[Humanitarian Aid Chad] I am not shaken by even a millimeter

Hello everyone.
I am Taichiro Sato, a humanitarian aid worker.

In our daily lives, many things happen that don't go as planned or that we never expected.
How do I act in such moments?
I feel that how we perceive events and the actions we take in response can change the course of our lives.

Working overseas, I habitually find myself thinking of solutions when things don't go as planned or unexpected events occur, but my recent mindset has evolved to include the following:
・Emergencies have become my normal operating mode.
・I don't expect anything from anyone (in a good way).
・Things only start to run smoothly after about the third attempt.
・(I assume) I will end up doing the troublesome tasks myself in the end.
・Schedules and rules are just ideals, so I always leave plenty of buffer time at the end.
I feel like I am moving forward with these things in mind.

Because I keep these points in mind, I don't get flustered when something unexpected happens in my life or work, and I live with the feeling that if things don't go well, it's fine as long as they start to improve little by little after a few adjustments.

As this way of thinking has become a habit for me, an event occurred in Chad that made me feel my own growth and symbolized the idea that "I am not shaken."

Not shaken by even a millimeter
Moundou, said to be the second largest city in Chad.
Located in the southwest of Chad, it seems many people pass through this city when crossing Chad by land.

There are many restaurants, and you can drink alcohol.
It is a very lively city where music plays until late at night.

We came to Moundou to inspect medical access for pregnant women and babies in a region several hundred kilometers to the east.
Since it takes two days by land, we are staying one night at a hotel in the bustling city of Moundou.

We arrived at the hotel in Moundou.
It was called the Grand Hotel.
The room had an air conditioner that only had ON and OFF settings and made a roaring sound.
The room was cold, but that was better than being hot.
The sheets were neatly made, and when I turned on the TV, there were several channels, though the image was green.
Surprisingly, a Japanese anime was playing, with Arabic subtitles.

Oh, how gorgeous!
Our team was super excited.

We immediately took a shower using the faucet with a showerhead to refresh ourselves after the long day of travel.
I gave the slightly stiff shower room doorknob a quick, light twist, went to the lobby to meet everyone, and ate dinner at the restaurant.
The grilled fish and vegetable platter served at this restaurant is incredibly delicious.
Once my stomach was full, I crawled into the crisp, neatly made bed and fell asleep, ignoring the slightly chilly air and the roaring air conditioner.

The next day, 6:00 AM.
Our team's departure is at 6:45 AM.
There are 45 minutes left until departure.
First, I went to get some coffee and enjoyed a relaxing morning cup.
Then I got ready, and since I still had 20 minutes left, I treated myself to a morning shower.

The shower was cold as usual, but I was happy just to have a shower where I didn't have to splash water on myself with a bucket.
Knowing that I wouldn't be able to live in such a nice environment for a while, I wanted to enjoy the shower to the fullest.

I wiped my body with a towel and was ready to go.
With a positive attitude, I turned the doorknob of the shower room.

Clunk, snap...

The doorknob had died before I did.

Oh...

In my right hand, the lever-style metal doorknob remained, sadly...
I could see the long metal piece that must have been connected to the other doorknob on the other side of the door.

I looked at the door and saw it was firmly locked, and the structure on the other side of the doorknob was exposed through the hole in the door in a strangely three-dimensional way; I felt like I was looking at the naked doorknob and felt a bit embarrassed.

I glanced at my watch.
We had 10 minutes until departure.

First, I tried to see if the doorknob would fit back in, but it was impossible at any angle.
I tried pushing, I tried pulling, but it was no use.
Suddenly, I looked around and noticed a small window near the top that looked big enough for a person to pass through, and I imagined jumping up to reach it and climbing out.

A one-person meeting begins in my head.
・When the time comes, one of the team members will come to pick me up, so I can just have them open it from the outside.
・If that really doesn't work, I can just climb out the window.
・If I jam a mop into the door handle and push the outer handle, the handle on the other side will surely fall off. But that's a bit rough, so it's not very smart.
I ponder various options.

I am not shaken by even a millimeter,
even if the door handle comes off and I get locked in.

I look at myself objectively and deeply feel how much I've grown.
While applauding myself in my heart,
I decided to just brush my teeth for now and wait for someone to come.

I hear my colleagues walking outside, so I shout while brushing my teeth.
“Excusez-moi. Est-ce que vous pouvez m'aider, s'il vous plaît?”
(Excuse me, can you hear me? Can you help me?)

That's what I said, and then my colleagues rescued me.

Thinking this would make a good story, I look back at the words I left in my mobile memo.
These words were left behind.

The moment I felt my will to live had increased.
When the bathroom door handle came off from the inside and I was locked in.
Locked in?
That is not an emergency for me at all.

So it seems.
They are words I wrote myself, but how reliable they are.

What kind of things are waiting for me next?
I'm looking forward to it from now on.

※The content of this post is entirely my personal opinion.
Thank you for reading the article to the end!
If you'd like, please follow me!!
See you next time.
Best,
Tai

✎From 2024✎
January 1, 2024: To everyone affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, I hope for the earliest possible return to a safe and secure daily life, and as a medical professional involved in disaster relief, I will explore ways I can provide support. I pray for the souls of those who have passed away. As my own form of support for the disaster-stricken area, I have decided to serve as an advisor to support the disaster relief projects of private companies in Japan, as a medical professional well-versed in domestic and international disasters.

General Incorporated Association Nurse-Men We will establish a private disaster response headquarters centered on the members of, and implement medium- to long-term support for the disaster-stricken areas. I would appreciate your support. Also, while my posts are fully public, I have set them as paid articles. The money received will be used for Noto reconstruction support throughout 2024. Thank you.☺

“🏝Nalu Project🏝”
I have launched and am operating a membership as a place where we can all support each other. 2024 marks two years! If you are interested, I would be happy if you could help liven up the membership together.