I’d almost forgotten about this.  Within a week of coming back to Juba from being sick, this incident happened.  Quite a memory.  This is a message from my boss to the management team in Washington DC:

I just wanted to inform you about an incident that took place this morning.  John and I were on our way to USAID.  James, one of the senior partners in Anchor driving services, was driving us.  He tends to be very careful and slow.  A young boy dashed out between two cars in the other lane right into the road.  As soon as James saw him, he used the breaks, but still hit the boy.  The boy got out of the street under a tree by himself, but was still quite wounded.  A large mob quickly gathered and before any other action could be taken, the Sudanese reached through the window, and opened the door and pulled the driver out of the car.  They began to beat him and yell at him.

Fortunately, the police came and tension eased slightly, though in these circumstances, the police can also be a cause of concern.  I called Helene who immediately got in a car with the RSO to come to our location.  They allowed the driver back in the car, and a police officer accompanied us to the police station.  The RSO and Helene were behind us about 5 minutes.  The RSO’s southern Sudanese officer went into the police station to look after James and make sure he was not mishandled.

John went in the USAID car and I went back to the office in another car, so we are both fine.  It looks now as though James will be released this evening since the boy will be released from the hospital.

This is just yet another reminder of the security procedures that we need to put in place and follow, and that we do not get danger pay for the hell of it.  As soon as we get our cars here in Juba, we will hire Sudanese drivers, and think about what kind of training courses might be available.  Lessons learned will definitely be forthcoming.

Have you ever wondered what a duckling is worth?  That’s probably not something that you would ever really think about.  But seriously, I want you to take a moment, close your eyes and imagine that you are a poor Sudanese woman who has little in life except the clothes on your back and a few ducks.  One day, your ducks decide to hatch some duckings.  Now, what if you were to loose one of those ducklings.  Think about what it would cost to replace that tiny peep of fluff …

Have you imagined it?  I have several times and I’m thinking it might be worth around the cost of a dinner — let’s say (in Sudan) about 10 USD.  Possible a bit more, just for the potential loss of eggs.  So, let’s err on the generous side of things and say 25 USD.  That sounds reasonable, right?

No so for the real Sudanese woman who lost a single duckling to a passing car.

According to my colleague who heard this news tidbit yesterday, this very thing did happen.  The passing car happened to be operated by a Kenyan, who is just like everyone else, trying to earn a few dollars a day.  The Mistress of the Ducklings, in her grief, took the man to Court for recompense for the loss of her duck.

“What is the duckling worth to you, oh Mistress?” the Judge asked.

“In my heart, my little duckling is worth… oh, let us say, 700 USD” she replied (with probably nary a tear in her eyes).

And so, this is how a Kenyan man who was probably just as poor, has to now pay a woman who lost a ducking (since she didn’t keep it IN HER YARD) 700 USD.  I just bet that wouldn’t have been the same price has the person at fault been a neighbor.

Now, the thing I can’t get out of my head isn’t the fact that the poor Kenyan has been essentially blackmailed (that sadly happens all the time), but I just have to wonder if this woman might have the idea of gathering up all her remaining ducklings and walking to the side of the road and begin tossing them into traffic.

Let’s face it.  If one duckling is worth 700 USD, then 10 ducklings would be 7,000 USD.  I think I might just quit my job and start raising ducks.  Who knew that all one would need in life is a pair of ducks?