My Cameroonian Digs

I haven't decided if I'm going to just continue with the picture fest that I began last blog update or whether I will also culture you a bit...

For starters, welcome to my home in Teacher's Quarter within Chaikain's compound. The first two photos are a sampling of the intensity of the rains during rainy season, a view from the front door and a view from the back door.




The next series of photos are the interior of my house!










The last two photos are my section of house from the driveway and then the entire structure with my Francophone neighbors' digs on the right.




Is it what you thought? It's no mud hut in the middle of nowhere, I'll tell you that, and you've seen for yourself. There is electricity (locally known as "current") and running water 95% of the time. It's more than I deem necessary for this experience, but am at least glad that I had more of a "village experience" during my training. Although I'm loving having internet and being able to watch tv shows or movies at night, I think I'd prefer running water to electricity. Then again, not having running water really allows for water conservation more than anything. I've learned, now that's it is rainy season, to use the rain water to clean my floors, my clothes, and occasionally my dishes and have been a conservationist when it comes to taking my showers. I only allow the water to run to wet my hair and my body and then to wash the soap off.

In closing, work has been a bit frustrating lately, the first time over the past almost 6 months at post. I was trying to secure the following "projects" until leaving for the US (some of them continuing once I return, as well):

~ Monthly Diabetes Clinic (slowly I am working with the involved parties to help it run more efficiently)

~ Assisting BFF with various projects that they want to carry out in the community, surrounding family planning and orphans' and widows' rights

~ A 1 week camp (in mid-June) with the other Northwest volunteers at an orphanage, touching upon health topics, sports, dance, arts & crafts, computer science, and agroforestry/farming topics

~ Weekly nutrition office hours (10 am - 2pm on Tuesdays) at the Fundong District Hospital which has not caught on so well and feels like a waste of my time (but I keep telling myself...patience, patience and how else can I go about making this better)

~ Choose A Future course for adolescent girls aged 12-20 years, which will be both leadership and empowerment focused, that I am hoping to begin this Thursday, for each Monday and Thursday until I leave for the US. Unfortunately though, the principals of whom I've asked to select the students and write them recommendations have failed to budge and I'm frustrated as to how to proceed...

I'm hoping this is only a fleeting period of feeling frustrated and that things fall into place.

Hoping all is well with you! Keep in touch, give me an update, and take care!

Until next time,

Stef

You Want to See Pictures, Do You?

Happy May Day, well actually Labor Day here in Cameroon - seemingly a much grander celebration than our Labor Day in the U.S.

This blog update is going to be more pictures and less words - a big change as compared with all of my past postings (sorry they're so wordy).

Firstly, I wanted to let you know that I have booked my trip home to the U.S. this summer and my itinerary is as follows:

July 30th - Leave Douala, Cameroon
July 31st - Arrive in Newark, New Jersey
August 7th - Drive to Pittsburgh
August 13th - Fly to San Francisco
August 20th - Fly back to Douala, Cameroon

I will be a part of two weddings, one in New Jersey and one in Pittsburgh :) and am looking forward to spending time with as many people as possible in my three destinations!

Secondly, I have created a website (thanks to my cousin Mitch) to announce the collection of school supplies for a high school in my area. I hope you will check it out and decide to participate! Please spread the word to your friends and family as well, the more people who can help, the better! After my trip to the US, I will be bringing the collected items back with me to Cameroon to be distributed at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

http://www.pencilsforpikins.com

Okay, onto the pictures so that you can more easily picture my life here!

Meet some of my neighbors, within the compound in which I live:


Niya and Petra were dancing to Christina Aguilera in my parlor. They're good hip shakers!


Joyce and Nine are busy making Chin Chin (fried semi-sweet dough), a process that I often help them with. The Chin Chin is sold all throughout Fundong-it's delicious!


My Fulani neighbors, Sadatu, Bassi, Mikailu, and Amena eating sugarcane as all the locals do so well!


My francophone neighbors who I share a common wall with: Francois and Peggy and their children Cabrille ("Cabi" - about the same age as Chasin) and Joeskin ("Joe")


My wonderful neighbors, Carine (French teacher at GHS Aduk) and Peter (Principal of GHS Aduk) on our 17 km trek to Aduk!


Simon (my counterpart), me, and Rose (Simon's wife) at Lake Nyos, on a weekend trip to Wum.


My dad's visit to Fundong was wonderful, even though there were not enough meals in a day with which to welcome him. These are the members of Better Family Foundation after a welcome dinner for my dad, at my house.

On another note, for your understanding with regards to work and projects here in the Peace Corps, when we replace volunteers it is our decision as to whether or not to continue the work they had been doing. I believe it is very important for volunteers to be working on sustainability of projects towards the end of their service since often times the next volunteer has other interests and does not end up continuing their efforts. I have included this side note because I have received questions from some of you about this notion and I wanted to (hopefully) clarify "how things work" in Peace Corps.

And lastly, I will leave you with this disturbing remark made by a Fundong community member. Recently I have been helping the members of Better Family Foundation (http://wwww.betterfamilyfoundation.org) to seek funding from elites, local community members and local organizations within Boyo Division. One of the individuals who was approached for support in cash or in kind retorted, "organizations like BFF are supposed to help the community and thus members of the community should not help these organizations." That was difficult to hear but then I found out what he was also pointing out was that a "white man" (since all "white people" are rich) was already helping BFF's cause so why would anyone locally see a reason to assist. Clearly he was showing his ignorance towards my reason for being here as well as towards helping out his own community! At the same time, I found out that Tangui water bottles are referred to as the "White Man's Drink," meaning that "we" are too weak to drink local water and can only be served bottled water. Interesting perspectives...


I will leave you with the following sunset when I was in training in Bamena.
The next post will have pictures of my house, inside and out as well as scenes around Fundong!

Take care until next time!

Stef