Year-end

After a few days of not writing anything here, I'm here to speak up again. The past days and weeks have been relatively unspectacular and by now, a project routine has set in, so I don't have much to report. Of course, there is still plenty to tell about Somaliland and the special characteristics of its inhabitants, but maybe another time. If you want to get an impression of our work in the project, you can do so here. In the video, various employees from the hospital and employees who have worked in the project for some time get a chance to speak, and you can also see me briefly talking about the early days in the project.

My time here is slowly coming to an end. However, there is still much to be done until then. For example, I have to write an annual report about the project, which includes all project data, statistics, and expenses. For this, I first have to review all the data, including the ones collected before my time. So far, I haven't really had the chance to do so, but what can be roughly said is that we treat around 30,000 people in the project annually and spent about 600,000€ last year. That means that approximately 20€ cost per patient we have treated. 20€ that enable a sick person access to medical treatment for a year. If you still don't have an idea for a Christmas donation, I can wholeheartedly recommend a donation to Cap Anamur . By the way, 94% of the donated funds go directly to the projects, which is not necessarily common for aid organizations. In addition to the year-end, the renewal of the project registration is also on the agenda. For this, several applications and forms need to be filled out in reasonably professional English and submitted to the Ministry of Planning. I hope to get all of this done by mid-February, as otherwise, it could mean that I have to stay in Somaliland for a few more weeks. In addition to all the office work, our project will be reinforced in January with an additional nurse from Germany, whom I will have to train a little, and together, we plan to open our second health post in February.

I already mentioned Christmas. It is not celebrated here, so I will also go to the hospital in the morning on Christmas and the following days and hopefully go to bed happy and content in the evening. It will be the first time for me to spend Christmas without seeing my family and friends, but I will get through it. I will probably use the time between the years to start a bit with the office work.

I wish you all beautiful and contemplative days with your loved ones. I hope the pre-Christmas stress is not too great, and you can pause a little and simply enjoy the time. At the same time, I wish you a happy new year and thank all the people who have accompanied and supported me throughout the whole year. Thanks to all of you, I never feel alone even at the Horn of Africa, and I'm looking forward to seeing each and every one of you again.

"It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."  

See you soon hopefully

#AlexinSomaliland