Article May 21, 2001 Issue

Sudan—a case in point

By Chuck Wattles

My Lufthansa flight arrived in Khartoum after midnight, ending a 24-hour journey ... and beginning a three-year adventure that would bring new meaning and scope to my understanding of hunger and fulfillment.

When I interviewed for the job at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an organization assisting refugees worldwide, I was warned about Sudan's harsh environment—intense heat, regular power outages, food shortages, lack of physical infrastructure, and incredible dust storms called haboobs. They wanted me to be under no illusions as to what I would face. But they added that the up side was that the Sudanese were very hospitable people.

"Why would I even consider this assignment given those physical conditions?" I asked a friend after the interview. But the time seemed right and the opportunity was at hand. I wanted to live and work in another culture and contribute in some way to the progress of another country. My education and professional experience working with low-income communities in the United States seemed like good preparation.

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