Boxes and boxes, cartons and cartons.

I was sure that the couple of days it took to organize the hand over ceremony for two 40ft containers worth of medical equipment would be the hardest task. I realized my error when I stepped foot on the yard where the containers stood staring back at me.

The containers were completely full. There were about six to ten men working at any given time. One would drive the forklift while the others would carry the boxes two or three at a time. I could only carry one or two, depending on the size.

The first day was the most difficult and the hottest. It was a Saturday afternoon and the Rugby 7s Tournament in Wellington, NZ, was going on. If I haven't mentioned it before, rugby is practiced and watched fanatically here in Fiji. Everyone follows the game, and Fiji has been the world cup champions for the last two, and people are hoping that this year will make it three. Anyway, people wanted to watch, and I didn't want to be the one who stopped them. Needless to say the day moved slowly.

Despite the already slow moving day, we were forced to restart a number of times due to logistical errors. Terminology the first time, 'cartons' vs 'boxes'. Then it was that the numbers didn't add up- the actual number sent differed from the inventory checklist. So by the quarter finals we threw in the towel and decided to start again the following afternoon. A few of us went back to J's house to drink beer and cross our fingers for a Fiji victory in the tournament.

(Oh wait, before I continue on about separating boxes, I must tell you how amusing the Wellington 7s extravaganza is. Okay so, every team that's any team has at least one Fijian on it- New Zealand has 4, Australia 3, England 1, etc. So here we are routing for Fiji, when in reality it doesn't really matter because in a way, Fiji wins anyway. England ended up winning, and even though the final points were scored by Domodomo - a fijian player- there was little acknowledgment from the team. But, when Domodomo tried to defend the Pomies from the Fiji players during the match between the two countries, all the Fijians were pissed and tried to fight Domodomo. Must be hard to be him... traitor to his country, outsider to his team, isa.)

Sunday afternoon, a day of rest for most, was spent at the warehouse sorting through boxes. Everyone showing their flexed muscles was ready to work. I don't know if it was because people were still upset about the results from the tournament the previous night, but everyone worked without a break from noon to 8pm.

Finally, its all finished...

http://www.fijitimes.com.fj/story.aspx?ref=archive&id=114769


starting to take out the boxes of the first container to be sorted

sans the forklift- see, only one box

The first attempt when we thought 'cartons' meant entire 'boxes', when in reality, there were six cartons to a single box. oi lei!

Labeling the boxes for distribution, only to later find out that our second attempt would also be wrong. At this point we spent hours trying to figure out the difference in the numbers we actually had been sent compared to what was stated on the inventory lists.

2009 projects

People are still asking what my main projects are, so I will dedicate this entry to outlining what I’ve been working on in the last few weeks…

First, I should mention that the box of bras have found a home in a maternity clinic in Ra… if you’re confused by this reference go back to the entry titled ‘An uplifting project’.

The major project for this week has been allocating $2 Million worth of medical equipment sent through donors from Rotary Clubs in Australia. There are currently two full containers filled with cartons of syringes and other medical necessities. The past week has been spent finding proper locations for this equipment and dealing with logistics to get it there. I am the liaison between Rotary and Ministry of Health- Western Division. Basically what has previously take over two months, I made happen in three days. I felt useful.

I will be sorting through the medical equipment all day Saturday with a Rotarian and few workers from a shipping company who will be doing most of the heavy lifting. The allocations have been identified for eight different sub-divisional hospitals and health centers in the west. Once sorted, the trucks will begin distributing the material on Monday.

As you may recall, a JICA volunteer and I created a program we called ‘Condoms and Clubs’ in Suva. This program was developed as a method of providing additional late night access points for condoms by promoting and providing them in nightclubs throughout the city. Initially I had wanted to hold the program in Lautoka, but was presented with the option of pre-testing it in Suva first. After Suva, I came back to my post in Lautoka ready to start all over.

Having seen the program through in Suva, it was easy to identify the adjustments needed. My major concern turned to sustainability. I constantly hear people talk about volunteer projects from the past, and few still exist. My thought process was this-- So how do I make mine sustainable? Well, first find a sustainable group, right? Okay. But how about one that’s interested in reproductive health issues… Eureka! Sex workers!

Sex workers in the west currently have an advocacy group called The Pacific Rainbow Project that meets every Wednesday. In the past six months I’ve given them presentations and workshops on HIV and STIs, gone to the occasional meeting, and participated in all of their fund raising programs. So I decide to call the coordinator of the program and ask if I could come in and give another presentation, this time about the ‘Condoms and Clubs’ campaign. He was delighted and thought it would be a swell idea.

