Cover photo by Alejandra L贸pez de Cisneros
A publication for the SSA Global Community Africa Edition Jan-Feb 2016
Hello everyone! I’m glad to welcome you to our AFRICA edition. We have articles from several of our Africa Chapters, and a few other surprises for you from Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. I would like to thank all the people who sent something for me to share with our worldwide SSA audience. In fact, this editorial will be dedicated simply to say THANK YOU. There is so much to be thankful for. Without getting too philosophical, I’m going to focus on you, my dear SSA members. THANK YOU for being a part of this amazing group of individuals who come together with the sole purpose of helping others feel welcome and support one another. THANK YOU for attending SSA events and for making time to
Inside this issue:
say hello to a newcomer. THANK YOU for volunteering to be a part of your local SSA board, where we know you work hard (sometimes with very little budget and/or help!). THANK YOU for taking the time to read the SSA Guidelines and follow them even if you don’t agree with something. THANK YOU for voicing your concerns/ questions in a constructive manner. THANK YOU to those
hardworking board members who update their Chapter’s www.SSAfara.net page. THANK YOU for reaching out on our Facebook SSA Global Community group and helping people you don’t know find someone in their next adopted city. THANK YOU for your trust on us, the Global Board, even if you sometimes don’t know all that we do. And last but not least, THANK YOU for reading. I hope you enjoy. Elsa
A message from our Global Coordinator
3
SSA Global Board
4
Meet Yoldary and Basti
5
Thank you, Muriel!
6
Welcome, Avery!
7
10 Facts about AFRICA
10
My new life in Africa
11
ALGIERS
12
LAGOS
14
A letter from LUANDA
34
POINTE NOIRE
40
The Expatriate Stress 44 Bubble HSE Dubai activities
58
Our next edition!
64
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A message from our Global Coordinator different and brings with it adjustments, and as experienced expat spouses, we is well upon us and moving very are aware that everything will not be quickly! We are seeing many changes happening around same as our last location. It is human nature to compare what we had before us and I would like to address some of them. to our current location. While we want to reminisce There is old song by a Trinidadian musician, composer and share our experiences with our new Chapters please remember to be understanding and respectful of and producer, Richard “Nappy” Mayers, which comes what your current location has to offer. We should be to mind while I am writing this article: supporting our Chapter and doing whatever we can to help each other. Bring back the old time days… Bring back them old time ways Many of our I know everything must change… Chapters have But I still love the old time days. had reductions Ask not what your their budgets Those simple days when our only reason for being part Chapter can do for you in and we should of SSA was to offer support to each other. The days of but what you can do for be grateful that potluck coffee mornings at each other’s homes, tasting we still have a your Chapter. food from all over the world prepared by our friends, budget. All SSA while chatting about our problems and everyone events do not offering a solution. We had no budget or fancy events need to be but we had each other’s back and newfound friends. funded by the Chapter. Members can contribute Priceless! We need to remember those old time days toward events. If your current Chapter is unable to and be reminded of the true essence of SSA. offer a variety of activities because of budgetary I truly believe, especially in these current times, that we constraints then get involved and help the Chapter. Find need to go back to the beginning and to remember why creative and innovative ways of providing activities and SSA began in the first place. We started in 1988 with a events at little or no cost to them. Host a coffee group of expatriate spouses in Paris who came together morning, start a book club, craft club, hiking club, or sightseeing club. Find something you enjoy and share it to organize a group supporting one another in a country far from home. Decades later, we are left with with others. the same principles and values to pass along to the future generations of spouses/partners of all Schlumberger employees.
Sometimes we need to do this in order to grow and strengthen our association. We need to be reminded once in a while of our purpose. We need to be supporting each other now more than ever. We have lost some of our members and dear friends and it is sad and heartbreaking for them and for us. We need to show kindness, compassion and respect towards them. Some have been active members and contributed a lot to our Chapters and for this we are grateful. Many of us have relocated to various countries and some of us to our home country. Every location is
I have to take the time here to say thanks to our Local Board members who are dealing with these issues. We want you to know that you have the support of the Global Board and to reach out to us for any assistance or advice in dealing with them. So my dear fellow members, let us go back to those old days and support each other, be thankful for what our Chapters have to offer and do our part in making our association stronger than ever. Lorraine Albelto SSA Global Coordinator
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Meet the SSA Global Board Lorraine Albelto
Nikita Goel
SSA Global Coordinator
SSA Global Webmaster
ssa-global-coord@slb.com
ssa-webmaster@slb.com
Elsa Scheffler
Anisa Haddad
SSA Global Communications Coordinator
SSA Ex-Officio Global Coordinator ssa-exofficio@slb.com
ssa-communications@slb.com
Lasairiona McMaster
Sandra Showalter
SSA North America Area Coordinator
SSA Global Secretary
ssa-nam-coord@slb.com
ssa-secretary@slb.com
Brenda Echeveste SSA Africa Coordinator
Maha Sousak SSA Middle East Area Coordinator
ssa-africa-coord@slb.com
Basti Ismayilbayli SSA Europe/Russia Area Coordinator
ssa-mideast-coord@slb.com
Yoldary Bernal Cruz SSA Latin America Coordinator
ssa-eur-slr-coord@slb.com
ssa-lam-coord@slb.com
Fay Hennings SSA Asia/Australia Coordinator ssa-asia-coord@slb.com
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In their own words... Basti Ismayilbayli (Europe Russia Area Coordinator) and Yoldary Bernal Cruz (Latin America Area Coordinator) are the two newest Global Board members. They are fantastic ladies who have started 2016 settling in their new jobs, and this is what they have to say about it!
We were always taught to help each-other and accept the help from others with gratitude, grace. We find it in SSA– we help and accept help, we become friends, sometimes closer than families, connected through all over the Earth! This is fascinating! I have been with SSA since 2010 and enjoyed every day of being a part of this great team! It has been with me in Angola, Tanzania, the UK and I hope it will be everywhere we go! You are warmly welcomed, given a helping hand, “hugged” when you feel lonely, share luck, experience with other “family” members and make wonderful friends. What can be better? (Basti)
When I knew I was elected to be the LAM Area Coordinator, I felt many kind of emotions. It is becoming a passion for me. SSA has thought me over the years that it is there to help me and to support me so I want to help and support others the same way and better. Having this volunteer job is very rewarding, as a wife, as a mom and also as a proud SSA member. I hope I can continue being part of this fantastic community, it is there for me, for all of us. (Yoldary)
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Thank you,
Muriel!
