2 weeks 2 days to go

Training completed, last of the cholera vaccine taken, packing almost done.  Not long to go.  I met 2 other nurses going to South Sudan last week at the training in Birmingham. It was great to meet them.  One of them will be in the same town as me.  We'll be each others sisters, best friends and mums for the next year. The training was not much different from the course I did before going to Malawi, there were less biscuits. It's meeting the other volunteers that is the most helpful.  There were 22 of us at the training all going to different placements in Africa and Asia, teachers, managers, nurses, doctors, HIV specialists and engineers.  We all get very fancy titles but at the end of the day we just have to get our hands dirty and do what we can, which may not be what we expect to be doing.

I've had my letter of invitation from the country office which allows me to apply for my visa.  I'm going to London to have a last short holiday and apply for my visa, which has to be done in person.  I've been in touch with the principle of the College, Sister Gracy, who has told me I will be very happy there, I hope so.  I will be living close to the college, I'll have my own room with a bathroom attached, I don't  know if that means an en suite or a door to a pit in the yard behind.  I've packed a drain cover to stop uninvited visitors from the drains or holes in the ground.  I will have access to a kitchen and plain food will be available at the college.  I've packed some spices, stock cubes and earl grey tea for wee treats.  I will have power for a few hours a day but this may be when I'm working but at least I will be able to recharge my electronic equipment. I'm taking lots of electronic books, recorded films and music.  Family and friend have very kindly given me music and recordings and other equipment.

Not looking forward to all the goodbyes, I think I'll dodge as many as I can. Family and friends know how I feel. The recent heat has given me a taster of what is to come, I think I'll melt.  So almost ready to go, giving up on the contact lenses for the next year but I confess to packing fancy sandals, I couldn't help it they just fell into my case.

Getting Ready To Go

Just over six weeks to departure to Wau, pronounced wow, in South Sudan.  It's a 90 minute flight from Juba the capital.  There is a road, which is impassable in the rainy season and deemed to be unsafe at other times, from Juba. I'm going to Mary Help College of Nursing as an advisory tutor.  I'm quite sure the job will be different from the job description so I'll have to wait and see what my role will be. One thing is for sure it will be very challenging but perhaps not as challenging as getting all my shoes to my placement.

I don't know what my accommodation will be like. I may just have a room somewhere with shared cooking and toilet facilities, I may share a house or live in a guest house. I'm working on my squats in case the toilet facilities are not what I'm used to. I'll be really disappointed if I'm in a guest house and can't cook for myself. It's a lot of fun trying to make a meal out of local produce on a charcoal burner.


There seems to be a never ending list of things to do, things to buy and things to remember to do before I leave. At least setting up my blog has been scored off the list. The spare room looks like an assault course with an assortment of obstacles obstructing the wardrobe, piles of equipment on the wooden chest and toiletries falling from the shelf in the wardrobe. I've just about completed my immunisations, got my antimalarials and made up my first aid kit.

I'm hoping to blog regularly while I'm away but it will depend on Internet access and access to power. I know there is no power in the town where I'll be living but hopefully I'll be able to recharge equipment at work, if they have a generator, if not I'll have to find some alternative. I'm taking plenty of batteries and wind up torches.