June 10th-14th 2015 Kalemie-Uvira

June 11, 2015

9:07am @ OCHA-Kalemie

a shot of a girl in Kapundu IDP camp

SFCG performing desensatization activities, Kapunda IDP

SFCG unloading

Painting the new TRP wall with logo :)

Yesterday I asked Guy Marie (OCHA) if he would do an interview for us (TRP) on OCHA and the current IDP situation but he said without authorization he could not do an ‘official’ interview…so I called this big boss in Kinshasa and got the approval. 
He actually said, anything that we can do to promote the plight of the current IDP situation is good and that ‘we are together’. I was please to hear this of course. So I came here this morning hoping to schedule a time today to do the interview (but I am waiting on Guy Marie). Afterwards I will meet Ethan, Michael, Rocco and Malela at Malela’s house to finish painting the TRP wall outside the (house)/office. We are supposed to meet with the head master at the local school to discuss vulnerable (we still have $725 USD to distribute!), and a busy day tomorrow as we are going to Bandera IDP camp with SFCG to shoot – not to mention we leave the following day, Saturday.

Yesterday was a hot one- we spent most of the afternoon running errands then painting, I

made lunch around 11- we ate by 12:30pm and got home just before sunset. We tried to confirm our shoot with the Fishermen but the wind picked up yesterday afternoon and we have decided to put it off for now- maybe we can get our shots in Uvira. Today our goal is to organize our interview with OCHA, UNHCR (I’m waiting for Internet to kick in so I can check my email as I am waiting to hear back from UNHCR :-/), finalize our program for tomorrow, swing by ECHO again to clarify our registration, meet with tailor this evening, organize office for TRP etc. etc. etc… so much to do, so little time 

Mr. Guy Marie, OCHA

Today is Sunday, June 14^th (I think lol)

We arrived in Uvira this morning around 7:30am from Kalemie, the boat left yesterday morning around 11am, it was a very windy day so quite the bumpy ride but, we managed. Malela Ethan Rocco and I all shared a room,  public restrooms which wasn’t fun but again- we survived lol. Rocco is fast asleep- we are now at hotel ‘FIZI’ using the Internet which I haven’t had in days- let’s see if I can recap our last few days in Kalemie…

Ms. Alimata, UNHCR Protection

On Thursday we did the OCHA interview, had the humanitarian meeting (also at OCHA- they are held once a week on Thursdays) and then we went to UNHCR and did an interview (after I met with head of office there, earlier in the day). It was a busy productive day.Friday, June 12^th we went to the field with SFCG- as far as Kampundu which is an IDP camp about 40km from Kalemie. There we filmed the activities of the sensitization of SFCG’s efforts working with the current IDP conflict. It was a lot of work and a very hot day. These guys and girls really work hard, performing, entertaining all for a good cause. It was a pleasure to see and even more of a pleasure to be able to capture on film. I look forward to finalizing all we have done thus far.

Kapunda IDP camp, Kalemie

Friday night we made dinner and packed, spent some quality time with the kids and gave a lot of our things away….clothes, nail polish etc J everyone was happy. Saturday morning came too fast L as we were saying our goodbyes, both Michael and Servan cried then Rocco started bawling, it made us all tear up…they got so close…very sweet and very sad.

Rocco making friends...

The boat ride, as I mentioned, was bumpy and long and well it is what it is. We are now in Uvira, working on last minute budgeting and admin stuff, about to send this off and start translations with Malela…we’ve hours of work to get done before night fall.

I’ll try to post some pics a bit later.

Definitely looking forward to coming home but beyond deflated on leaving...this has been too short of a trip, though the work is only beginning I’m looking forward more than ever to my return in January 2016!

Tutaonana for now,

krista