U
ntil very recently, the role of SSA Program Manager was in the hands of the lovely Muriel Barnier. We received amazing support from her during her time as our main point of contact with
SLB. She worked shoulder to shoulder with us in many projects, like the SSA Survey and updating of the SSA Guidelines. She listened to our questions and concerns and solved them quickly. She was our strongest supporter, always including the SSA in her communications in The Hub and marketing our Association among her HR peers. In collaboration with IT, she championed the Social Media campaign that SLB devoted to SSA Chapters worldwide last year. She constantly shared with us Health and HSE relevant information. Now her time has come to continue in a different role in the company, as HSE Communications Manager. We wish you all the best, Muriel! We know that the SSA will always be close to your heart wherever you go, and we sincerely thank you for that.
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And now we welcome Avery Ely!
A
very is our new SSA Program Manager. We are getting to know her better,
take a look at what we asked her! Hello, Avery! Welcome to the SSA Team! We are very happy to have you on board. We’d like to know a little bit more about you! Where are you from?
Hello everyone! Thank you to the many who warmly welcomed me to the SSA and this new role. My name is Avery Ely, and I was born in
Avery and her dad hiking in Sedona, Arizona
Corpus Christi, Texas but grew up in Sugar Land, Texas. Where did you go to school and what did you major in?
I went out of state for college, attending the University of Arkansas where I majored in Broadcast Journalism. During my time at U of A, I was very involved in the student-run TV station on campus, where I anchored every Wednesday night, and reported during the week. Although I started out with a minor in political science, I learned that I liked to report on the news, rather than talking about politics , so I dropped my minor and focused on reporting. This led me to working at the NBC-affiliate station in Fayetteville, Arkansas during my last semester. During that same semester, I had the wild idea of going to grad school! So I did. I moved back to Houston and attended the University of Houston where I received my Masters in Mass Communication and Public Relations. Best decision I ever made! What was your first job ever and how old were you? My first job….. I was in eighth grade! I graded papers at a Kumon after school. My first (paying) job was working at a sandwich shop near my house.
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Avery Eli interview—continued
How long have you been working for SLB? I have been working for Schlumberger since June of 2015. Before Schlumberger, I was working at the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. My Masters program heightened my interest in crisis communication, and I was very happy to have the opportunity to work in the Emergency Management Office. How are you settling in as SSA Program Manager? I think I’m settling in well! I’ve had great support during the beginning stages of the role, and I already have some plans in mind for the near future
What do you like to do after work? Hobbies? Likes? I love to work out. Here at the San Felipe location, we have a boot camp every Tuesday/Thursday in the parking garage, and it’s such a great workout. I also live right next to a great park, and love to go on walks there. Other than exercise, I must admit that I love to shop. But who doesn’t?! During the weekends, I love to travel and be active. Living in Houston doesn’t offer many opportunities for outdoor activities, so my fiancée and I love to drive to the Austin and San Antonio areas to go camping. I also love to ski! I grew up going to Colorado every year with my family. How is life in Houston? What is your favorite spot in the city? Favorite restaurant? I love living in Houston! Although I grew up in Sugar Land, the only times I would really come to town was go to the Galleria, so I didn’t experience much of all the great restaurants, events, museums, etc… Now that I live in town, I try to keep a constant list of new restaurants that I need to try. There is one spot in The Heights that I keep going back to though… It’s called Down House. It’s a cute little blue house in the heart of the Heights neighborhood that has great brunch. Aside from finding new restaurants and great happy hours, Houston has a few great famers markets happening a couple weekends out of each month. There are also a lot of events that go on at the amphitheater in the park near where I live, and if you love concerts, you can bet that there is one happening almost every night at one of the many venues across town. Houston really is a great place to live and I feel lucky that I am in the middle of it all!
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Avery Eli interview—continued
Avery and fiance Andrew, a Reliability Engineer for DOW Chemical
We are entering 2016 with lots of projects in the works, what can you tell us about what’s coming in the next few months? I can say that my main objectives as of now are communication based; centered on improving the SSA website so that it contains and provides more information for SSA members. I have started working on these improvements already, and am excited to see the progress we can achieve over the next few months. I will also be carrying out the plans Muriel had started before she moved into her new role, including continuing the membership pilot that will better help us account for all of those who belong to the SSA, as well as incorporate SSA questions into HR training! There are some other projects that I will continue and begin to work on in 2016. 2016 will be a big year for me! Going forward, I am excited to be a part of the Schlumberger Spouses Association, as I will become a spouse myself in November of this year
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10 FACTS ABOUT
Africa is the world’s SECONDLARGEST and SECONDMOSTPOPULOUS continent.
Median age in 2012 was 19.7 (compared to a worldwide median age of 30.4)
It covers
of Earth’s total surface.
The SSA has active Chapters in Africa.
1.1 billion people live in Africa.
The first African nation to host a FIFA World Cup was South Africa in 2010.
Around
2,000 languages are spoken in Africa.
6 African Nobel Literature Prize winners.
10 African Nobel Peace Prize winners.
African hotel is among the best 25 hotels in the world for 2016 according to TripAdvisor.
Picture @Alejandra López de Cisneros
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My new life in Africa By Brenda Echeveste
My first time! When we learned that we were transferred to Nigeria it was a surprise, shock and for us a huge challenge! The first challenge was that we have had to split our family. The first painful step was when I dropped off at the airport my eldest daughter and my husband the same day, just two hours apart. My youngest and I had to stay for a year in my home town, México, until she finished the school year. And I was then able to join my husband in Nigeria. I was scared about all these changes at once. Twenty one years ago when I got married I never thought about this possibility. I didn’t know what was Schlumberger and all the places that we would live in and all the incredible people that we would met. But as my husband joined Schlumberger, I learned all the sacrifices that most of the families endure. When they have to let go their brand new husband on rotations, or leave behind your families, or send your children away. It is painful, but I don’t regret it because this kind of life has created a strong bond between our family and has also increased our extended family thanks to the SSA. Throughout the places that we have lived in, I have found such good friends that have become my sisters or aunties. In time of need there is always someone to help you. That is why I believe in SSA. That is why I’m always part of it. Because I would like for everyone to have the support and the opportunity to meet angels like the ones I’ve met, that help us settle in our new location every time.
