Good Bye Sri Lanka

It hurts to go. Very much. When will I see you again, my lovely island? When will I see your beauty again? When will I see the smiles of your people once more, many times more?

A bit of pride

My mission, as said before, in Sri Lanka will come to an end and I will be leaving at the end of the month. I will be home and finally retire (?). Yes, a question mark. Because, when I was home in March, at my agency they told me (smiling): "Oh, it seems that we can send you to Haiti soon". But that was 5 month ago. Will they change their mind and are thinking of Pakistan?

Anyhow, last week I received a phone call from the office in Colombo inquiring if they could have a photo of me wearing a t-shirt. I did not have any. And then came to my mind that I had put one on my post two years ago when I celebrated my 65th birthday. I copied it and sent it to them. But why would they want a photo from me?

I was soon to know. Two days ago, we had our mid year review. And at the end of the day we were invited for a gathering at the hotel bar at 8pm. We were there and all of a sudden, it turned to be out a Good Bye Party for me. I was surprised. And full of emotion. My boss was reading a document. It will be put, it seems, on the WFP intranet too. As I said, I was full of emotion. And a bit proud too. I share it here with you:

A word of thanks to the SDC Secondee, Mr. Peter Voegtli

Always in his neat colorful T-shirts of wide varieties, mostly reflecting the Swiss yearly concerts, Mr. Peter Voegtli is a Swiss national, who has been seconded to the World Food Programme by Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) since 2004, WFP’s standby partner for several years. With concurrent extension, Peter served WFP for over six years. The highly motivated and committed Peter, not only is considered as a true WFP humanitarian aid worker, but also a human being with a big heart and adorable personality, always extending his support to whoever needed it.

With over 30 years of substantive field and Hqs experience in SDC and other entities, Peter first joined the WFP team in South Darfur/Sudan at the height of the Darfur emergency and the large IDP influx in 2004. He served in South Darfur Area Office for five years as the Head of the Zallinge Sub Office and later as a Programme Officer in the AO. After completion of his service in Darfur, following a request by WFP Sri Lanka, SDC was again kind enough to recall Peter from his retirement and second him to WFP for an important assignment in one of WFP’s major operations in Vavunya, northern Sri Lanka. His experience and his great personality added value to the emergency operation during the critical period of the conflict in the north, where hundreds and thousands of IDPs were trapped by the conflict and after their release in camps following the end of the 26-year long war in May 2009.

The smiling Peter, at his age, never says he’s tired or exhausted but rather continued to display commitment, full of energy, to help those who are the under-privileged and that are dependent on WFP’s food aid. Standing in the hot and dusty IDP camp in Manik Farm, Peter led one of WFP’s special arrangements to ensure the direct targeting of IDPs with timely and appropriate food ration, taking over direct distribution from the Government. His cordial and diplomatic relationship with government counterparts and WFP partners has always enabled to break through negotiations, which at times, were difficult to succeed. Peter has always been appreciated by his team and WFP donors for his extraordinary job and command of adjusting to local conditions, appreciative of traditional and cultural values.

As he prepares to complete his services with WFP by end August, the WFP team in Sri Lanka wishes Peter a happy retirement, busy as a bee, and good health full of adventures.


Azeb Asrat, WFP Sri Lanka
16 August 2010

I am not naked anymore

I am not naked anymore. My mind is OK again. I am dressed.

Well, not really well dressed like George Clooney. But I am not like the statue in the previous post anymore. And I have a lot to tell.

I am busy winding up my Sri Lanka mission and will leave this lovely place broken hearted in 10 days. That's it for now.