inside the compound. It was a big hustle for me to travel to the UNMISS from the WFP compound (where I was able to get accommodation). This morning I did another 6K road run along the Airport Road and UNMISS road.
What a week! Lots of things happened and lots of things I am grateful for and proud of. I look forward to another week with faith in the good that it will bring. I still don’t have news as to the status of the Juba Marathon but will try to get more detailed information before Saturday. I really hope it will push through this time. I look forward with excitement and anticipation to finish my first 21K on Saturday (wearing the Amigos Curiae singlet).