My arrival
The empty nesters
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ALGIERS
A
lgiers is the capital and largest city of Algeria. Sometimes nicknamed El-Behdja or alternatively Alger la Blanche ("Algiers the White") for the beautiful white buildings raising around the Mediterranean Sea shore, Algiers is an interesting mixture between old traditional city and modern infrastructure that is appearing now on every corner.
Algiers has a very rich history going from the old fortress of Casbah with its impressive antiearthquake system, to Jardin d'Essai du Hamma, established in 1832, where the first Tarzan movie was filmed (still considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the world). I equally like the Grand Poste building, with its Moorish architecture, and the Maqam Echahid (Martyrs’ Memorial) that is an iconic monument commemorating the Algerian war for independence.
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And as Dalila says: “Tu devrai aussi parler de la vie nocturne pendant le Ramadan qui est très animé contrairement au reste de l’année, d’ailleurs à ce sujet j’aurai aimé que ça soit ramadan toute l’année” (“You need to speak also about night life during Ramadan that is so animated compared with the rest of the year that makes me wish to have Ramadan all year”) SSA Algiers Chapter has 22 members and, despite the tumultuous life in a very busy and sometimes congested city, we find time to spend it together. There are either quiet coffee mornings or very busy afternoons with kids fighting to be karting champions. We are all happy to meet each other.
Department we have organized a Defensive Driving training for the spouses. And as we all live on the Facebook era, we took the chance to speak also about security threats on the Internet. The only activity from which I am always excluded is the hammam. I think that ladies really enjoy it as this is definitely one of the big advantages of Algiers (as per my wife).
Holding a Coordinator post was very new to me. I would even say that many in Schlumberger were surprised when I took on the role. Being a man in a women’s world was unusual and even unheard of, especially in a traditional country like Algeria. Having said this, it was the women in the SSA that have encouraged me to take on this role as no one else had shown Most of the events organized during last interest. As I travel frequently out of year were dedicated to our kids. We organized by rotation garden parties where Algeria for work commitments, I try to do my best in liaising with the SSA members in kids played games or created small organizing activities for families and kids. masterpieces. We have also enjoyed all together a great Sunday to the Ardis aqua park. By Daniel Trinca We have visited the fortress of Casbah and we have the occasion to learn about its fantastic history, to taste some local patisseries or see the local artisans that are keeping alive hundred-year old traditions. As driving in Algiers is challenging, with the kind help of Schlumberger HSE
SSA Algiers Coordinator
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“WELCOME” From the SSA Lagos Chapter, Nigeria
B
eing the biggest city in Africa you can imagine its wall-to-wall people and bumper-to-bumper cars. It’s a city that never sleeps and you would really find it difficult to stop and have a quiet moment to yourself at even the darkest hour of night. It’s also an extremely colorful city where you find bright clothing and material shops, handicrafts and vegetable stalls all side by side in the city's many markets. The climate is hot all year round but the rainy season is always welcome after a dry and sandy harmattan, where the Sahara dessert literally blows on to your doorstepc. Our AC units work hard, very hard. It’s a city, like most others in the world, not without its problems or troubles. However, life moves on, everyone is moving at all times.The cars, the buses, the tuc tucs, the children walking to school along the edge of the expressway, the motorbike taxis driving up the wrong side of he road, the mosquitoes (usually in my direction) and the ‘Mamaput’s’ carrying their mobile kitchen to their corner ready for the local workers to buy from her at lunchtime. Lagos is also the city that has brought me to meet people who’s presence in my life will be felt long, long after my families departure. The SSA here in Lagos is a constant in our lives and sometimes a welcome break from the pace outside of our compounds, offices, security briefings and many, many hours spent in traffic. I hope you enjoy our glimpse in to Lagos life. Rebecca Oostendorp SSA Lagos Chapter Coordinator
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Meet our board of coordinators
Front, left to right: Chapter Coordinator, Rebecca Oostendorp - Scotland Charity, Yumi Carranza - Mexico Welcome, Ingrid Alvarez – Panama QHSE, Germana Sousa - Brazil
Back, left to right: Treasurer, Prudence Pfeiffer - Australia Events, Vanessa Guzman - Venezuela Secretary, Lamia Belhares – Algeria Welcome, Chika Ikeagwuani - Nigeria Events, Daisy Oyawoye - Nigeria
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About our Chapter
T
he Lagos chapter is made up of over 50 members from 20 different countries. Our Nigerian members live all across Lagos whilst the expats reside in the Schlumberger Palm Springs compound in Lekki.
A large secure compound is home to not only the expats, but its also a place where we hold many of our coffee mornings and family events. We are fortunate to have our own club house where the SSA can get together without a lot of expense and logistics.
We try to hold at least one gathering of members per month whether it be a coffee morning, dinner, cultural excursion, QHSE presentation or family event. About 50% of these are conducted in Palm Springs whilst the others are held within the Lagos green zone (safe to move) in various locations. We try our hardest to find something for everyone throughout the year and have recently introduced a suggestion box to our events so the board can really find out what our members would like.
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Events
W
e try to create events which are diverse in the idea yet bring people together. One of the favorites is the Nigerian cultural event. Held in the Palm Springs club house and pool side, we have Nigerian dancers who really get everyone involved.
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T
he children love the Family events like Halloween with compound trick or treat and the Family fun day. A time where all our children can get together and share with their parents and friends in a safe environment.
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O
ur AGM event is always a busy affair and has a great turn out with almost all of our members getting involved. Fortunately Lagos has many restaurants on offer who are willing to host all of us and we always have a great time.
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O
ur coffee mornings are frequent and busy. It’s a chance to catch up with our friends, welcome new arrivals, say goodbyes, celebrate missed birthdays and to give face to face updates on goings on within the chapter.
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Welcome
O
ne of the most important parts of the SSA Lagos Chapter is the Welcome to new members. Arriving in Lagos, whether its returning Nigerians or new Expats, it can be a daunting experience. Given that within the first 24hrs of arriving in Lagos everyone must go through security briefings, Malaria briefings and trainings, etc. we try to see our new members as quickly as possible. The reassurance and friendliness our Welcome team provide can make all the difference.
