Arrival. (Part 6 of 8)

Arrival

By: John Jefferson

Arriving at the Camp

More vehicles were leaving Kodok loaded with people than were waiting around to be hired to take grain from the docks.  In fact, we were the only ones looking for such a service.  Thus, it was not easy to hire a lorry.  In addition, we had to get loaders from the market while meeting with various officials.  Part of the time pressure was the fact that our only option to get back to Melut was to meet the team doing clinic in Rom, a short ride across the river and 45-minute walk, or so we thought.

As we approached the camp, a patchwork makeshift Tukuls with tarps and grass rooftops appeared, flanked by fields of dry grass on one side and dense vegetation of the Nile’s edge on the other. The only "modern" structure was a large, white MSF (Doctors Without Borders) tent that stood empty save a few boxes of Plumpynut with nothing in them. We filled those boxes with 600 packets (4 boxes worth) of the nutritive paste. The only medicine available was the bottle of deworming pills Dr. Kelley gave me, which contained about 200 doses. A small crowd gathered after we pulled the truck up and started unloading the sorghum.  There are just over 3,000 people in the refugee camp. Through interviews, I ascertained that they have not had basic foodstuffs for a period of time and had been forced to revert to foraging for food in the fields. 

One incident broke my heart. While some of the kids ran away from the camera, a young boy rolled up in his little faded green smock and looked at me with the sweetest face as I noticed his puss filled eyes. He just looked up at me as I touched his head, and then he rubbed his left eye as a white substance oozed out of it. I immediately took a picture for Dr. K. (and later showed it to the MSF doctor also) I then put my hand on his back and prayed for his healing. Sometimes the kids in that situation look at the camera like it may give them some relief. That's even more heartbreaking. I hate feeling that helpless when it really matters. I prayed again all the more fervently. Later the doc told me a few days of some relatively inexpensive drops would cure the malady. One more thing on the list to return with God willing.