Yesterday I dug a compost hole. Dad you would be so proud. I think, actually, this is one of the first things a lot of Peace Corps volunteers do when they first get to post, at least the agros. What to do now that I’ve gotten to post? Hmmm. Dig a compost hole. I do feel like I have so much to do though, so much to do, so little time. I know that this will be balanced by times where I have so much time and feel like I have little to do, but at least these first few weeks I’ve felt very busy and very divided, not knowing what to do…work on stuff in the house? Go shopping for stuff for the house? Write? Read and research agroforestry? Study language? Go walking and exploring the community? Go meet people. I’m trying to stay balanced and doing a bit of all, but the days do seem too short.
Yesterday, I made my own lunch, finally. Beautiful. How wonderful to cook for myself, to eat vegetables and lots of them. To cook with butter and not oil. To be able to control what I eat. I have been looking forward to that for a very long time, and I can’t wait to continue stocking my kitchen. I made fried okra with onions and garlic. In about a month, hopefully I’ll have some chickens too…mmm eggs.
It has been good to be able to help with the construction of my house though, especially the first few days. It was really good to 1) have something tangible to do instead of sitting around feeling like I’m in limbo, floating, waiting and 2) to be able to contribute to the house and help move it along, so that hopefully it get’s finished soon. So I helped with hours of painting, and putting in screens in windows, digging holes, etc.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Saturday December, 13th –Mafa language
I have decided today that I am going to have to get a Mafa tutor. While I had planned to only find a Fulfulde tutor and focus on that for the first 3-6 months until it’s more solid before beginning Mafa, I’m realizing that it’s just not practical. 85% of the village or more is Mafa, and while the also understand Fulfulde, all the conversations around me are Mafa. I have no idea what people are saying. This is slightly frustrating as I worry that I won’t get to progress as much in Fulfulde, and I hate the idea of starting from scratch again. I wanted to really leap ahead in Fulfulde at village, so that I became fluent-ish in the first 3 months or so, and when I found out the town was Mafa and not Foulbe, during site visit I was pretty sad, and jealous of the other volunteers placed in Foulbe villages where they were constantly surrounded by Fulfulde. But that’s not the reality. So instead I can look at it optimistically as an opportunity to learn yet another language and dive in with focus and effort. The good thing is that at least the two languages sound really different, so that I don’t think I will get them mixed up in terms of vocabulary. Mafa is very staccato-ish, with a lot of G’s and Z’s so much that I keep thinking it should be Gizigah, another Northern patois. However it could be possible that I cross grammar rules if they’re different, between the two. I just have to locate a Mafa and Fulfulde tutor in village now, perhaps 3 days/week Mafa, 3 days a week Fulfulde. It’s daunting realizing all the vocabulary I’ve learned for Fulfulde, now I will have to relearn…things like lamp and water and well and dog and thank you and how are you. But it can be done, and since it has to be done, I will do it. Language, indeed, is an opening into both a culture and acceptance. As I’ve seen with Fulfulde, if you speak someone’s patois, they are overjoyed and much more welcoming. And in addition, if you know how to say “how are you” they say “oh you know Fulfulde really well!” I try to say, “no no, my Fulfulde is little, it’s little’, and they argue, “no, no you know a lot, you must have been here for years and years”. And I say, “no, 2 months”. And they say, “No it’s not possible”. Ah languages. At least I love them. Even if I’ll have to be dedicating myself to a lot of work for a language I will never use again. Yet, it will be a key to developing relationships here, so of course, worth more than gold. But prayers, prayers, I will accept! J
Fete De Mouton (Dec 8-9)
One of the blessings of my post is that it is only about 30 minutes from Nassarao. And Jessie and Emily and I decided to go back to Nassarao to celebrate Fete de Mouton with our host families. This was made especially easy by the fact that my village is Christian and not many people celebrate it, and also the fact that my house was not finished and I had nowhere to sleep. So after arriving at post on the 5th, and bringing luggage and so on, checking in on the work being done, I was able to go, while they kept working. Oh what a joy. Emily and I, and Jessie as well to an extent, did not want to leave Nassarao. I would have given anything for that to be my post! It was really really hard for me, and the only reason I could keep it together saying good bye to my family, to the community was knowing I would be back four days later to stay with them and celebrate. So I was so excited to come back.
