OUR BLOG
Refugee Camp Dream
Mothers, fathers, and teachers have been telling me that they can only maintain hope because of the hope their children represent. While in the camps, they want their children to grow strong and educated, so that they can be the future of Darfur. They would tell me...
Our Internal GPS
The drive to the camp is bumpy and slow but not boring. I see women with long faces and wide-awake eyes, wearing bright red and riding on camels. They stare right at me without changing expression, as our car bounces by. I see a family of monkeys, not sure what kind....
Return to Camp Goz Amer
The team returns to camp Goz Amer and is welcomed by old friends.
Do you remember your first?
If you type the word magnificent into a Thesaurus, in return you will get a list of adjectives that will describe my day. If you type the name Umbda into the Thesaurus, nothing will come back in return. However, the words that could be there are; amazing, leader,...
Welcome to Kou Kou
The i-ACT team finally arrives in Kou Kou, the forward operating base for UNHCR in Camp Goz Amer.
Flirting With Danger
My return trip to Chad has been a bit surreal. The last time I was here, I was evacuated from my N’Djamena hotel by French military in an armored HV after two days of rebel attacks on the city – and one very intense moment as the rebels plastered our hotel with...
The Eastern Chad Diet
I like food, and I think about it a lot. When I think about it back home, though, it’s not a very mindful thinking, if that makes any sense. It’s more of a gut exploration of what, from the seemingly limitless options, I will chose as my next meal. Out...
Team Chat
The i-ACT 11 team introduces themselves and talks about their mission.
Stuck in the Capital
Despite their best efforts, the team is still stuck in N’Djamena after some airplane trouble. On top of that, it looks like only some of the luggage will make it to Kou Kou the following day. Traveling through Chad can be unpredictable at best and purgatory-like...