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QHSE
I
n Lagos we are fortunate to have our own security advisor who liaises with the SSA regularly. They are on hand whenever we need them for advise, presentations and support. We also have the privilege of a QHSE day each month where we can request information and presentations on QHSE topics that may be concerning us.
Most recently we have been given some talks on Lassa Fever, What to do in Lagos in the event of a medical emergency, ATM theft and personal awareness along with some scheduled, CPR , Malaria testing and Breast cancer awareness coming up in the next few months.
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Charity Our Own Lagos By Yumi Carranza, Charity Coordinator
F
irst thing that comes to mind when we hear for the first time that we are to come to Nigeria, is the idea of adventure and a cultural experience that, during our initial weeks, is fully accomplished. But when one starts to get involved and to value the complicated means of life of those in need, our adventure takes a turn where helping becomes a due diligence and into an urgent personal project. The size and the reach is not important, what it matters is to extend our hands and help to those that have touched our hearts. There are several ways to contribute, but destiny took me to a religious congregation of nouns. Started visiting their convent and once involved it was just as if we had been together for several years. Lagos is a tough city but one finds the hearts and the true nature of those Nigerians that, even when living in the poorest conditions, extend to you all they have at hand. Any project you feel comfortable with will always bring great value to the community and yourselves. Volunteering, leading, collecting or simply sharing some time with those you are helping is a great experience. The big events have roots some years back, like the “Small World Event�, one of the most important charity events in the city. This one started with a group of expatriate women that were brought together on the same basis of giving a helping hand to those in need. This event has run for nineteen years and it is tradition now with over three thousand participants. The projects I enjoy the most are those where you get to have direct contact with the local community, where you share the food and very emotive moments that are just forever. Especially those organized by the SSA where on top of being involved in a magnificent task, we also get to know each other better and in our deepest human senses.
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10 minutes with our members Interview with Yumi Carranza Q: Any negatives? What do you miss most about home? The infrastructure is still under development and the traffic jams are now a big part of our daily life, but as long as you are prepared for long journeys with a good book or simply by setting an activity onboard, the trips are fine. The one thing I really miss from other places is the freedom and availability of places where to walk and move around without an automobile. Unfortunately, there are not safe and reliable services like buses, taxis, let alone subway or train. There is also the food supply. The globalization has brought us all together, but the supplies to Lagos are not consistent, so, when you see it buy it, it might take some months before it shows up again. Q: Is Lagos safe? Yes. Remember that I am Mexican. But overall, and as long as you do not move in what we call the About Lagos, Nigeria red or yellow city zones, you are Q: What do you enjoy most about living in mostly safe. No Lagos, how’s the quality of life in Nigeria? I enjoy many things here. The weather is great, you can different from any other city where assume that I love hot climate, even the rainy season, good practices with its inconveniences, its interesting. The local would get you safely market places. The security of knowing where and when my kids are going or coming. And of course, the away from trouble. most important part, the catalyst of my great experience, my dear friends, either from other locations or new ones. “My Sisters”, like the market merchants call us when they see us together. So, the quality of life is made by all of us. And it is for good. Members first….. About you Q: What is your name and who makes up your family? My name is Yumi. Two boys, Fermín Jr. (17), Illán (13) and my husband, Fermin Sr., make up my family. The additional three are our three lovely dogs, two cockers and one schnauzer. Q: Where are you originally from? I’m from Mexico. Born and raised in a single small city, Orizaba. Q: What locations have you lived in previous to Lagos? Starting back in Mexico North in 1997 in Reynosa. Then, Neiva, in Colombia. Then Las Morochas in Venezuela, where we left in a rush in 2003 due to the oil strike. Back in Mexico to Villahermosa in Tabasco. In 2004 to Northern Alberta in Canada. In 2008 to Argentina, first in Neuquén and then to Buenos Aires. In 2012 we moved to Nigeria. Q: How long you have you lived here? Three years and a half by now.
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Interview with Yumi Carranza—continued About living in Lagos Q: How do you rate the standard of living in Lagos? It is a nice restricted standard of living. The big shopping malls are nowhere to be found but there is always the place where you can look for what you are used to back home, with a (huge) added charge but available. We can’t forget that the country is rated high risk. With that said, the city offers a very good standard of living. Q: What’s the cost of living in Nigeria compared to home? What is cheap or expensive in particular? It is expensive when compared to Mexico, specially when it comes to food. Mexican goodies are five-totenfold the price when available. In particular, the imported beef is very expensive, in the 6 to 10-fold range. The wines and some goods made in Europe are cheaper and more available than in America. Going back to the food, most of our expenditure in Lagos is done at the supermarkets every week. Q: What are the locals like; do you mix mainly with other expats? I had always lived in America and at first it was a bit difficult for me to communicate and to understand how to better adapt to this new society, but it was no longer than a couple of months when I realized I was communicating and finding Nigerians as very friendly people. From hotel staff to the Lekki market hawkers, I found myself laughing and sharing fantastic moments. At the end, because there are so many people from Latin America I tend to meet and mix mainly with expats, starting at the school and driven also on the fact that the compound we live in is almost always occupied by expatriates. Q: Was it easy meeting people and making friends? Yes, actually it happened in a swift manner while strangers and old friends were helping me setting in Lagos. While in Lagos I met several friends from other locations that either were already here when we arrived or that arrived at a later time, all this has added to my wonderful experience in this location.
Family and children Q: Did your children settle in easily? Yes, they did. The key to this was the fact that they joined the AISL – American International School of Lagos. Fifty percent of the school population changes every school year placing my kids in the same situation of many others, sympathy and help was always offered by their school mates and teachers. Q: What are the schools in Lagos like, any particular suggestions? The main issue when we arrived here was the availability of a getting space for our children in the same school, but eventually and thanks to the strong position of Schlumberger in the board they were accepted. On the flip side, the school is not big enough and the rotation of the teachers is also intensive. All this balanced with fact that the tuition and other expenses are expensive. Q: How would you rate the healthcare in Nigeria? The hospitals have top class apparatus and facilities; the issue is the accuracy of the medical assessments, but as long as it is not a life threating or rare disease, we are fine. Fortunately, we have not used major medical services while in Nigeria, but the dental and first aid were very professional. And finally… Q: Is there any other advice you like to offer new expat arrivals? Live the adventure! Nigeria has been setup, for lots of years, to greet and embrace expatriates. The community here is always willing and ready to help newcomers, you just need to make contact with one friend of a friend, or one of the associations or individuals that are already leaving in Nigeria, and that’s all you need, all things will be set in motion for you and your loved ones.
