My first month in Liberia

Saturday, February 4, was my one month anniversary of living in Monrovia. It has been a whirlwind journey. From being recruited to work on rebuilding the Liberian health system to getting married and moving across continents, it all happened very fast. One month I was shuttling between Chicago, Boston, and New York, and the next month I am in Liberia. Not on a visit, but to live here for two years. Moving across continents is not a new concept for me. I moved from India to Algeria when I was 11 months old, thus starting my nomadic life. Since then I have lived in 7 countries. This is another step in my nomadic existence. However, the main difference is that I now have a loving partner to do it with me.

Now I am here, in Liberia, a post-conflict country with a rich history that has been through a devastating civil war lasting almost 14 years. Liberians are resilient and committed than ever to rebuild their country under the leadership of President Sirleaf. Also known as Ma Ellen to the locals, the president is a Nobel peace prize winner with a great vision to rebuild Liberia. The United States government is the single largest bilateral aid donor to Liberia, which leads to the reason how I ended up here.

The US government's work towards rebuilding Liberian health care is contracted to a few development agencies. JSI Research and Training Institute, the non-profit arm of John Snow, Inc., is the largest contractor. I was recruited by JSI in December 2011 to rebuild/ strengthen the Liberian health system and build capacity. My prior work in other countries impressed them. Accepting the position meant moving to Monrovia for a period of two years. There you have it folks, that's how I came to live in Monrovia.

In the one month I've been here, I've met with all the senior management in the ministry of health, presented them with my strategy to build capacity and strengthen the health system, won approval of the Ministry and USAID for my strategy, found livable housing, and interviewed staff to work with me. It was all made possible with love from my partner, encouragement from friends and family, and support from my boss and colleagues. I truly cherish everything that's been given to me.

Health Minister Dr. Walter Gweningale speaking at an event where our project dedicated the newly rebuilt Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts to the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare 

February begins a hectic month of finalizing the tools I am proposing to assess current capacity of the ministry of health, and planning my travel to the "bush" - local slang for rural areas. I am looking to visit Lofa, Nimba, and Bong counties, where most of our work is concentrated. I have to hire three Capacity Building Officers to work under my guidance to build capacity and strengthen county health systems. And I have to submit abstracts for the APHA annual conference - my favorite professional organization. I am excited about February because Michael arrives this month. January has flown by quickly, yet it seems like forever since I left home and my beloved in Chicago. We will be reunited this weekend.

Internet in Liberia is highly unreliable and painfully slow. It is a glorious day when we get dial-up speed. I haven't been able to Skype reliably since I've been here and I have to downsize any pics if I want to email them. I would love to do a video blog, but it seems next to impossible considering the internet bandwidth. I have quickly adjusted to the food, or lack thereof, here. Most food in Liberia has to be imported because there is not much infrastructure to grow anything here, most of it was destroyed during the civil war. Almost all food is expensive, except for fruits and fish that you buy at the local market. There are 4 main super markets in town, all look like a glorified 7-11. Don't expect to find anything more than basics. I was told that I should be happy to have not one but two varieties of pasta at the supermarket. Since most food is imported, it shows in the prices. There are a few decent restaurants in town, most of them run by the Lebanese community, but I am yet to have decent hummus or kefta. I haven't tried all restaurants yet, but I am on a mission to find decent Lebanese food. Like most English speaking African countries, there is a sizable Indian community, although not as big as Kenya or South Africa. There is even a makeshift Sikh Gurudwara in town.

One of my favorite topics to discuss is food. I should weigh 300lbs with my love for food, but that's another topic altogether. Local Liberian food is quite interesting. Rice or fufu form the most essential part of any meal. Fufu feels like a thick ball of dough, made from the root of cassava plant. Fufu is usually served with pepper soup, which is a thin stew of different kinds of meat. Sounds delicious, but it may be shocking to some of us to find four different kinds of meat in one soup. Expect to find a chicken leg, a beef rib, some part of pig with bone and a dense layer of fat, and a fish head... all cooked in a spicy soup. Other traditional dishes I've tried: dry fish and rice (jollof rice served with a whole deep fried snapper), potato greens and rice (once again, multiple meats cooked in a sauce made of "potato" leaves), palaver sauce (different meats cooked in a onion and tomato sauce), and the worst of all torborgee (a stew made with red beans and different meats). Do you all see the theme here? Liberians put any and every meat the can find and cook them in one dish. Liberian food is a vegetarian's nightmare, there is meat (not the good kind) in almost every dish. I have come to like the potato greens when made with chicken or fish. You have to specify about wanting only one kind of meat (I ask for chicken or fish), and you will be ok. Otherwise, expect to eat different parts from different animals and fish. Like most countries in the region, it is difficult getting a decent cocktail. I have come to adapt to that as well. It only makes me appreciate a dirty martini more than ever.

I think this blog entry is getting too long. I have a lot to report and I will post another entry soon. Next time I will not wait a month to post an entry. I have to say I am truly thankful for the love and support from my family, friends, mentors and colleagues. I promise to stay in touch and keep you updated. In the meanwhile, enjoy a picture of my real back yard. It is called Miami Beach... I am not even joking.

Miami Beach - also known as my backyard in Monrovia