I came in with my guns loaded- lots of pictures from the Suva program. Every Fiji national I’ve ever met has LOVED photos. I knew it would work. I showed the photos- many of them posted on the entry titled ‘Success’. After the slide show finished, I asked if they were interested in participating in the planning and development of the Lautoka project.

After deliberating among themselves, they decided it would be fun. But, they were concerned about volunteering because the distribution times would coincide with peek times for their work. After explaining that they could help develop the project without being the volunteers, they still decided it would be an enjoyable activity. YAY.

That was last week’s meeting and this week we drew up a timeline for the project. We’re making some progress. Honestly though, who knows more about night life than sex workers? They were throwing around ideas that I would have never thought of, places I’d never heard of. It was great. Don’t get me wrong, if it doesn’t get more exciting in the next meeting the flame will surly fade. So if anyone has ideas to keep things exciting, please send your comments.

The other major project I’m working on is a Fluoride varnish program. Basically 88% of children in Fiji suffer from tooth decay- and from what I’ve seen it’s mostly moderate to severe. There is a public health initiative through the Ministry of Health that provides children with fluoride- in gel form. It’s hard to monitor and they don’t reach everyone, but is still effective. So, why are we pushing a fluoride varnish? Well, a volunteer in Fiji who was pre-dental decided she would try to implement the first nation-wide fluoride varnish program (not just the first in Fiji, but the first in the world). The program was/is a great idea because fluoride varnish is stronger and more effective for people who don’t regularly visit a dentist. It’s also quicker and less dangerous.

Anyway, that volunteer finished her service but didn’t finish the program- even though she extended for an additional year. She passed on the project to another volunteer who was basically left with everything- the proposal, the money, etc. Unfortunately, the major donor (Colgate) fell through and the project needed to be scaled down drastically.

But, all is not lost. With the research from this program a nation-wide fluoride varnish program may still be put into place in the future. Who knows?

Now that you know the background, my involvement is basically to set everything up in the western division. Today is the meeting to discuss statistics from all of the primary schools the outreach team went to in the last year. From this we will decide which 2 schools to implement the varnish program at (and the other schools will be scheduled for the regular fluoride gel application). After a decision is made we will start with the preparations. Carla (the volunteer who has taken the project over) will come up from Suva for a meeting I have set up with the dental department from Lautoka hospital on February 17, 2009. Soon after, (as soon as the materials are brought in- without forgetting to factor in some Fiji time with that) the fluoride varnish program can start after the three year battle.

So that’s that. That is what I’ve been working on.

A lot has changed since the last entry... people are beginning to get over the holiday hangover.

thinking too much is like drinking too much- dangerous.

What I've realized in the past two days:

1. two years is a long time
2. little gets done without motivation
3. the post is slow in Fiji
4. my brother is cosmically connected to the universe
5. choices become harder as you get older
6. who ever said 'if I am not myself then who am I' should go home and rethink his/her words
7. habits are hard to break, unless you're me.
8. being an insomniac is a nuisance
9. sleeping pills make you groggy

Suffice it to say, work is slow at the moment.

Sharing

Despite my recent insomnia, resulting in a general lack of energy, in the recent weeks, I decided I would have a dinner party with friends from work.

Fiji, as a communal society, is very good about sharing. No matter who you are, where you come from- if there is food, everyone should be able to eat. Sharing a meal is common practice. So, everyday at work I have people say "Gunu ti" (translation: drink tea) as an invitation to eat whatever is present on the table before them, whether it be a single cookie or an entire three course meal has no bearing on the offer.

I remember during an event put on for Ministry of Health staff a man came by to sell some peanuts. He's a known man in town, to most people he is the skinny-peanut-man who walks to and fro from one end of town to the other saying "bean, peanut, bean, peanut", sometimes he will change it up a little and say "bean,bean, bean, bean..." or simply "peanuts? peeeanutss..." Sufficed it to say, he is overlooked by most. But, during this particular function he happened to come around at the right time, everyone was sitting eating palau and a doctor invited him in for a plate. The skinny-peanut-man sat contented with a full meal to feed his belly.

Although I lived in a village during training and have seen and experienced evidence of this behavior, it was a formality among most who were well nourished and could return the favor in the near or distant future. This situation, however, had been different; a Fijian doctor had invited a skinny, peanut and bean selling, indian man who surly would not be able to reciprocate the gesture, to sit and join him for lunch at his work function. This is common in Fiji, and I wondered to myself, why is it not in other places? Ohh toto, I dont think we're in aMurica anymore.