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10 minutes with our members Interview with Daisy Oyawoye About you Q: What is your name and who makes up your family? Me, Daisy Oyawoye and my husband. Q: Where are you originally from? I am from Nigeria. Q: What locations have you lived in previous to Lagos? Port Harcourt and Dares Salaam in Tanzania. Q: How long you have you lived here? 6 months. About Lagos, Nigeria Q: What do you enjoy most about living in Lagos, how’s the quality of life in Nigeria? Good. International goods are readily available here compared to other parts of Nigeria. Q: Any negatives? What do you miss most about home? I miss the quietness of my home town. Q: Is Lagos safe? Yes, quite safe. About living in Lagos Q: How do you rate the standard of living in Lagos? Moderate. Q: What’s the cost of living in Nigeria compared to home? What is cheap or expensive in particular? I find food is cheap but toiletries and clothing is expensive compared to my home town. Q: What are the locals like; do you mix mainly with other expats? I mainly mix with other expats. Q: Was it easy meeting people and making friends? Yes. Q: How would you rate the healthcare in Nigeria? Average And finally… Q: Is there any other advice you like to offer new expat arrivals? Advice – Have an open heart and make the best out of Lagos.
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10 minutes with… 3 kids of different nationalities, different age groups, attending different schools in Lagos Interview with Eduvie Osergabaje Q. What is your name and who makes up your family here in Lagos? My name is Eduvie and I live here with my Dad Ado, Mum Linda and sister Roli. Q. How old are you? I am 11 years old. Q. Where are you originally from? I am originally from Nigeria. Q. What countries have you lived in previous to Lagos? I have lived in (in order), Colombia, Russia, England, France and now Nigeria. Q. What languages do you speak? English, a bit of Avei and a bit of French. Q .How long have you lived in Lagos? Since summer 2015. Q. What school do you attend here? I attend CIS, Children’s International School Q. How do you find your school here? I find it very nice. The work is harder than my last school though. Q. Was it easy for you to settle and make friends? It wasn't’t that easy to start with because I come from a different background. Q. What do you do in Lagos in your free time? I normally go outside and play and sometimes we go to the movies. Q. How does living here compare to other locations you have lived? Pros/Cons: No negatives. The positive is that living here teachers me more about where I am originally from. Q. Finally, what lasting memory do you think you will take away from Lagos when you move on to another location? The friendliness of my school.
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10 minutes with‌ 3 kids of different nationalities, different age groups, attending different schools in Lagos— continued
Interview with Linda Belhares Q. What is your name and who makes up your family here in Lagos? My name is Lina Belhares. I live here with my Dad Issam, Mum Lamia, Brother Ali and Sister Sara. Q. How old are you? I am 7years old. Q. Where are you originally from? I am from Leon, France. Q. What countries have you lived in previous to Lagos? France. Q. What languages do you speak? French, Arabic and some English. Q .How long have you lived in Lagos? 2 years. Q. What school do you attend here? Louis Pasteur French School. Q. How do you find your school here? I really like the school here. Q. Was it easy for you to settle and make friends? Yes, I have lots of Friends. Q. What do you do in Lagos in your free time? I play in the compound, go swimming, to dancing and learn Judo. Q. How does living here compare to other locations you have lived? Pros/Cons: Every evening I can go outside and play safely with my friends. The weather is always hot and sunny. The negative is that I am far from my cousins and other family. Q. Finally, what lasting memory do you think you will take away from Lagos when you move on to another location? The easy life in the compound. My friends are my neighbors and I can go out and play whenever I want because its safe to do so.
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10 minutes with… 3 kids of different nationalities, different age groups, attending different schools in Lagos— continued
Interview with Fermin Jr. Carranza Q. What is your name and who makes up your family here in Lagos? My name is Fermín Carranza Cid. Both my parents, Yumuri Cid Ochoa and Fermín Carranza Santiago, are here with me. I have one brother named Illán Carranza Cid. In addition to that I have three dogs and one turtle. Q. How old are you? I am 17 years old. Q. Where are you originally from? I am originally from Mexico. More specifically: Orizaba, in the state of Veracruz. Q. What countries have you lived in previous to Lagos? I have had the privilege to live in several countries prior to Nigeria. I’ve gone from Mexico to Colombia, Venezuela, Canada, Argentina, and now Nigeria. Q. How long have you lived in Lagos? I arrived in 2012. Once I graduate I will be completing my fourth year here. Q. What school do you attend here? I am currently attending the American International School of Lagos. Q. How do you find your school here? The school here is fantastic. Living in Lagos may have some restrictions, thus most of my time spent throughout the week is spent either in school or at home. Hence, I am pleased with the variety of events, after school activities, and organizations that the school has to offer to keep us all busy. From environmental organizations such as COWS to solving global issues at MUN, the school tenders options to your pleasure. In addition, studying in Lagos has no influence over academics. AISL offers the prestigious International Baccalaureate and has had alumni been admitted to highly ranked universities such as Princeton and Yale. Q. Was it easy for you to settle and make friends? Having gotten used to move around a lot, settling down has in some way become a routine. Regardless, like any other location, it does take time to settle down. Because it is an international school, everyone is in the same situation you. New students come and go every year so there is no real
fear of being the only new kid in school. Everyone here is kind and makes you feel right at home. Q. What do you do in Lagos in your free time? While most of my time spent is in school and at home, during the weekends my friends and me do often go explore Lagos. There is series of places to go, from eating at Johnny Rockets to fancy restaurants such as Izanagi. Lagos is an ever-growing city and the options are becoming even more. Q. Are there any negatives to being a teenager here in Lagos? While most will argue that one isn’t able to get the “high school experience” while living here in Lagos, I cannot truly say I haven’t enjoyed it. Attending school here and meeting people from distinctive parts of the world is truly amazing. I wouldn’t pick to have done high school anywhere else. However the true downside is that curfew is at 10, due to safety reasons. Q. How does living here compare to other locations you have lived? Pros/Cons: Every place is different. The only true con that living in Lagos has is all the safety procedures needed to be implemented. While that can be stressing, I recognize it’s necessary. Other than that, it is just as great as living anywhere else. Everything I need is provided: friends, family, school, Wi-Fi, and food. Q. Finally, what lasting memory do you think you will take away from Lagos when you move on to another location? The culture, friends, and what I was able to achieve here will be the three main things I will carry with me for the rest of my life. If you look around, Lagos can be a real eye opener for some. While poverty here is extremely high, it helps reminds people how opportune they are. Not every location is able to provide the atmosphere Lagos has to offer.
