CONGO, BRAZZAVILLE

In the same way as in many other developing countries UNICEF assisted the governments of Central Africa in fields of health, education, community development and social services. UNICEF provided material and financial aid and the technical assistance came from the specialized agencies of the United Nations.

In most of the countries 5-year development plans were agreed and in execution. The needs were enormous, both in the rural as well as in the urban areas, funds were limited and there was a scarcety of trained personnel. Often emergency programmes had to be undertaken in cases of innundations or droughts.

The bilateral or multilateral assistances from the richer countries - United States, France, UK, other European nations - were, of course, all important, but the assistance, which came from the United Nations and non-governmental organizations played a vital and catalyzing role. But the task was and continues daunting, but is not insurmountable. Congo, Brazaville may have better possibilities than many of its neighboors. It has a small population, 2 and a half million, of which almost 75% is literate (to a certain degree) however, the infant mortality rate is high :105% and much sickness is prevalent in the population, among these tropical illneses. Again Malaria takes a deadly toll in both urban and rural populations.

Congo Brazaville is rich in natural resources. Has oil, gaz, metals (lead,cobber, zink, gold, uranium, phosfates) in the soil and huge forests for a healthy wood industry, particularly the okumee tree, a variation of the acacie tree, is exported.

The most important export is petrol and a refinery was built and iniciated in Point Noire with an export habour directly to the Atlantic Ocean.

Brazzaville is an important transit habour for the shipping to Tchad, Central African Republic and as well to certain parts of Gabon.

The republics of Chad and Central Africa are two underdeveloped countries with internal strifes, corruption, poor planning and poor exploitation of their resources. Both countries are supported by France, and receive financial assistance from the international development organizations. Chad has petrol, not yet exploited, produces cotton, but sale and distribution of this product need better organization. Central African Republic exploit diamont mines, but the sale of diamants is fraudulent. Agricultural products - cotton, coffee cattle - are underexploited.

Britt began her secondary education in Brazzaville in the Savorgnan Secondary School, developed friendly relations with Congolese and particularly French young people. Our neighbours - the Paolis - meant a good deal for Britt and her French developed splendidly. Britt took up horseriding, got her own horse, Khalif.

We acquired an old French landing craft with an outboard motor and plied parts of the Congo River up and down with the young people from the school in search of sandy beaches along the river or on water skis after our landing craft. Tove had difficulty in adapting to Congo.

At the time of our stay in Brazzaville, 10 years after independence from France a strong feeling of patriotism had developed and particularly the young populations showed their antipathy against the French and anyone else with white skin. This manifested itself in sometimes unruly demonstrations.

We lived in a comfortable villa near the French Hotel Relais, used by particularly Air France, and this area was sometimes attacked by the school youth with stones and other heavy missiles. Tove feared these manifestations. I was often away, so she was left to herself, and alone to defend her daughter.

The political situation in Congo Brazaville was unstable and several attempts of coup d��tats took place, which did not calm the daily life. Tove�s diabetes became difficult to regulate, although she was under observation by a French specialist living only a few houses from us. She had to return to Denmark for health revisions and we decided to ask for a transfer away from Brazzaville. HQ readily agreed and we were transferred to Dakar, Senegal mid 1973.

DAKAR, SENEGAL

Thus from 1973 to end 1977 Tove and I lived in Dakar, Senegal, where - as the local representative - I became responsible for the co-ordination of UNICEF's work in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry, with all coordination exercised from the Dakar office.

We were between 4 to 6 international staff with the tasks divided between us, so that one international staffmember became responsible for the elaboration and execution of UNICEF�s role in programmes in one or two of the countries mentioned above. Plans of operation with specific plans of accion detailing what to do, how, with what and where, were elaborated with the Governments� Ministries of Planning and respective ministries, in which it was elaborated, what each party was committed to do and pay for, which personnel was required , and detailing the phases of the projects. UNICEF mostly provided funds for supplies and equipment essential for the programmes, but also participated in the actual project elaboration. Technical help was furnished by the international agencies of the United Nations or the French bilateral assistence and the local ministries were responsible for local costs, provision of necessary personel, transport and the overall coordination and execution of the programmes.

The UNICEF office in Dakar was supported by up to between 15 to 20 local staff-employees, working individually with the international staff members.

Britt transferred to the Lycee van Vollenhofen in Dakar, where she passed her Baccalaurate in 1975 and began studies of literature and languages at the Dakar University.

She developed into a vivacious young lady with an enormous appetite on life. At the Lycee she met Frederic, they became dear friends and the two of them went on a hitch hiking trip from Marseilles to Algiers, on the top of truck loads of dried dates to Tamanrasset via El Gol�a, to In Salah, said to be the hottest place in the world. The adventure continued via Agadez, Zinder and Niamey, the capital of Niger to Upper Volta�s capital Ouagadougou to Bamako in Mali, and from there to Dakar, where they recovered on the Isle of Gor�e, just outside the port area, where Fred�s father had a summerhouse.

Britt writes about their Odyssey - their "vadrouille" - that it had been splendid, exhausting, enriching, funny, hot and totally ..... fantastic.

In September 1976 Britt transferred to the USA, where she commenced her studies in social anthropology at the Barnard College of Columbia University in New York. Different environments, again an almost different language - university American - Britt made a tremendous effort and she obtained her BA in social anthropology in 1979.

Wishing to obtain a better grasp on social-economic realities Britt decided to further her studies in Paris , where she passed in 1981 her diploma in political science, specialising in international relations. This enabled her to be sponsored by DANIDA, Danish International Development Aid, in her first profesional experience with UNICEF in Swaziland, where she continued her assignment with UNICEF until the close of 1984.

LAGOS, NIGERIA

In the beginning of 1978 I took over the responsibility for a reorganisation of the UNICEF Regional Office in Lagos. This office had expanded over the years and had become staff oversized for its responsabilities. Over a period of a few years a reduction in the coordination of countries had gradually taken place, when a new Regional Office had been established in Abijan, Ivory Coast and some offices - Country offices - now reported to Abijan.

The new organigram foresaw the the continuation of the Lagos Office as an Area Office with responsabilities for UNICEF�s work in the two English-speaking countries Nigeria and Ghana.

The local Lagos Office staff had been informed of the plans to both reorganize and reduce staff and there had been presentations and protests by the local staff committee. HQ had sent emissaries to Lagos, but they had met difficulties in negociating with the staff. At a certain moment the negociators from New York found themselves locked up in some of the rooms of the office.

All the decisions for the changes had been taken in New York, and I was asked to oversee the execution of these actual arrangements .

At that time - beginning of 1978 - I had plans to retire from UNICEF - with no fixed date decided upon - thus HQ inquired if I would be willing to go to Lagos for a six months� assignment and undertake the reorganization of the office and the reduction of staff. All possible facilities would be placed at my disposal, and the parting staff would be given the best possible leaving conditions and special compensation facilities.

I agreed and so it took place. I was in Lagos from January to end July 1978. It was a difficult and tense assignment.

Retired from The United Nations end July 1978. Tove and I realized our dream , viz. to build a house in Spain, our retirement home on Costa Blanca , where we intended to bask in the lovely Spanish sun, learn the Spanish language and study Spanish literature.