I had a new outfit for FdM, still had my hair braided and henna from swearing in, and the day consisted of getting to Nas early in the morning, after staying with Stephanie in Garoua the night before (queen of hospitality). We arrived and spent the next 6-7 hours walking around, visiting house to house, taking pictures, and eating, eating, eating. Mom, you would be so ecstatic, so ecstatic, that I ate more meat on those two days than, I think the whole past year or two. Seriously. I walked from my house, to a friends house, who said, come back at such and such time to eat, to Adam’s families house, who said come back at such and such time to eat, and then to another house, where the eating commenced. So it was seven houses in a row of sitting down, being served sheep and rice and other wonderful things and being told Nyamu, Nyamu Nyamu (eat eat eat). And I was so happy. However, by house 6, when I was told Djodu et Nyamu, and the plate brought out to me was the innards of a sheep, I couldn’t take it. I had one bite and then, luckily was saved by having another rendez-vous. (the same thing happened the next day, where by the last house in Garoua, Emily and I were presented with another plate of innards, and she said under her breath to me, “Oh my God I’m seriously going to throw up if I eat one more bite. I can’t do this,” in all seriousness. It was actually very humorous, except for the fact the quantity actually was making us sick.) Wow. So much lamb. And rice. But so much happiness, sitting with families, talking, eating together, taking photos. Such a celebration.
The following evening (after more visiting and eating) Emily, her host brothers and Rebecca’s host brother, Hamadou and I went into Garoua to watch the Fantasia at the lamido’s palace. (The lamido is the traditional regional Muslim leader.)
How I wish I had photos to post, or even better a video, or even better, how I wish you all were there to see. I just sat there and the whole time thought, I wish my family was here to see this, I wish my friends could see this, Here I am in North Cameroon, this is my life, and how I love life here. The fantasia is a traditional ceremony held at the lamido’s house, and consists of men dressed in traditional soldiers clothing, mounted on beautiful horses who race so fast from one end behind the mosque straight up to the lamido seated outside, where they rein up their houses, swearing their allegiance to the lamido, as they did in years past. Then the top 5 most beautiful horses in the town were presented. There was traditional music, and everyone dressed in their finest (have I mentioned how much I adore bu-bus?)
The one thing I didn’t get to do was play soccer with the guys at the field, which I had hoped to do, because my last two weeks I had started playing every soir with the guys, and it was such fun. But the next time I go to Nassarao…
As it is, now FdM is over, and I don’t know when I will be back, but I think both Em and I are hoping to go back maybe once a month or so, to visit. And I feel so blessed, sooo blessed, that I am so close.
I had a new outfit for FdM, still had my hair braided and henna from swearing in, and the day consisted of getting to Nas early in the morning, after staying with Stephanie in Garoua the night before (queen of hospitality). We arrived and spent the next 6-7 hours walking around, visiting house to house, taking pictures, and eating, eating, eating. Mom, you would be so ecstatic, so ecstatic, that I ate more meat on those two days than, I think the whole past year or two. Seriously. I walked from my house, to a friends house, who said, come back at such and such time to eat, to Adam’s families house, who said come back at such and such time to eat, and then to another house, where the eating commenced. So it was seven houses in a row of sitting down, being served sheep and rice and other wonderful things and being told Nyamu, Nyamu Nyamu (eat eat eat). And I was so happy. However, by house 6, when I was told Djodu et Nyamu, and the plate brought out to me was the innards of a sheep, I couldn’t take it. I had one bite and then, luckily was saved by having another rendez-vous. (the same thing happened the next day, where by the last house in Garoua, Emily and I were presented with another plate of innards, and she said under her breath to me, “Oh my God I’m seriously going to throw up if I eat one more bite. I can’t do this,” in all seriousness. It was actually very humorous, except for the fact the quantity actually was making us sick.) Wow. So much lamb. And rice. But so much happiness, sitting with families, talking, eating together, taking photos. Such a celebration.