This happened within the first month of living in Lautoka. But it still stands ou to me. People share their meals- granted, it's not always as generous or genuine, but it is always offered. And, since I dont alwyas bring my lunch to work I thought it might be nice to have people over for hamburgers as my invitation for 'ti'. It wasnt quite the same, but it was what it was. We ate like Americans... all 18 hamburgers between 6 people. It was delightful and we were all happy.

An 'uplifiting' project

So, who says international development can't be cosmetic AND health related?

I have been assigned an unusual task- it's quite fitting, if you ask me. I have two full boxes of bras to distribute to women around Lautoka. The program was something developed through Rotary Australia called "Project Uplift Fiji" - check it out: http://www.upliftbras.org/.

Cyclone season

I've decided I'm not too fond of cyclones, as they have severely put a damper on my ability to access sunlight. hmm. The sun hasn't appeared in a week and a half and thats very uncommon here, in the burning west.

So how do I explain this. I live in Lautoka, as you all should know by now, and Lautoka is the only city in the west that doesn't have a river running through it. This means that we are safe from major flooding. Unfortunately for my neighbors, they are not so lucky all being cursed with large rivers that flood under extreme weather conditions (i.e. lots of rain= flooding). Their deluged state has put an even bigger damper on their lives, most of them have had to move to safe houses and consolidation areas like schools and large community halls. Water is scarce, and electricity is unreliable, so people have been collecting rain water like mad, and buying anything that isn't reliant on refrigeration. I don't know who the makers of tin tuna are, but they are surely making a fortune.

This is the worst flood seen in this area in 20 years.

If there were ever a time to highlight cultural differences between the two major ethnic groups in Fiji, this would be it. The extreme downpours have left, [almost] rivers running through the streets. Any crevice, any groove, there is water, and A LOT of it at that (and like I said, comparatively speaking its not even that bad in Lautoka), forming water-slide like entertainment for those who squint enough to imagine it to be so. As Fijians flock outside with their wild imaginations, Indians retreat to the comforts of their dry couches and televisions. I'm not sure what exactly this all means, but I DO know that I think I might be turning Fijian. Dont be surprised if I come back 100lbs heavier with a mustache-- it could happen. I LOVE rain and I too have seen the water slides, splash in the puddles and sit on my roof is the heaviest of rainfall.

The rain should be dying down soon, but peoples houses are left with a single dirt line marking the duress left behind by the last few weeks.

For those of you planning to visit.... Take note: January= not a good time to visit Fiji.

Testing in paradise

Upon my return from the tumultuous Suva experience I was informed that I was off to paradise. A team was being sent to top end resorts to provide HIV information and test their staff. As you might imagine, resorts are importing testing places with their influx of oversees tourists. Without so much as a blink, I was pushing my schedule forward by a week. A going away party for a friend happened on a Tuesday instead of Friday- who holds a going away party on Tuesday? My hosting skills are clearly deteriorating, not to mention we had to change the venue. Nothing else really changed, because after all, 'Fiji time' takes occasions like this into account- in other words, very little is set in stone.

The boat departed on Wednesday morning, 10 December- three days before my dad was scheduled to arrive, and with 'Fiji time' I wasn't sure whether I would be back in time to pick him up... but I went anyway. Four hours on a catamaran and we were off to the last island in the Yasawa group- Yasawa i-ra ra. I looked out into the crystal clear water at the boats coming to retrieve passengers to take them to their respective destinations. Amidst the modern/steel looking boats I saw a single boat painted blue, a village boat, and I knew that our ride had arrived. We were off.

the boat... stuck.

We stayed at the medical center on Nacula island. A single doctor provides all medical services for 6,000 people on a bunch of different islands. hmm, again, hmmm. I guess I can better understand why a chopper was needed for an asthmatic patient that day (if you've been following my blog, you would know this reference...).

Upon arrival we immediately starting working. At Orasmans Bay resort, we sat around the Tanoa bowl (where kava is served) and gave an informational session followed by a Q&A. The Q&A sessions seem to be the most informative and helpful for everyone. When the sessions were finished, the testing started. There were three counsellors, two women and one man. Fiji has taken the VCT (voluntary counseling and testing) approach to HIV testing- therefore every person tested must undergo pre and post test counselling. This process was repeated at- Yasawa Lodge, Nanuya resort and Turtle Resort (where McCain decided to spent his Christmas this year). There were around 20 people tested at each resort, and more who attended the informational sessions.


Overall the program was quite successful. The only problem is that everyone is required to travel into Lautoka to pick up their results. I suppose it sounds worse than it really is. Almost everyone, these days, comes in to do their shopping once a month or so. That said, I am still trying to convince the doctor and counselors to return and personally deliver the results.






Oh, and I did make it back in time to pick up my dad from the airport at 5am on Saturday morning.