1st month in Pakistan
Door: Anton Frima
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Anton
25 Mei 2008 | Pakistan, Quetta
Hi all,
Almost my first full month in Pakistan comes to an end, so time for a short update and some pictures!!!
Culturally it’s been very interesting to see Pakistan up close and to get a better picture of the politics. Project-wise, it’s not yet fully up to speed for me yet. I’ve spend quite some time in bed being sick and I’ve not been able to go to my own project as yet as a result of lack of travel-permits for foreigners. More details below!
Currently I am in Quetta, a big city of over 1 million people and the capital of Balochistan, one of the four provinces of Pakistan. I am based in a very nice guesthouse which serves also as our office where we work together with around 10 Paksitani staff members. From this office we manage a hospital just outside Quetta where we provide maternal care in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. We also have a female Mental Health Officer in place consulting to those who request so.
Since Quetta is a huge city, we can find everything here (except for real coffee!). This sometimes makes it a bit hard to understand as to why MSF should be here. However, we are doing very relevant work through providing medical knowledge, medicines and a bit of management to the hospitals where we work.
As mentioned in earlier postings, I am scheduled to carry out logistics for the Chaman project, based on the border with Afghanistan. However, to obtain the right travel permits can take up a lot of time and hopefully for the month of June I will be able to go. In Chaman I will be based directly in the hospital instead of a separate office/guesthouse as here in Quetta. This will, probably , increase a bit the feeling of being in a real project!
In Quetta I am in charge again of logistics, mainly resulting in supervising our logistic office staff in their activities (vehicle fleet management, supply, finance, HRM, communication). It’s a bit less hands-on like in Somalia (no leatherman with me 24-7) and a bit more of an office job, hopefully to change a bit once in Chaman.
With the expats it’s good fun, however the teams are much smaller as opposed to my projects in Somalie (2 to 3 expats per location). The food is absolutely great, we can watch all the TV channels in the world (European Cup, Olympics !!) and through Skype I am regularly on the phone to Nairobi with friends from Somalia and family and friends back home. On my free time I found a great tailor that’s making me a nice suite for around 20% of what it’d cost me back home.
Quetta has quite an extensive range of different national and international NGO’s with whom we are quite frequent in contact, either for program-issues or for social events. Good fun!
Unfortunately, nobody plays fieldhockey in these parts of Pakistan so all my sports dedication is pointed towards our cyclo-trainer on the roof terrace. We have just entered the ‘summer’ season causing temperatures to rise up to 35 to 40 degrees C. Outside it’s very dusty and dry. Heavy rains are expected towards the end of June, and feared as well since last years rains caused huge flood disasters throughout the country.
Pakistan is a very hospitable country, people are very friendly, considerate and interested and involved with the future of their country. In Quetta, and more in the direction of the Afghan border, it is easy to see the results of all the events in Afghanistan over the last 2 decades. Chaman for instance is made up for 90% by Afghan people who are very hard working and trying to make the best of it. From Chaman, i hope to get a better idea and view on all this.
Well, that’s it for now!!!
Cheers from Pakistan,
Anton
Almost my first full month in Pakistan comes to an end, so time for a short update and some pictures!!!
Culturally it’s been very interesting to see Pakistan up close and to get a better picture of the politics. Project-wise, it’s not yet fully up to speed for me yet. I’ve spend quite some time in bed being sick and I’ve not been able to go to my own project as yet as a result of lack of travel-permits for foreigners. More details below!
Currently I am in Quetta, a big city of over 1 million people and the capital of Balochistan, one of the four provinces of Pakistan. I am based in a very nice guesthouse which serves also as our office where we work together with around 10 Paksitani staff members. From this office we manage a hospital just outside Quetta where we provide maternal care in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. We also have a female Mental Health Officer in place consulting to those who request so.
Since Quetta is a huge city, we can find everything here (except for real coffee!). This sometimes makes it a bit hard to understand as to why MSF should be here. However, we are doing very relevant work through providing medical knowledge, medicines and a bit of management to the hospitals where we work.