The following evening (after more visiting and eating) Emily, her host brothers and Rebecca’s host brother, Hamadou and I went into Garoua to watch the Fantasia at the lamido’s palace. (The lamido is the traditional regional Muslim leader.)
How I wish I had photos to post, or even better a video, or even better, how I wish you all were there to see. I just sat there and the whole time thought, I wish my family was here to see this, I wish my friends could see this, Here I am in North Cameroon, this is my life, and how I love life here. The fantasia is a traditional ceremony held at the lamido’s house, and consists of men dressed in traditional soldiers clothing, mounted on beautiful horses who race so fast from one end behind the mosque straight up to the lamido seated outside, where they rein up their houses, swearing their allegiance to the lamido, as they did in years past. Then the top 5 most beautiful horses in the town were presented. There was traditional music, and everyone dressed in their finest (have I mentioned how much I adore bu-bus?)
The one thing I didn’t get to do was play soccer with the guys at the field, which I had hoped to do, because my last two weeks I had started playing every soir with the guys, and it was such fun. But the next time I go to Nassarao…
As it is, now FdM is over, and I don’t know when I will be back, but I think both Em and I are hoping to go back maybe once a month or so, to visit. And I feel so blessed, sooo blessed, that I am so close.
December 4th Swearing in
Swearing in was held in Pitoa on December 4th. It was recorded and apparently on national television, although I haven’t seen it! I wish so much you all could access is somewhere, that it would be on the internet, but don’t think that’s going to happen. I think there is a website connected to the US Embassy website, just for the Grand North Peace Corps, and I’m sure there would be photos on there if you wanted to check it out. The Ambassador came, the Governor of the North, the Prefet of the Benoue district, and many many other officials, all who arrived in a cavalcade of posh cars. Our host families came, which was wonderful, and the ceremony was very enjoyable, at least for me. It was very official and formalized, followed by a meal with our host families at a local bar in Pitoa, which was nice, but ended up being much shorter than I had anticipated, as families tended to leave as soon as the food was finished.
December 17, 2008
Dear all,
I realize I have not posted for so long, and if there’s one thing I’ve heard over and over for missionaries and those serving overseas, it’s that communication with loved ones back home is so vital. You must keep up correspondence with those at home, and not disappear off the face of the planet. However this becomes more and more difficult as life becomes more real here.
That being said, these past two weeks have been very busy! Swearing in was December 4th in Pitoa. Then moving to our posts the day after. I have spent the past few weeks here and there, trying to build a house from nothing, sleeping on various floors each night, as the construction continues on my house. It is about finished now, but not quite. Another round of paint and last touches on the inner wall, will make it a little more livable. And of course getting some furniture. Because I am opening a post, I have a brand new house, yet it is entirely empty of furniture, of pots and pans, of sheets, everything. It has been fun slowly gathering things, deciding what is absolutely crucial, what will come later. While I’m definitely used to roughing it and sleeping on the floor from time to time, camping and such, 7 days of sleeping on concrete floors in Mafa Kilda, Sanguere Paul (where Jessie is posted) and Garoua is starting to do a number on my neck and back, haha, which have been perpetually sore for the past days. I did finally get a cotton mattress, which helps a little. The bed may or may not come next week if I go back to the big Ngong market and find the guy I bargained with last week for a bed! It has been fun though, sometimes a joy, to hunt out every little thing—a ladle, two plates, silverware, cooking pots, commissioning carpenters to build furniture (and being able to design it yourself, as modest as it may be!), buying fabric to sew curtains, a canerie to hold water. This joy and fun is equally balanced by frustrating from time to time, a desire to just have everything done, and be comfortable in a home that is mine. To just have everything in place. It is hard to focus on meeting the community, learning things, going to meetings, studying language and agroforestry when you don’t have a homebase. However, it will come, and all that is necessary is patience, which I am happy to exercise.
