Joseph MerchlinskyNigeria Journal 2023 10 16: “E” DivisionUnfortunately, we had another collision with one of our vehicles. It bears repeating that the greatest safety risk on most missions is…13 min read·Oct 16, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyNigeria Journal 2023 10 01: Independence DayIn Nigeria, national holidays are not announced at the start of the year. Instead, an official announcement is made a day or two before. I…11 min read·Oct 8, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyNigeria Journal 2023 07 16: Snake BiteI mentioned in my last journal entry that our German Supply Chain Manager had not been out to the IDP camps. Right after that, he and I and…7 min read·Jul 16, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyNigeria Journal 2023 06 27: Ortese IDP CampAh-boo-tay! Ah-boo-tay! Ah-boo-tay!6 min read·Jun 27, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyNigeria Journal 2023 05 22: CollisionThe security briefings for most places start with political unrest, religious extremism, and bandits. But usually at the end you hear the…12 min read·May 22, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyNigeria Journal 2023 05 06: Makurdi TownMakurdi, Benue State. Pronounced Ben-oo-way.5 min read·May 14, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyNigeria Journal 2023 04 30: AbujaI’m sitting at a kitchen table in a Gwarinpa, a quiet and safe neighborhood in Abuja — the capital. It’s warm and humid with the front…4 min read·May 3, 2023--2--2
Joseph MerchlinskyUkraine Journal 2022 08 31 DepartureI haven’t explicitly shared my exit date with the National staff. I don’t particularly like goodbyes and my replacement has not been clear…9 min read·Apr 11, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyUkraine Journal 2022 08 21 FootballI will be on a train to Kyiv a week from Tuesday, and across the border into Poland the next day — August 31st. With my mission coming to…6 min read·Apr 11, 2023----
Joseph MerchlinskyUkraine Journal 2022 08 05 StormsMost of this week has followed that nice August pattern of warm humid days with powerful electrical storms rolling through and drenching…5 min read·Apr 11, 2023----