Back to Meheba

I have just returned to the town of Solwezi, the closest town to the Meheba camp where I've spent the bulk of my time so far.  Just over 24 hours of straight bus rides from Dukwi camp in Botswana, where Kjerstin and I visited the other FORGE team working in the camp there.
 
The two places are very different in many ways.  First, the Dukwi camp is in the middle of a desert, and maybe 5% of the size, so the type of farming done in Meheba is impossible there.  This also leads the UNHCR to continue with food rations indefinitely, rather than for a max of 2 years as in Meheba.  Also, there are a lot of other nationalities in Dukwi, namely Somalians, which are not present in Meheba.  Perhaps most importantly, people who are denied refugee status by the government can remain in Dukwi, whereas in Meheba they are deported.
 
I met one refugee in Botswana that was a club DJ in the Congo before a landmine ripped off one of his legs.  He was just like somebody that you would expect to meet on the streets of Brooklyn; Odell would have gotten along with him.  He did a refugee rap for me, in front of a house that he had painted.  In general, the refugees in Dukwi are significantly more urban / cosmopolitan.
 
The group dynamic in Dukwi was also very different.   The Forgies were staying in a town called Sowa, about 50 km from the camp (over much better roads than there are around here).  So, everyone has to go in / return at the same time, and in the evening, they are immersed in a David Lynchian Botswana planned community, owned by a local mining company.  BMWs are not uncommon there.  It felt like it could be Oakland, but less run down.
 
Anyway, in a few hours I will be immersed again inside Meheba, and I'm really looking forward to that.  I've got a lot to record in these next few weeks, and believe it or not, I was actually missing the place!  It will be good to be back.
 
Ciao
David
 

Road to Botswana

Hey everyone,

Just a quick note.. I am not on the road with Kjerstin on my way to Botswana to visit with the other group of FORGE participants. I will be there for about a week before I return to Meheba. The adventures continue..

David

First Week in Meheba

We've been inside the refugee settlement for just about 1 week now. It's been a very dense week; much has been happening there.

First off.. we are really living well all things considered. We have our own electricity generator and water supply, a gated compound with armed guards, refrigerator, etc. How? There was a Japanese organization named AAR (Association to Aid Refugees) that was active in Meheba for a long time. They left the settlement in March and donated their facilities to the UNHCR, who has placed us there for summer. So anyone who had general concerns for me.. we really are doing quite ok.

So, you might ask, why did AAR pull out? Actually, many organizations are leaving the Meheba settlement. We are coming at a very unique time.. the majority of the refugees here were Angolans. Well.. there is now a peace treaty in place in Angola. So.. the refugees are gradually being repatriated to Angola. (Of course, not the Rwandans, Burundians, etc.) I actually got to witness and record one of the repatriation conveys that left a few days ago with about 800 refugees headed to Angola. I'm hoping to actually travel with a convey (these are UNHCR conveys) the whole way into Angola in about 2 weeks! This would be a 5 day trip taking refugees home. It's quite an exciting time here.

This does not, however, mean that the efforts of our group are going to waste. The high school we are working at will be hosting some refugees until they graduate, and all of the facilities will be remaining for the Zambians to use after the majority of the refugees leave. Also, many Angolans are feeling settled here now and are trying to become Zambians. So, everything we are working on will be useful to the local population.

Speaking of which.. people have been very friendly. The children are always trying to get their picture taken. Many other people enjoy it to, and only 1 person (who was somewhat drunk) has given me any real problem so far. One of our group dropped his wallet, and it was returned to him with money intact, so the environment here is overall quite pleasant. Also, the landscape is beautiful; the sky is amazing, and the weather has been quite nice here. I'm quite happy.

All of the students are making great headway with their projects. The whole settlement is excited for the library and sports facilities. The NGOs are excited about my documentary. People really seem to appreciate our presence here.

For thought.. the UNHCR supports 20 million people on a 1 billion dollar annual budget. So our activities here really can create an impact. I'm looking forward to seeing them through.

David