While it is hard to feel ready to work when the house and life is so transitional, I have been able to explore my town and surrounding villages, attend meetings and introduce myself and get my face out there. That is certainly what this stage is about, and I do not plan on starting any actual projects with groups until at least February or March. This is highly recommended and I can’t even imagine jumping in to try to start something before you truly know the community, know needs and desires of the community, know who is good to work with, who is trustworthy and passionate about work, and have gained the trust of the community. More and more, since I have arrived in Mafa Kilda I am struck by how short 2 years is. (Especially setting up a house from nothing) It’s so little time, so little time. Only two growing seasons, you get to know the community, it becomes home, you start doing real work, and then 2 years is up.
I have been reading some masters thesis from a French school that has done research in Mafa Kilda, and thinking about how they were only here for 3 months and are attempting to explain the agriculture system of the North of Cameroon, and describing the social structure of the village, how can you possibly understand such things after only 3 months. It makes me think a little differently about such field research for graduate school too. Two years is too short itself.
But I apologize for not being up on correspondence during these past few weeks. And with that transistion, I realize I missed the window even for Christmas cards. It doesn’t help that it still feels like summer, and not at all like Christmas, and won’t feel like Christmas when it actually arrives! But I know I have also missed some birthdays of some very dear friends, and I was hoping to stay up on writing. Just didn’t happen with the moving. Aggh! But Cat, Natalia, Diana, happy birthday! I love you. Also have been very frustrated with the fact that there is no real reso for cell phones at my village, and I haven’t talked to my family for 2 weeks. It’s too long! But I love you all, and am still doing well, and will do better at the correspondence once settling in and routine arrives!
I realize I have not posted for so long, and if there’s one thing I’ve heard over and over for missionaries and those serving overseas, it’s that communication with loved ones back home is so vital. You must keep up correspondence with those at home, and not disappear off the face of the planet. However this becomes more and more difficult as life becomes more real here.
That being said, these past two weeks have been very busy! Swearing in was December 4th in Pitoa. Then moving to our posts the day after. I have spent the past few weeks here and there, trying to build a house from nothing, sleeping on various floors each night, as the construction continues on my house. It is about finished now, but not quite. Another round of paint and last touches on the inner wall, will make it a little more livable. And of course getting some furniture. Because I am opening a post, I have a brand new house, yet it is entirely empty of furniture, of pots and pans, of sheets, everything. It has been fun slowly gathering things, deciding what is absolutely crucial, what will come later. While I’m definitely used to roughing it and sleeping on the floor from time to time, camping and such, 7 days of sleeping on concrete floors in Mafa Kilda, Sanguere Paul (where Jessie is posted) and Garoua is starting to do a number on my neck and back, haha, which have been perpetually sore for the past days. I did finally get a cotton mattress, which helps a little. The bed may or may not come next week if I go back to the big Ngong market and find the guy I bargained with last week for a bed! It has been fun though, sometimes a joy, to hunt out every little thing—a ladle, two plates, silverware, cooking pots, commissioning carpenters to build furniture (and being able to design it yourself, as modest as it may be!), buying fabric to sew curtains, a canerie to hold water. This joy and fun is equally balanced by frustrating from time to time, a desire to just have everything done, and be comfortable in a home that is mine. To just have everything in place. It is hard to focus on meeting the community, learning things, going to meetings, studying language and agroforestry when you don’t have a homebase. However, it will come, and all that is necessary is patience, which I am happy to exercise.
While it is hard to feel ready to work when the house and life is so transitional, I have been able to explore my town and surrounding villages, attend meetings and introduce myself and get my face out there. That is certainly what this stage is about, and I do not plan on starting any actual projects with groups until at least February or March. This is highly recommended and I can’t even imagine jumping in to try to start something before you truly know the community, know needs and desires of the community, know who is good to work with, who is trustworthy and passionate about work, and have gained the trust of the community. More and more, since I have arrived in Mafa Kilda I am struck by how short 2 years is. (Especially setting up a house from nothing) It’s so little time, so little time. Only two growing seasons, you get to know the community, it becomes home, you start doing real work, and then 2 years is up.