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A taste of Nigeria
Akara – Fried bean cakes Ingredients 250 grams Nigerian Brown Beans or Black Eye Peas 1 Medium onion (approx. 150 grams) 200 ml water for blending ¾ tsp salt ¼ tsp. dry pepper 2 egg yolks 3 egg Whites Vegetable or Canola Oil for deep frying Instructions Wash beans, place in a medium sauce pan with about one liter of water and bring to a boil. Boil two more minutes and take off the heat. Allow to soak for about one hour then wash the beans rigorously this time to peel the beans, using a sieve to strain the beans peel as you wash and until all the beans have been peeled, strained and clean. Place the beans, onions and about 200 ml of water in a blender or goblet of a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in salt, pepper and egg yolks. Place oil for deep frying in a pan on medium heat or turn on a deep fryer. Using a hand whisk or balloon whisk, beat egg whites until stiff. Do not over beat. Carefully fold in egg whites into beans mixture. Using a tablespoon, drop mixture into hot oil and deep fry until golden brown of each side. Place on kitchen paper to drain as much oil as possible and serve.
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A taste of Nigeria Beef Suya Ingredients for Nigerian Suya Spice mix ½ cup grounded Kuli Kuli (substitute roasted groundnut powder) ½ cup ginger powder ¼ cup chili powder ¼ cup paprika powder** ¼ cup onion powder ¼ cup garlic powder 1 table spoon sea salt ** Paprika powder in this context is ground dried tatashe (bell pepper), very similar to ground pepper (shombo). This helps to give the suya spice a more “Red” and bright appearance instead of the dull brown color. Instructions: Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly. Store in an air tight container for future use.
To make Beef Suya What you need: Beef Salt to taste Suya Spice Mix Instructions: Thinly slice the beef. Combine with salt and suya spice and arrange on bamboo skewers. Grill or bake until beef is cooked through. Serve with fresh tomatoes and onions.
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W
Traditional Nigerian Wedding
eddings in Nigeria are celebrated in a big way and the specifics of each differ depending on the tribal heritage of the bride and groom. In fact, Lagos, where we live, is normally gridlocked on Saturdays due to weddings, especially in the run up to Christmas. It is big business here, as it is everywhere else. Except, here, weddings normally take place over a period of days, an average of 2. I had the pleasure of attending and participating in a Nigerian wedding this year. My first as an adult. My cousin got married and as one of the “older” women of his family I had to be involved. My cousin and his now wife are both from the Yoruba tribe, predominantly found in the South Western part of Nigeria, and some of what I will describe here is particular to their culture and not necessarily indicative of Nigeria as a whole.
the groom’s family, were invited to meet the bride’s family and we took along gifts of food items, drinks, and fruit. The elders of my cousin’s family on both sides came along, as they are considered the heads of the family, and must speak for the family on such occasions. This was also the same on the bride’s The first ceremony, an side. We introduced ourselves, introduction of the families, took gave the history of our families, place in September. This is called lineage and origin. This is done to “Mo mi Mo” in the Yoruba show that the families are good language and this translates as people and neither party is getting to know one another. We,
joining a disreputable family. Typically at this, a list of what is needed for the traditional wedding (or engagement) including bride price (dowry), and other requested items would be given to the groom’s family. After the formalities, we were invited to eat and drink. About 3 months later, we headed to a big hall (there were about 1,000 guests and family members, maybe more) to perform the traditional wedding or
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engagement ceremony. Typically, the families wear certain colors to differentiate them. This is called aso ebi, which literally translates to family clothes. I am not really sure who decides on the colors, but I just wanted something that would flatter me!!!! We, the groom’s family, wore green and gold. For this ceremony, both families each hire an alaga (a go between). These women perform the tasks of the ceremony. They basically officiate as they run the show, tell us when to come in, when to sing and dance, when the bride price is to be brought and how, the gifts, the entrance of the bride, the entrance of the groom, etc. There is a custom to how everything, including how the groom greets his future in laws, is done. There is a lot of singing and dancing, and most especially praying. The families exchange information, and formalities; and then the groom is ushered in, dancing, with his friends and family to where the bride’s parents and family are seated. Everyone kneels (women) or prostrates (men), and do not get up until the bride’s family gives permission. The bride comes in next with the same retinue of friends and family, and dances first to her parents and then to her future in laws. After prayers for a
fruitful marriage, she has to dance to where the groom is sitting and place his fila (cap) on his head. This is the official end of this whole ceremony, however, partying continued until late into the night, with the couple changing into another set of outfits. The next day is the church wedding (religious ceremony). In this case they opted to have the ceremony in a garden with the reception straight afterwards, rather than go to a church and then to another reception venue. There were only about 200-300 people at this ceremony. It’s not much different to what you would have in a typical western church and reception wedding; except, again as with a lot of things in Nigeria, it is very formal. There is a Master of Ceremony, Mother of the day, a Chairman of the day, even someone who had to officiate over the cake cutting. The bride wore a bridal
gown with all the trappings and the groom and his groomsmen wore suits. Most of the guests were in traditional Nigerian attire. The bride’s family and friends were in green and the groom’s in blue and silver. There was plenty to eat and drink, a live band, a DJ and even a comedian. As a child, I attended many weddings, but one does not pay attention to these details, and it wasn’t until I attended this and was involved in all the preparations that I understood what all the ceremonies involve. In spite of all these ceremonies, my cousin and his wife still had to go to a registry in order to be legally married. Submitted by Linda Oseragbaje
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Africa: Something Different Saturday, January 16th, 2016 Puebla, Mexico
“You
are being transferred to Luanda, Angola (2014-2016)”.
