Bahai Beach 65

Bahai Beach 65

Adam-Yellow eyes

May 27, 2007

From the first day I arrived in the camp I have had a great time with Adam. He is my Public Health Community Health Worker Supervisor. On top of that he is also one of the Zone Leaders in the camp and teaches mathematics. He is one year older than I am. Last week we started joking around about a box match between the two of us for which we would invite the entire camp to watch. Let us see how we end this week. Punching each other black eyes or as little boys we are: Big words, little action!

In Sudan Adam trained as a mathematician at the university and he played a big role in his community. In the early days of the escape from Sudan he manifested as a man with endless energy, love for his community, great organizational skills and a wicked sense of humor. While the IRC was still working under the trees and the Sudanese refugees were dying in great numbers he was one of the first to help IRC set up health care. Till today he plays an important role in mobilizing the community.

As he has a gift for the gab his speeches at leaders meetings are sometimes inflammatory. Yet I believe he truly cares and will do everything within his power to make the camp as good as possible and more important we a temporary solution before the Zaghawas can turn home. Most journalists zoom in on him because he has lion like eyes and is a human beat box for snappy one-liners.

As a boy he was once challenged by a friend to kick a ball. A little later only did he realize that he did not kick a ball but a rock wrapped up in paper. His friend wanted to pull his leg. And the result was a broken foot. As his father was a very strict father he had to walk straight whenever his father was around and could only limp when around his kind-hearted mother.

Today I lent him a book he was interested in as he had me seen carrying it around. It was a Deepak Chopra book called ways to peace. I am interested to hear what he thinks of this Indian Ayurvedic doctor.

He trains the community health workers on integrated management of childhood illness and does pre and post test of these classes him-self. Every class I walk in to give a bit of in depth background. This week he was involved in the registration of the newborns after October 2005 in zone C of which he is zone leader. For two days the health center was devoid of his laughter and bright smile.

Today I shared camel meat with him. As I was wearing my black turban he was asking me if I was a Janjaweed or a Touareg. I told him that during meals we eat, after meals we can sort out these questions

Namaskar

Ashis