Cell #2 Leadership Visits Project Barrios

Silvia and Paco visited Puerto Barrios last week. Silvia is the TESACO (MSF lingo for Barcelona high-honcho) for MSF-Espana, celula #2. She started as a lowly field doctor, just like me. On subsequent missions she moved up in responsibility, from field coordinator, to medical coordinator, to technical advisor for cell # 2.

Cell # 2 runs MSF-Espana missions in Guatemala, Ecuador, Congo, India, Bolivia, and Columbia. Paco is in charge of finances for the cell. Cell # 2, I should note, is the shining star of MSF-Espana. Once you work in cell # 2, it´s hard to go anywhere else. And I landed here on my first mission!

We met with Silvia, Paco, and Regina, the Guatemala country coordinator, last week to discuss the work we need to do before the project closes next year. Pic above left shows Silvia (in white sweater) working on computer in between Regina (in yellow) and Nuria (in black).

Visitors from the Capitol or Barcelona headquarters stay in our house when they visit the field. Pic at right shows our team hanging out with Regina (in pink), Paco (in black shirt, second from left) and Silvia (on sofa in white). Notable difference from my old job--I would not want to hang out with my boss´s boss´s boss in NYC, much less see him/her on my way to the bathroom in the morning.