“What? Where? How? Is the company crazy? Do they really think we are moving there? What are we going to do?” Diseases, poverty, remoteness and a thousand questions invaded our minds instantly. When we talk about Africa, we are referring to an enormous continent, 54 multiethnic countries, with political and social complexities we could yet not understand. We talk about 30 million squared kilometers of diverse ecosystems and more than 1,000 million habitants in them. More than 2,000 dialects distributed along the continent in which there a million ways to interpret life.
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My personal involvement of living in Luanda has been one of the greatest and most beneficial experiences in SLB. It has been heavy, defying and yet immensely gratifying for my family and me. The reasons why we took the decision of moving there were: first, my husband’s eternal adventurous spirit, he loves traveling and discovering; second, to learn and serve others; and third, to get to know a new culture as different as we could imagine. Believe me, living in Luanda has been a unique experience, anyone that has ever been there can definitely tell you this. You find yourself in a place where hospitals lack resources and death is just another casual every day thing. Of course in our case with the company, things completely changed and we had almost everything to our disposition, everything that was necessary. It is a place where drinking water becomes a privilege for those who can afford it. A place where electricity comes and goes at its own pace and a place where trash and contamination is just everywhere. However, behind all of that there is people who are happy, humble and calm; who live with an intense hope of living a better day. Living in Luanda has its rewards: my 3 daughters Sophia, Maria Andrea and Ana LucĂa were able to assist to Luanda International School where the cultural diversity was incredible like no other. To my experience this school was fantastic, my daughters were the happiest they have ever been, they still hold on to unforgettable memories and friendships they would have never thought to have.
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Also, living there gave us the opportunity to travel to nearby countries so that we could really admire the wonders of nature with delightful landscapes.
Another important point is that we were able to enjoy a free and safe environment in our compound. Where children could go out play, and I could run everyday in the morning feeling that hot weather that I like so much. That my daughter Sophia could appreciate being with her friends, something she had not been able to do in another country. Also to be able to participate in a Mexican community, who would have thought? We could contribute with a little bit of our culture to others and vice versa. Unquestionably, I would repeat an experience like this one anytime. Alejandra L贸pez de Cisneros
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All the beautiful pictures in this article were submitted by Alejandra L贸pez de Cisneros
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Pointe Noire, Congo Every month, SSA Pointe Noire holds a coffee morning hosted by a volunteer member. Coffee morning are also used to welcome new members.
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Pointe Noire, Congo
Ladies' night out… On special occasions such as Women’s Day, we will organize a night out for ladies.
Other Chapter News General Recently the Pointe Noire Chapter has seen many changes in the board organization with the departure of many members who either left the company or got transferred.
Charity Activities Every year, the Pointe Noire Chapter organizes a charity day. For 2015 a charity was organized at two maternity centers in Pointe-Noire: Marie Louise Mousoulou and Maternity of Mpita. Baby needs and foods were distributed. A personal fundraising was organized to collect the required funds. On March 8, 2016, on the occasion of Women’s Day, the SSA Pointe Noire is planning a visit to the Mona Village Orphanage, where we are planning to make a cash donation to support the activities of the Orphanage. The donation will come from personal fundraising.
Area News Presidential Elections will take place in March 2016 in the Republic of Congo.
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Pointe Noire, Congo Kids activities Painting for Mother’s Day
Kids enjoying the Christmas party...
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Pointe Noire, Congo
...As well as adults!!!
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The Expatriate Spouse Bubble By Marcey Heschel, SSA Kuala Lumpur The Expatriate Spouse Bubble: There is a common misconception that being an expatriate spouse is anything but stressful. Because of the social media craze, friends and family at home see the pictures of exotic locations and global adventures accompanied by maids and drivers, weekly datenights, lavish lunches and shopping excursions. People often post about the things in their lives that give them joy, as these are more pleasant images for others to view and somehow frame our lives with. The reality is, however, that the struggles and stressors associated with expatriate life and international relocation are exceedingly difficult and often overlooked and not discussed. In fact, many expat spouses attend coffee mornings and mom’s groups regularly and become somewhat professional at asking and answering repetitive and monotonous questions such as “Where are you from?”, “What business is your spouse in?”, “Where are your kids going to school?” and “Where are you living?”
It would certainly be shocking if, when asking the usual “How are you enjoying this new move and country?” a new acquaintance responded with “You know what, it’s bloody hard, and I’m struggling. The kids are struggling, my husband and I are arguing because he’s barely ever home, I hate the food, I don’t trust the helper, I’m scared to death driving here, and we might be moved again next month, and how are YOU doing!!!??” I’m sure we can all laugh at envisioning this because it would be a far cry from the “acceptable” and “expected” response of “Oh it’s great here overall, such beautiful weather and friendly people, and how are you enjoying it?” Getting Real about Expatriate Stress: International relocation can be extremely stress provoking for most people as they have yet to establish the resources to cope. How well you adjust is directly related to stress. The better your resources to cope, the less stress you feel, and the better adjusted you and your family become. The opposite is also true in that when you
haven’t attained the resources to cope, the more stressed you feel and the more poorly adjusted you and your family are at that time. The goal then for any newly expatriated family is to attempt to acquire the resources needed to cope healthily and adequately with the stress accompanying an overseas assignment. This will help to ensure better adjustment for the expatriate and the family. Research suggests that expatriates and spouses have a higher overall risk for mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, sleep issues, traumatic stress, suicide, impulse control, and substance abuse to name but a few. Quite simply: Not having the resources to healthily cope can cause all sorts of mental health and physical health issues. Cope with What? Although the exact relocation stressors differ from person to person or family to family, they typically involve cultural adaptation, interacting with others, and specific work assignment issues.
