The House and Staff
Water is a problem. There is a spigot out back that doesn't work because we are above the point where gravity feed is possible. There is a pump to add pressure to the lines to feed the houses farther up the hill, but the pump is electric, and, well, that brings us back to the diesel problem. So, we get most of our water from the roof. We have a barrel out back with a long piece of corrugated metal sticking out of it to collect the rain during our daily deluge. A good afternoon rain can fill a 50-gallon drum in about 20 minutes.
We also need to make a few other improvements like hasps and locks on the doors to keep the thieves out, netting over the windows where the glass has been shattered to keep the bugs out, and some furniture so our guests feel like coming in. We are also really keen on getting some paint, at least for the insides. All supplies have to come from in from Darwin, as there is almost nothing for sale in East Timor (although that is changing quite rapidly). Our first shipment should be arriving next week (along with the rest of my gear) if all goes well with the military ferry service (It's been canceled twice since I've been here.)
Finding local staff is a real problem. A good majority of folks out this way live by subsistence farming. It is a real challenge to find bookkeepers to track warehouse stores, drivers that can actually drive, translators that know English, and anyone with any skills in the trades. At least laborers and guards are easy to find. We may have to recruit people from Dili.
On our local staff right now we have one translator, Mr. Adilio Lopes. Adilio taught himself English a year ago, and although he is no master of the prose, he is holding his own and we are working with him. Example: "What is it mean - umm - head out?" The other day I saw a mini-bus crammed full of people with the word "CONCURE" painted in large letters across the windscreen. I think they meant "conquer." I tried to explain to Adilio why I found this so funny.
We also have a cook, Ms. Alsina Ornay. She's good with rice of course, and her stewed greens have an extra zing to them from some local spices (mostly garlic, hot peppers, ginger, and onion). She has also cooked some pretty good spiced beef. The challenge is to keep her out of our emergency rations of canned tuna, canned fruit, pasta, and biscuits from Australia. As the program gets going the staff will grow. We are starting at the very bottom.
What am I doing here?
Damn good question! I'm glad you asked. The title I've been given is "Shelter Manager." So my job is to manage the shelter program for IRC. Jennifer is the "Shelter Coordinator," so she coordinates the shelter managers. Which would be, well, me. Then there is Greg, who got the title "Shelter Officer." He and the local staff are supposedly whom I'm supposed to manage. In reality we are all pretty much doing the same thing - trying to get the shelter program off the ground.