Saving the forests - and the chimps
After all the excitement of the elections, I took the chance to have a couple of weeks off in Uganda and Ethiopia. Now I try not to think about work when I’m having some down time. But when your work …
Africa
We work around Africa to increase access to basic services, help after humanitarian emergencies and empower girls and women, ultimately helping people lift themselves out of poverty. In these blogs country teams discuss their work and progress towards these and other goals.
Global Fund Executive Director visits Mozambique
As the UK approaches a second May Bank holiday, it reminds me how hectic the last one was here in Mozambique. Back at the begining of the month, the May Day bank holiday weekend proved to be quite a busy …
Stormy weather
If in March the weather was ‘unsettled’, in April it was most certainly stormy - both politically and climatically. I’m writing this post at dusk in the Kano airport ‘waiting room’ (lounge would be too grand a word), as this season’s first …
A meeting with President Guebuza
On 26 April I joined the new British High Commissioner to Mozambique as he presented his credentials to President Guebuza. It was a different start to the day, with police whistles and sirens halting the traffic and with a short …
Coal City schooling
My last post focused on the vagaries of travels in Nigeria. I’m pleased to report that since then I did manage to make it all the way to Enugu and back safely, even if a little ‘shaken’ (‘but not stirred’ …
DFID hands over to the Netherlands
I mentioned in a previous blog that I would be handing over the focal partner role on the 11 March, well, a few days later than expected, on the 25 March the hand-over took place. At the end of the …
Steady as she goes
In my last post, on the 10 March, I was getting ready for the CCS policy discussion, which was due to be held on the 11March. However, there had been a red alert flood warning announced on the 9 March …
Unsettled weather
It’s been a turbulent week in Nigeria, both politically and meteorologically, which has contributed to the challenges of my work in quite different ways. Arriving in Abuja mid-week for meetings, the car radio news unexpectedly announced that the Federal Government Cabinet had …
The Memorandum of Understanding
The build up to one of the big twice yearly policy discussions between the Ministry of Health and its partners was well underway last week. The policy dialogue, known as the CCS (the coordinating committee for health), will be held …
Where are the numbers?
Just before Xmas, as reported on my 'back to basics' post, Kano State was just starting the data entry of the annual school census that the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) programme had been supporting. My managers are always …
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