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Cultural stressors involve general living conditions, local food, child care, health care, schooling, transportation, service, shopping, and language or communication issues.
complex and difficult, and we may start to wonder why, if the stress is so pervasive for us, we aren’t talking about it more.
opening up to one another at our Schlumberger coffee mornings and discussing some of the issues we have with adjusting. I myself am a Canadian therapist and The Resources to Cope? expatriate spouse living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Due to my Interaction with others involves First of all, we need to get husband’s career with dealing with other expatriates, honest. Support is the Schlumberger, we have been making friends, learning social fundamental component of away from Canada for 4+ years. norms of others, finding shared healthy adjustment. Studies Over the last few months, I have interests, opening up to people, suggest that strong and stable had the incredible opportunity to and joining groups. relationships are the most start up an Expatriate Support important adjustment factor Group to help in my cause of Work stress involves adapting to during an international assisting expatriates find the the new role, long hours, assignment. This indicates that resources to cope and adjust measuring performance and the marriage itself is a massive with relocation. My message is success in the role, spousal resource to nurture when simple! Let’s start talking about impact of the new role, meeting relocating. Relying on one our stressors, normalizing them, new management, and ultimately another, communicating, and and helping one another cope if job security. learning to empathize and only simply by lending an support each other can make the empathetic ear. Accompanying these broad difference in how well your family categories is also the emotional adjusts. If the marriage is stress of missing family and struggling, the stress will be friends, saying hello and goodbye paramount and the adjustment every few years, and experiencing will be exceedingly difficult. It’s feelings of having multiple homes important to get help and seek but oddly not feeling like the professional counseling if needed country of origin is home in order to protect this valuable anymore. The non-working resource when relocating. spouse may also find a great deal of stress involved in leaving Support also comes from behind a career or feeling defined reaching out and finding new by the working spouse’s career. friends. Perhaps opening up and The term “trailing spouse” can starting to talk about the feel subordinating and oppressive difficulties of adjusting could help to some. It also often not only you but others as well. accompanies the misconception that being an expatriate spouse is Let’s break the STIGMA! nothing but champagne and beach Marcey is a Canadian SSA member living in Malaysia. holidays. So if we compound all of Expatriate life is certainly a She graduated from the University of Alberta with a these possible stressors, we start balance of excitement, adventure, Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and English. She completed her Masters Degree in Counseling at the to see that expatriate life is stress and sorrow. Let’s start University of Texas of the Permian Basin.
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HSE Lower Back Pain Campaign Muriel Barnier shared with us three articles from the Lower Back Pain Campaign by Dr. Alex Barbey, International Health Coordinator; Dr. Gerald Cauchi, IPM & Western Geco International Health Advisor; and Jen MacNeil, NAM Senior Injury Prevention Kinesiologist; in conjunction with HelbĂŠ, Graphic Artist. We hope they will be useful to you for preventing lower back injuries.
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SSA Dubai HSE Events Texts by Pramila Pinto, SSA HSE Coordinator and HSE for Youth (L3) Trainer Pictures HSE for Youth by Hanh Josephine, SSA Dubai Member Pictures Road Safety Campaign by Nanees Afiffy, SSA Dubai Clubs Coordinator
A
SSA Dubai and HSE for Youth Workshop
successful event to mark the SSA Dubai calendar for the year 2015 was the HSE workshop held for the youth aged 8 – 14 years. Schlumberger HSE supported SSA
Dubai by giving them an opportunity to train any three SSA members to become L3 certified. The training workshop covered two very important topics “Internet Safety” and “Stranger Danger”. This was held in SLB Abu Dhabi’s Training centre and was indeed a very gratifying opportunity for our members. The trainees also assisted the SLB HSE team to conduct two workshops during the course of their training. One workshop was held in Dubai, targeting Internet safety, and the second one was held in Abu Dhabi, focusing on Road Safety. We are very grateful to Kamel Boudjebla, Dubai HSE Manager and the trainers who contributed their valuable time towards this workshop, especially Farida Oraikat from Kuwait, Marceline Pinto from Dubai and Maggie Makiko, SSA HSE Coordinator from Dubai. We are also obliged to our very own SSA members Nanees Affify, Zeheivy Espinola who volunteered for the training and assisted at the workshop. Also, a special appreciation for the SSA ladies who helped during the event.
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SSA Dubai and HSE for Youth Workshop The Dubai workshop was a huge success. The teens’ awareness about Internet safety increased substantially. We covered all topics regarding Internet safety in a fun and interactive manner using videos and flipcharts. The kids expressed their views, opinions, knowledge and ideas about the benefits and dangers of Internet usage and understood the pros and cons of different situations they could face. Such information brings value to a child's thinking process and can benefit them in the future. These trainings guide them in becoming aware of such circumstance. It also helps them to be more responsible and vigilant in how they operate online.
“Stranger Danger� was the topic of discussion amongst the preteen groups. It was very important to discuss this as 8 years to 11 years is the age when children start to perceive the difference between right and wrong. Young kids are very vulnerable to sweet strangers. They can manipulate children by luring them with items they find attractive like chocolates and toys. It is this behavior that has led to an increase in kidnappings over the last few years. We wanted children to understand the difference between friend and foe. During our workshop, we tried to help them understand through various scenario-based activities how to be more independent in making the right decisions, becoming more confident and alert in situations of danger, and as I personally took part in the event I noticed how much the children were enthusiastically involved and focused.
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SSA Dubai and HSE for Youth Workshop
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SSA Dubai and HSE for Youth Workshop
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SSA Dubai and HSE DriveSMARRT SSA Dubai arranged an event featuring HSE DriveSMARRT for its members. It refreshed many of the seasoned drivers of situations, and circumstances that we sometimes neglect while we drive. The dangerous effects of our negligence are very brutal and can also lead to serious injury. This training helped us go over errors that we commonly make while driving, like texting, eating, scolding our children, etc. We discussed common mistakes we make and their drawbacks. We really benefited from this event as it made many of us rethink on the way we drive.
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SSA Dubai and HSE DriveSMARRT
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The Wayfarer has come full circle for me. My very first edition was dedicated to Latin America. I’m excited to see what the Chapters in the Area will be sharing with us one year later! Tell us what you’re up to! Why not give us a little Spanish lesson? Or share with the world delicious recipes that we can all enjoy? Please send your contributions to ssa-communications@slb.com And remember you can send contributions from anywhere in the world! We focus on one area, but are happy to read what other Areas are up to. THANKS AGAIN.
Elsa
A publication for the SSA Global Community
SSA MISSION STATEMENT The Schlumberger Spouses Association (SSA) is a global, voluntary, social organization for all spouses and partners of Schlumberger employees. We aim to create and maintain a welcoming and supportive environment for all members and their families. The SSA fosters fellowship through ongoing social events and community involvement.
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/ SSAGlobalCommunity/ Come and join the SSA Global Community on Facebook! If you’re still waiting for approval, send an email to ssa-communications@slb.com with your Chapter, spouse name and segment, and we’ll make sure to approve your request ASAP