Rain & Roads & Roads & Rain

Today is Saturday. A Saturday in Pader has involved waking up, washing clothes (the most entertaining part being how fast the clothes dry. The sun is so hot early in the morning that you can see the water evaporating from the clothes. That is real heat!), making pancakes (based on powdered milk and Blue Band. And for you who do not know what Blue Band is, it is a margarine that does not need a fridge, and is the staple food of East Africa. For you who do know what Blue Band is, you know what I mean.), eating the pancakes, drawing, visiting the school  to see some of the girls, having lunch at Ayago Restaurant, laughing at ourselves, laughing at others, and then finally making our way to the WFP Compound in Pader to watch some Premier League games and check email. That is Pader.

At the moment, the rain has swept in over Pader, and it is here to terrorize the vehicles that are still in the field. A wellknown joke is that the main point in the job description of an NGO worker is driving around in a big Landcruiser. It is perhaps not the main point, but it is one of the things that is constantly done. The Landcruiser will definitely take you to, and from, the field in one piece. But the rain is still threatening. It will make the bad roads worse, and the passable roads – well, they become less passable. So I imagine, that if we were in the field now, we would see how NGO vehicles from WFP, UNHCR, IAS, ZOA, WarChild etc. make their way back to Pader town, desperately trying to avoid sleeping in the field.

The roads are a factor in everything here. During the week, we planned the coming week, where a lot of field work was to be done. And the logistics that usually involve things like fuel, water and drivers had an additional factor to consider – can we actually get to the places we want to go to? The board was full of names of subcounties, and then the condition of the road written after it. Phrases such as “Ok, but there is a bad spot!” or “Bad, but passable” popped up on the board.

One can plan, and plan, and plan. One can have a back up plan, and another back up plan, and yet another. But once it rains, all plans fail, and we rely on God and our Majestic Landcruisers to keep us safe.

That is Pader for you. One of the best places on earth.

Peace