Greetings, fellow Steemians, since Steemit is still experiencing indigestion (at least on my side...it took me four tries to post a comment to a friend earlier this afternoon), I'll continue to stay away from posting in the African infrastructure series for now, even though we were just starting to get to the good part (infrastructure project preparation).
Instead, since the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, had an unsettling experience in South Sudan, needing to be evacuated in short order yesterday, my thoughts turned back to a brief visit there in July 2012 at the request of various organs of the African Union, to assist the brand new South Sudanese government to come up with an infrastructure plan.
Here are a couple of thoughts I can share with you without breaking any confidences. I'm really disappointed to find that my personal photos of that trip are lost somewhere in the mists of cell phone upgrades and laptop transfers. Unfortunately the few photos I'll share with you today aren't mine, but might give you a bit of an idea what the capital city, Juba, was like, at least in 2012. I'm afraid it's going to be more stream of consciousness than a story, but here goes anyway.
Caveat of note: I was there only three days, so these are at best impressions. However, my experience of other African countries, even Guinea Bissau when it was run by a military junta, was on a different scale to this. South Sudan is the product of more than a generation of war. It's what you get when you cross ethnic hatreds with oil, and steep this mixture in a sauce of naked greed for decades.
Why were we there?
The South Sudan government expected to have significant revenues from oil sales back to Sudan through the existing pipeline, and wished to convert some of those revenues into basic infrastructure (water, energy, transportation and ICT) for its people, many of whom had only known war for their entire lives. Social infrastructure (education - especially institutes of higher learning, health and housing) were also deeply important to them. Our job was to develop a simple, high level master plan for the infrastructure.
What does it look like?
Juba looks like a lot of places in Africa, frankly.
Where is it in Africa?
Just west of the Horn of Africa.
Sudan used to be the biggest country in Africa until South Sudan gained its independence. It's a landlocked country sitting between some reasonable stable neighbours and others with more testy temperaments. In the interests of diplomacy, I'll leave it to you which of its neighbours fall into which category.
What was the condition of the South Sudanese at the time?
Not great. If you're really keen, you can look up many different parameters on the World Bank website. Let me show you in a couple of maps and with two telling anecdotes from our meetings.
It's really sparsely populated.
Nevertheless, it had one of the poorest populations in the world.
What contributed to this poverty?
According to one of the ministers we spoke to, who shared this with tears in his eyes, they had spent over a generation in civil war. As a general, he said he could read maps extremely well, but couldn't read words. He said he was dedicating his life to helping his people get the education he didn't get - although he said learning under a tree was better than not learning at all.
Another person we spoke to, let's just say a senior expatriate, said bluntly that almost the entire population was uneducated and there was effectively no economy in South Sudan. Since the Sudanese government shut off oil shipments through the pipeline before we got there, revenues to the newest state in the world quickly dried up and aid became effectively their only source of income. The oil revenues would have been a mechanism for the government to provide a basic income to the population - basically paying them to keep the peace. We came away from that discussion with a renewed appreciation for South Africa and our ability to work out our differences with each other (okay, that was in 2012).
The Nile River
When we got to Juba, it took us a while to internalise that we were right next to the Nile River, even though we knew it intellectually. This was the second time I'd "been" to the Nile - several years before I'd gone to Khartoum, now the capital of Sudan, and done a short boat cruise down the Nile. This was different. Khartoum was quite a clean, modern(ish) place, where the team I was with at the time had no trouble walking around the streets. We noticed that there were a number of concrete structures by the side of the road that provided drinking water. Hey, it's hot in Khartoum.
What was so striking to us as we were driven around for a quick tour of the city was that right next to the Nile River, there were water tankers uploading water to distribute in town. We weren't there long enough to figure out how or even if the water was treated before being distributed, but it seemed like such a tragedy that the city is on one of the world's most famous rivers and had no (or little) treatment and piped distribution from source. We didn't find out on this trip what the sewage treatment dispensation was, either.
While the bridge I remember across the Nile was a 4-lane tarred bridge, we weren't allowed to take photos and have had to settle for memories. At least you can see a bit of the Nile River in this photo!
The UN compound
From memory, we spent quite a bit of time there as the UN was part of our client group and the compound had a terrific buffet lunch, with plenty of bottled water on tap, as it were. I say terrific not because it was gourmet, or Dijon, or anything fancy like that. I say terrific because it didn't make us sick (at either end), for which we were deeply grateful.
