under another sun

Some of the results of the Great Chad Adventure work I'd done dropped today, the launch of the new campaign. You an see some of the work and watch the ad on the Tearfund site here . I hope this succeeds in raising money for the people we met out there, and places like it. But I am not without mixed feelings about this campaign where I spent much time under the Nazgûl's wing. Working off and on this morning, and intermittent contact from Max and the French Bloke who had brought their four bairns down to Brighton.  They scooted around on rollerblades and so on, and I sensibly remained in a cafe working on stuff, then took a long walk down by the sea passing the ghastly iSore 360 and eventually met them on the stones, just as the sun went in and it was again a March day at the seaside. Lovely to catch up with my old friends, and see the children again. They are such a lively, bright and confident bunch of kids. Max produced a bottle of bubbly and we three had a glass each and ...

Barely slept on the seven hour journey. Dropped off for a few minutes here and there, but nothing sustained. Started to watch movies, Pitch Perfect 2 which was ruined by the Airline's censor and the Grand Budapest Hotel , which I fell asleep in for the second time. I have yet to finish it, but it looks a great movie. Unpleasant turbulence from the lower islands of Greece up to the dalmatian coast but then it settled down over Northern Europe. Despite this I shunned diazepam for the whole trip back from Chad. A rather fast bumpy landing too, but we were home. Dragged ourselves through the corridors through passport control and then at baggage I claimed my bags and rushed off to find Lorraine who was waiting outside for me. Fantastic to be with Lorraine again. I'd missed her really badly. I was so lucky she took the morning off to collect me, and we arrived home quickly, calling Mum from the car to assure her of my persistent existence. Home and the simple pleasure of a cup...

Amazing to wake up (early of course) in the comfort of a cool room and a clean bed. Spent the morning in the restaurant of the hotel, getting on Facebook a bit and trying to write a few things down while I was still in the country. Opted not to visit the market to shop for loved ones, as it was the place where a dozen or so people had been blown up in June. Farewell then to the Shanghai hotel, or the Shangri-La as I couldn't help thinking of it when out in the field. Drove off to the airport, where there were a few dramas. Nine examinations of our passports, searches and lots of men standing about watching other people work. Passiri bless him gave us all a souvenir of Chad, a sort of plate-sized leather disc, and hugging him goodbye I felt I was saying goodbye to a guardian angel, for he had been exceptionally careful of us during our stay. Sorry to say goodbye to Tchang too, who I'd warmed to a great deal. Finally onto the plane, after faffing about in the midday blaze on ...

The enormous drive back to N'Jamena started on time. We left around 6:30 and headed west. More Withnail & I in the car. Feeling very cramped this time, and uncomfortable. Pete started playing Bob Dylan tracks which everyone loved, except me. I hate Bob Dylan. Feeling personally quite drained and dark at times, but then the good cheer of my companions picked me up. I've really come to like these guys. Matt of course is an old friend, and I was incredibly pleased he was on this trip. Pete who spent much time sleeping on my shoulder, is an amazing person who lives is life travelling the world from one disaster zone to the next taking photos for people like Greenpeace, and things l ike this in the Guardian.  Amazing person for whom everything seems negotiable, and has an incredibly disarming way with people. Steve, who works for the charity showed amazing leadership and focus. A really driven, cheerful and dynamic person. Brad was someone I instinctively liked right away, a qui...

Matt and I had a quieter morning staying in the compound, working out if we'd got everything we'd needed, and also writing a script for Steve to say to camera. Another absolutely sweltering day, reaching 49 C again, so we were well pleased to be able to sit in the breakfast room of the compound. I ate a little bit of bread and egg, which made me feel better too. Steve, Pete and Brad returned late in the morning, having taken some interesting shots. A spot of lunch, and presenting to Steve what Matt and I had done in the morning. Then back into the Toyotas for one last session at the village. Pete was zooming about shooting a variety of subjects, and Matt, Brad and I were mopping up the last things. Shots of the Chief and some villagers saying thank-you, (needed to be done several times as the Chief kept extemporising lengthily) a final drone shot, with the drone moving away from the village back into the sky starting just in front of the chief. And a shot of Fatima inside h...

As my birthday began, I struggled to remember a time I had felt grimmer. I'd lain awake all night feverishly with my stomach like a hot cannon ball, the contents of which was deciding which way it was going to expel itself. Eventually I had to creep to the vile hole before dawn and have several explosions of watery diarrhoea. Unable to eat, and taking rehydration powders and arrets. Steve medicined me with an antibiotic for diarrhoea which by the end of the day had worked really well. Feeling like death off to the shoot again. I had the idea of filming children running out of the withered crops onto the sandy soil, in what in my mind was a liminal shot, showing how close to the edge of the desertifying region they were. We shot this, with local children happily running for us. One little girl carrying a little sister on her back as she did so. Tchang being priceless as usual. After this was over I had to be driven off, with Doctor who was suffering the same thing, into the bush...

Steve hugely brighter today, which was a relief to us all. Brad after a slow start was soon working too. Everyone pleased to see this, and Passiri clearly mightily relieved. I felt weak at the knees sometimes which I put down to an excess of sunlight and the sheer heat. Gulping as much water as possible. Not feeling like eating too much either. Today was Sunday, so as planned we went to Church, where Steve was heroically able to give the sermon. This theme, rather excellently, was all about water and gardens, and he talking about Peter testing his faith by walking out onto the water next to Jesus, which spoke to me somewhat. Best of all was the singing of the Chadian choir, of which there were two. The congregation as a whole joining in and singing too, and jumping to their feet and dancing joyfully. Oum Hadjer a predominantly Muslim area, and most of the congregation were from the south. They looked well fed and were all nicely dressed in Sunday best. I felt a bit unsteady on my f...

Up early feeling dazed. I'd been unable to sleep so around midnight, bathed in my own sweat and feeling anxious about the next day's shoot I took a diazepam. This led me to snore like a hippo apparently, waking Matt and forcing him to employ earplugs. I'm not much of a snorer usually. All the group in purposeful mood. Brad the camerman and Pete the photographer straining at the leash to get going early when the colours were great. Breakfasts big and heavy in the compound with lots of meat (usually goat or chicken), and this taken down with lots of water and we were off. An extremely hot day. The Africans saying it was a heatwave, and complaining about the heat. Matt Brad and I were focused on getting the shots we needed for the TV ad. So during the day we filmed Fatima and her family, focusing on her daughter Kadija as our star. We filmed Fatima holding the day's food in the palm of her hand, digging in ant nests and so on in the morning. In the middle of the day we...

Drenched in sweat all night. Matt and I leaving the boiling box of the room for the cool of dawn. The compound cockerels had already been crowing for hours, and women were quietly at work preparing food and bringing buckets of water to the outside latrine washing area. Ablutions were made in a deep hole in the ground crawling with flies. We washed with water from a bucket. Lots of friendly greetings from everyone. Each meal preceded by a prayer, and there many of us. The five from England, Passiri our cheery guardian angel from N’Djamena, our two translators Tchang and Sylva. Tchang is a former Karate champion who now leads the national team among many other accomplishments. Sylva is a cheery Nigerian with an excellent English accent. Serge a tall thoughtful man who runs the local charity in Oum Hadjer. There was also Doctor, a lovely man of about my age with a velvet voice and a slow clarity about his French. We met many others here during our stay. So to work. This was a mo...