Stop Genocide NowKatie-Jay keeps i-ACT running on several levels. Much of her work entails coordinating partnerships with other grassroots organizations and implementing the campaigns developed by Gabriel and seeing through the details. She graduated from Portland State University with a BA in Sociology and a focus on Community Development. She has previously worked as a community organizer in Thailand, Guatemala, and with grassroots organizations across the United States.
Day 8 From the sky above, I can barely see the dried up wadi, instead I follow the trees and green shrubs of its watershed and tributaries as we leave Goz Beida heading to Abeche, then off to Gaga and Farchana. We pass a massive flood plain with splinter-like rows of green extending across the […]
Day 7 Only one day left in Djabal. I will be in Chad for a total of almost three weeks and its just not enough time with so many travel days. We met Adef and Achta’s family, as well as Oumar’s yesterday and today we go to school. But there is so much more to […]
Day 6 The sun rises gradually this morning. Or maybe its that I am already half awake several hours before we need to get up; each time I slowly open my eyes and quickly close them again its just a little brighter. I quickly gather our things and we are off. A new day, a […]
Day 5 “Bonjour” Rene calls from kitchen as I wonder in for my morning café. This might be the last of the café until we reach N’Djamena. I savor the last sips of it while I pack my bags, well, I pack half a bag of my personal belongings and repack our three backpacks and […]
The front door of the building is creaking with the wind, the donkeys are upset and hewhawing continuously and the dogs haven’t stopped barking since we got here four nights ago. But these aren’t the reasons why I am wide awake after a really long day in camps, little food and not very much sleep. […]
We are leaving later than usual today but with the hopes that we will stay later in to the afternoon, as we are the convoy, that is to say the only car following our armed escort. We make the usual stop at the security office, tell them that we would like to stay until 2pm, […]
Here are a few snippets of my thoughts (KTJ) that didn’t make it in to the above journal entry since they are more about me, but some of you might find it… hmmm… well just read it if you want to… I’m out of chocolate. There are not too many things about myself that I […]
I am quiet on the ride this morning. I focus more on the landscape than I did yesterday; it is beautiful here. A goat stands tall on its hind legs reaching for food, the lower branches of the tree have been another’s meal. In the distance, I see a few small hills. At their foot, […]
I wake before the alarm on my watch starts beeping and 6:45am flashes in indigo. Today we go to Kounougo!Our land cruiser is the last in the convoy heading to the camp; all humanitarian vehicles are marked with a “no weapons” image, yet ironically we follow a pick-up truck with a gun and several soldiers. […]
The streets are empty as we travel to UNHCR in Abeche to drop off extra luggage and then to the airport. We are the first ones this morning – and a good thing since we have a tad too much weight still! Government soldiers rolling up their mats and gathering at various gates around the […]