The compound also housed the offices of the African Development Bank, where we spent a little time familiarising ourselves with the challenges and what the Development Finance Institutions were planning in terms of infrastructure finance for the country. What was notable to me was the number of people in our group who visibly relaxed once we were in the compound. I seem to remember there had been an incident of some sort in Juba the week before we got there and the regulars were a bit jittery.
Our "hotel"
It is so unfortunate that I can't find the photos of our "hotel". I put hotel in quotes because it was actually a collection of containers modified with air conditioning and rudimentary plumbing to make quite a decent place to stay overall.
I chose between a room with a shower WITH a tap and functioning flush toilet, with a faulty lock on the door, and one with a shower where the tap was kind of at thigh level, making showering a sit-down affair, but with a lock that worked. No prizes for guessing which one I chose.
Dinner at the hotel generally consisted of choosing from the extensive list of Ethiopian dishes - we generally chose pizzas Ethiopian style which were quite good.
Apparently the hotel was owned by an Ethiopian entrepreneur.
Closeout - women doing their part for South Sudan
At the airport leaving Juba a couple of days later, I chatted with a strikingly beautiful young woman who said she was working for an NGO up on the northern border. How did you travel during the flood season, I asked? We couldn't, she said. What I wanted to ask but didn't, discretion being the better part of valour, is how on earth is someone as gorgeous as you able to function in an environment as Wild West as this one - do you know Tae Kwon Doe? Are you a ninja? Some kind of spy?
Then there was the earnest South African human rights lawyer (also at the airport) doing cutting edge work with the government to establish, well, laws. Here we were looking at helping them create the physical infrastructure, and she was helping them to create their governance infrastructure.
Nikki Haley had gone to South Sudan earlier this week to send a stern message to the President, that the US would reduce assistance to the country. Instead she had to leave in haste for the Democratic Republic of Congo when a demonstration at a refugee camp became too intense. Why do I get the impression that had her mission to South Sudan not been cut short, she would have had nothing to report?
Team South Africa banner designed by @bearone
dear @kiligirl welcome to South Sudan and stay well and if you need any help just email me and I will do my best to help you am in Juba
Hey Junubia, I'm wondering if it's possible to cross border by land from Sudan to the South Sudan, and then to Uganda? I am considering the possibility to travel there with another friend.
hi @alwaysontheroad is possible from South Sudan to Uganda by road but between Sudan and South Sudan is not possible
Dear @junubia, apologies for the silence - between the impossibility of posting replies on Steemit last week and a very busy weekend in real life, I am only getting to reply to most of the comments on that post now. I feel honoured you responded to my post. Thank you so much. It has been a long time since I was in Juba but it looks like things continue to be difficult for ordinary people there. Following you now to learn more about South Sudan these days.
Hi @kiligirl, hope you're doing great. I noticed that you were away since a while from steemit. Some of my friends felt the same for you. Actually we all are following your amazing contents since long. Recently, you started some great content regarding "African infrastructure series". This is a very inspirational series to know that a very backward area of the world is going to develop with latest technology. I personally want to know more about this development in Africa. Thanks a lot for your Efforts. Stay blessed and don't stop to share amazing material.
By the way most of the people are irritating by steemit's behavior now a days. Can you update us when will this matter be resolved. All the best!
Hi @jawad09, I must apologise for the silence over the last few days. I tried to reply to your message then gave up after the third try. I will get back to the African infrastructure series soon - in fact, my post on project preparation is already well underway. I'm so glad you're interested in it!
On Steemit, I gathered from some posts that the DDoS attacks were continuing and that the developers were trying to effect workarounds to these while keeping the platform running...but frankly, who knows what's true. At least it seems like the platform is working again and I'm looking forward to posting another memory from Africa a bit later today. Thanks as always for your support - it makes such a difference to know that people read what we spend hours thinking about and preparing! All the best to you as well.
Welcome back @kiligirl. Thanks a lot for your detailed response on my queries. And also steemit is resumed now. Thanks a lot for everything. Stay safe.
Thanks, @jawad09, you too.
Love how detailed all your articles are. I know so little about Africa so your posts are more than helpful. Keep it up.
