Focus Group City

So today started with a text around 7:30 that said; Margaret, please meet us under the coconut tree at 9.

You might find this a strange text to receive, but when working with focus groups in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, this is simply an indication of a breakthrough.  The coconut tree is the meeting place for the IDP camps, and this morning I met with the chiefs of the various groups living in the IDP camps that span the graveyard and an area called St. Mary's that is just beyond the graveyard.  This meant that when I arrived at 9 I was slowly greeted by a slow stream of older men who came bearing plastic chairs of all varieties and various states of brokeness.

When they come it is essential to meet them with a handshake and a "Kwais?" It means, good, but it's asked with the intonation of a question, so as to mean, "Are you good?" To which one respondes "Kwais, elhamdulah" or "Good, thank god."  Followed by more enthusiastic shaking of hands and sometimes a word or two of broken English if the speaker knows any.  Often in a show of respect they would grab my hand with both of their hands, or as they were shaking my hand take their other arm and place it on their forearm, which is often done to indicate respect as well.

As I waited for the chiefs to assemble a gaggle of children found me, and apparently I'm fascinating.  Whenever I walk into the camps I immediately gain a following of children who don't get to close, they keep their distance, but they also can't stay away.  Today it was a group of girls with long vines tied together into jump ropes, who spent quiet some time showing off their jump roping skills for me.  It was pretty adorable until their parents chased them off so we could talk.

I was a little worried the focus group wouldn't happen. My guide, a member of the camp who works with an organization my organization works with, had taken me around yesterday to present letters officially inviting the chiefs and their communities to be involved in my focus groups.  Letters are very important around here, they must be stamped, preferably on official letter head, and to seem most official, require a brown envelop.  Upon delivering my letter yesterday to the chief who seems to be the leader of the other chiefs, or at least, the most outspoken, he spoke (through my guide translating) about how many people had come to do focus groups, and how they often promised things that never appeared.

I had nothing to promise him.  A big sticking point is we aren't promising an increase in services, or that services will get better, it's only an assessment, and I told him that as clearly as I could, and explained that I was only writing a report, but we would like to include the input of their communities if we could.  I was worried he would say no, but he seemed to understand, and the fact that the chiefs focus group happened this morning was incredibly encouraging.

We sat under the coconut tree and talked, and it quickly became clear that they would have very little to tell me about GBV services because they don't access them.  They solve all their problems internally because they simply don't have the resources to go anywhere else.  Everything is dealt with through the internal structure of the camp, through the social networks and fabric of people who are deeply connected to one another.  They mediate their own problems, and when all else fails, resort to a tribal court not too far away where judges following traditional customary law decide cases.

It was an interesting morning, and the men were lovely for putting up with what must have seemed incredibly silly questions to them.  I go back tomorrow to the coconut tree for focus groups with women, men, and young girls, to see if there are any other perspectives in the camps.

Still no new government yet, things are calm, and as long as Salva Kiir keeps it together and appoints a new government that doesn't veer to hard along tribal lines it should stay that way.  Nothing to do now but wait and see who gets appointed, hopefully sooner rather then later.  As of tomorrow I have only 25 days left in country and a ton of work to get done.  Friday I head off for Terekeka, the next county over, and next week I'll spend in Lanya, Yei, and Morobo, three other counties, on a three day trip.  Yei is supposed to be lovely, clean, and uncharacteristically organized, so I'm excited to see if it lives up to the hype.  I'll be busy traveling so probably no post until later next week, hopefully with some interesting stories and pictures to tell.