As mentioned in earlier postings, I am scheduled to carry out logistics for the Chaman project, based on the border with Afghanistan. However, to obtain the right travel permits can take up a lot of time and hopefully for the month of June I will be able to go. In Chaman I will be based directly in the hospital instead of a separate office/guesthouse as here in Quetta. This will, probably , increase a bit the feeling of being in a real project!
In Quetta I am in charge again of logistics, mainly resulting in supervising our logistic office staff in their activities (vehicle fleet management, supply, finance, HRM, communication). It’s a bit less hands-on like in Somalia (no leatherman with me 24-7) and a bit more of an office job, hopefully to change a bit once in Chaman.
With the expats it’s good fun, however the teams are much smaller as opposed to my projects in Somalie (2 to 3 expats per location). The food is absolutely great, we can watch all the TV channels in the world (European Cup, Olympics !!) and through Skype I am regularly on the phone to Nairobi with friends from Somalia and family and friends back home. On my free time I found a great tailor that’s making me a nice suite for around 20% of what it’d cost me back home.
Quetta has quite an extensive range of different national and international NGO’s with whom we are quite frequent in contact, either for program-issues or for social events. Good fun!
Unfortunately, nobody plays fieldhockey in these parts of Pakistan so all my sports dedication is pointed towards our cyclo-trainer on the roof terrace. We have just entered the ‘summer’ season causing temperatures to rise up to 35 to 40 degrees C. Outside it’s very dusty and dry. Heavy rains are expected towards the end of June, and feared as well since last years rains caused huge flood disasters throughout the country.
Pakistan is a very hospitable country, people are very friendly, considerate and interested and involved with the future of their country. In Quetta, and more in the direction of the Afghan border, it is easy to see the results of all the events in Afghanistan over the last 2 decades. Chaman for instance is made up for 90% by Afghan people who are very hard working and trying to make the best of it. From Chaman, i hope to get a better idea and view on all this.
Well, that’s it for now!!!
Cheers from Pakistan,
Anton
-
25 Mei 2008 - 08:14
Chubbs:
Heb je dat stofje voor je pak uitgekozen?! Mooi hoor!
Succes kanjer! -
25 Mei 2008 - 08:35
Jacq:
Zag ik daar nou een quat-quatre onder een afdakkie?! Gezellig dat contact met hier nu makkelijker is! Tot op de msn/skype en tot juli, liefs! -
25 Mei 2008 - 09:28
Jan-Dirk:
Mooie verhalen Anton!! Mis dit soort belevenissen nog regelmatig dus geniet er maar van. Eten-file-werken-file-eten - slapen kan altijd nog :-)
Cheers, JD -
25 Mei 2008 - 19:53
Jeroen Tamsma:
Jaja, geen hockey in Pakistan..
Klinkt allemaal bijna alsof er te weinig ellende is. Keep up the good work! In Chaman is er vast genoeg te doen.
Succes! -
26 Mei 2008 - 10:25
Floor:
Altijd leuk om reisverhalen te lezen, helemaal uit een land als pakistan waar je eigenlijk niks anders over hoort dan politieke kwesties.
wat die stofjes betreft, bordeaux rood met een printje doet het altijd leuk haha!
Heel veel succes daar en ik vermaak de achterblijver(s) in utrecht en omstreken wel...
grts floor -
27 Mei 2008 - 15:47
Monica:
Hi Amtom,
looks as if you are enjoying the new challenge ;0) ... Take care, ciao for now! -
28 Mei 2008 - 10:21
Niek:
Anton,
Ik vertrek per 7-6 naar Pakistan voor een Amerikaanse organisatie. Vanaf September zal ik in Quetta gepost zijn. Lijkt me leuk om wat meer over Quetta te horen en tzt misschien een ... eh ... thee te drinken?
Ik ben te vinden op niekdegoeij.waarbenjij.nu of ndegoeij@hotmail.com
Groet! -
13 Juni 2008 - 14:12
Maaike:
Hey lief!!
Goed te horen dat je bent aangekomen op je uiteindelijke stekkie!!
Ik hoop voor je dat het in Chaman een beetje interessanter voor je wordt!! En dat je daar nu ook voorlopig even kan blijven!!
Ik zie je de 12e!!
Kus!! Maaike
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