Steemit should just behave so we get back to the infrastructure ones 😌
Hi, @wachera, lovely to hear from you and I'm so sorry it's taken this long to get back to you - I gave up replying on Steemit by the end of last week and put it in the "too hard" pile. You've inspired me to put up another post today - again, just a snippet to capture a lovely memory from Dar es Salaam. And you surprise me when you say you know little about Africa...😊😊
Indigestion is putting it mildly. Struggled to do a post then suddenly there is three of them on my blog! Two seconds they gone again, then the earning is above 4 USD and then suddenly again under 3 USD! Rather diarrhea than indigestion!! Keep on steeming!
Hi, @marcel1965, I'm now officially cautiously optimistic...I posted a few replies yesterday morning and they seemed to stick, and now I'm going through some overdue replying and it's working. Here's a little, tiny, quiet yay! to say perhaps the Steemit digestion problems are behind us for now. Keep on steeming too....
Hello,
We had some migrants forcibly repatriated back to South Sudan from Israel. It was very sad seeing as some of the younger children had been "Israeli" from birth.
Your report is fascinating!
Gee, @simivalleyjeff53, that's heartrending. It resonates with a current issue in the US with the Dreamers and DACA. Thank you so much for your kind comment.
You are welcome.
😊😊
Hello friend...had gone through your post..we all are facing the same problem here as well..sometimes it becomes very discouraging.. Anyway, it seemed your Sudan tour was a memorable one.. Expecting to read more of your posts..Have a wonderful time...
Hi, @momi5, I'm so sorry for not replying earlier. I have to admit I gave up replying towards the end of last week because my replies simply weren't posting. I hope you have also experienced the improvement that seemed to come through over the weekend. Our short stay in South Sudan, and that project, were indeed both memorable experiences. The powers that be in our company were most unimpressed with the technique we used in the end to identify major load centres and prioritise rollout of critical infrastructure - we gave the South Sudanese large maps and cokie pens and asked them to show us what was needed first. Frankly, I still think we got a better idea doing it that way than using more "sophisticated" techniques which would show off how smart we were.
Thank God..dear friend..I got connected to you.. So nice to see you are working so hard with your project . And it's true..instead of using advanced techniques for the surveys we need to adapt the methods more understandable and suitable for that group of population..
Anyway, have a wonderful time ahead ...
Very good post ... I must and read one more time :)
Thank you, @foxkoit, I appreciate your kind words. 😊😊
You are welcome :) I hope your new day is good :)
Likewise, @foxkoit. 😊😊
Good :))
Hi Kiligirl, your friend Ellie Mae here to tell you I love this post. It is to me the best example of what you are doing and the people you are working with. In my mind I wasn't sure just how much infrastructure was already in place. Your question to the young woman from the NGO was one I would have asked myself. 🐓🐓
Thank you so much, Ellie Mae, and my goodness, it's great to be able to reply to a comment again! I'll bet you would have figured out a better way to ask her. I would have just spluttered. 😜😜
Dear Kiligirl, the question regarding the young woman working for the NGO would have been pretty direct. Like what the h... are you crazy? Yes, things are working again. Yeah! Hope you got some rest after your busy weekend. My head fools my body into thinking I have boundless amounts of energy. Wish it was true.
Have a great day! Your friend. Ellie Mae🐓🐓
Bwahaha! I think we have the same head-body fool thing going on. You have a great day too! 😘😘
very helpful post @kiligirl
Thank you for saying so, @pingkusabbir.
thanks. good job
Thank you for your information that has been a very descriptive article...
Thank you, @gokhanunal.
Thanks for sharing this article about Africa. ..
It's a pleasure, @emperorrichie. Thanks for stopping in!
thanks for this article ! share some more with us thanks !
dear @kiligirl welcome to South Sudan and stay well and if you need any help just email me and I will do my best to help you am in Juba
Tqs for posting this article and makes this type of articles more
Thanks for stopping in, @lavanya.
Great post Kiligirl!🐓🐓
Spent some time in Juba in 2007... most expensive pizza ever next to the Nile... baked by a Japanese chef!
Ah, pizza...the traveller's saviour....😂. So how was Japanese Nile pizza for you?
Hi, the Japanese Nile pizza was great! The mozzies, tented-camp and ablutions were terrible...$100 per night! South Sudan showed so much promise...
Will post some of my photos of my trip to Juba soon
Back sooner. Actually I recall our flight to Juba... some clapped-out Russian plane... Sudan Airways... they had a creeper pot plant with a trellis at the front of the plane next to the stewardess????!!
And thank you for the resteems - much appreciated! 😊😊