Comment ça va CÔte d ’ Ivoire
A week like a nightmare by Diana Tchasse Simo , Abidjan
Abidjan , the capital of Ivory Coast is just a few hours ’ drive from Takoradi . Diana , a teacher from Lithuania , lives in Abidjan with her Cameroonian partner Wilfred and their small daughter Samantha . She has been writing an online diary about everyday life in Ivory Coast . Here she describes over the course of one week the impact of the recent turmoil on her family . Her article is a reminder to us of how fortunate we are in Takoradi and Ghana to live in peace and freedom .
M onday
Wilfred left for work with the last money we had in the house , the equivalent of less than two Euros . As on every other weekday I went to buy fish and carrots to cook for lunch . For the first time I had to say to the woman selling the vegetables that I did not have money and I would pay in a week ’ s time . I started to cook when I got back as Samantha was still sleeping . Suddenly there was no more gas and I was then in the situation where I had no money , no gas , and my child would soon wake up hungry . Moreover , even if I had money to buy gas there had been none available for at least two weeks . I heard my neighbour passing by . I told her I had no money and no gas and was in the middle of lunch preparation . Her gas was also finished but she went to her flat and found me 200 FCFA ( about 30 Euro cents ) to buy coal . It was challenging but I managed to finish cooking and fed Samantha . Wilfred came back a bit earlier than usual . He said the streets were quite empty and his company had stopped operating . All the international banks had closed indefinitely ; national banks had no money , so people simply did not have money to run their business . He had received a Western Union transfer from Italy for some research he did for the company there but he couldn ’ t collect it because the WU offices are also closed . And even if one is open they refuse to pay out the money transferred from EU . Now I am wondering how I can get my flight back to LT because EU travel agencies as SN Brussels Airlines , Air France and others have closed
T uesday
Wilfred stayed at home because there was no activity at his company . We borrowed some money from Samantha ’ s godmother and went to the hospital for my pregnancy check-up . I am happy everything is fine and the doctor said I must travel by the end of April because May will be too risky .
W ednesday
We ’ re still trying to see how to get money . I am waiting for the last part of the salary from the school , but no news . They seem to be in a complicated situation as well .
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