I have been reading some masters thesis from a French school that has done research in Mafa Kilda, and thinking about how they were only here for 3 months and are attempting to explain the agriculture system of the North of Cameroon, and describing the social structure of the village, how can you possibly understand such things after only 3 months. It makes me think a little differently about such field research for graduate school too. Two years is too short itself.
But I apologize for not being up on correspondence during these past few weeks. And with that transistion, I realize I missed the window even for Christmas cards. It doesn’t help that it still feels like summer, and not at all like Christmas, and won’t feel like Christmas when it actually arrives! But I know I have also missed some birthdays of some very dear friends, and I was hoping to stay up on writing. Just didn’t happen with the moving. Aggh! But Cat, Natalia, Diana, happy birthday! I love you. Also have been very frustrated with the fact that there is no real reso for cell phones at my village, and I haven’t talked to my family for 2 weeks. It’s too long! But I love you all, and am still doing well, and will do better at the correspondence once settling in and routine arrives!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving
Today is Thanksgiving, and I hope that all of you reading this have a wonderful day, full of loved ones and gratefulness! We are all together in Garoua preparing a massive feast. It won't be filled with Turkey, but there are chickens (for all the non-vegetarians), stuffing, stuffed tomatoes, deviled eggs, and some other African delicacies, such as fresh pineapples. The chickens are being roasted over a fire. It still, of course doesn't feel so much like Thanksgiving, because of the weather, so it feels more like a celebration of another sorts, maybe for the close of training/stage. It's hard to believe it's been below freezing in the states. Stephen here has commenced the playing of Christmas music on the computer though, so I guess that's the same! I love you guys and miss you.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Soccer Game--Jeff you'll enjoy this one....
Sunday we went to a soccer game in Garoua. It was the final (second game) of Africa's equivalent to the Champions League in Europe. Garoua has the best team in Cameroon, called Cotton Sport (supported by SODECOTON), and thus they made it to the championship for the Afrian Cup (I think). They were playing against Cairo/Egypt. The first game was in Cairo, and the way the championship works is that it there is an away and home game. So the first game in Cairo ended as 2-0 Cairo, meaning that for Garoua to win, they needed at least 3 more goals than Cairo. It was a big game. I felt so blessed to get to be there! So many different things from stadiums in the states. No lights, so all games have to be played in the day (heralding back to William and Mary football games pre 2005?). The seats were cement, soooo hot, so you bring along a thick book to sit on. And then something to shade you. I rested my bottle of water on next to me in the shade, but after 10 minutes, the heat of the cement warms it up to bathwater temperature. But even warm water is good, when you're thirsty. It was so crowded, the crowd 95% men at least, and we stood out a bit, not only because we were the only non-African looking ones in our section, but also because we were sporting bright yellow t shirts that MTN (phone company here) gave us, so that there'd be a patch of yellow in the stadium.
There was a little bit of waiting before the game started, and then many officials arrived, including the countries Prime Minister (second below Paul Biya); all the officials arrived in nice cars that sped around the track surrounding the field. Quite an entrance!
The game itself was very exciting and full of energy: I think Garoua went up 1-0 and then Cairo scored, and then Garoua again but finally a PK given to Cairo sealed the deal at 2-2 near the end of the second half. So Cairo took the cup. My favorite guy was a crazy Cameroonian who ran around with a wand of cotton like a baton, cheering and running up and down the stands. Michael also had a moment ofame. We wanted to start the wave, so we did it as a small section of trainees, but wanted to get the rest of the fans involved. So Mike got down and ran to the end of our section, shouting in broken French "Est-ce que vous etes Pretes? Ou nous pouvons." But the third attempt it made it all the around the stadium. It was amazing and all the Cameroonians in our section were way enthousiastic and loved Mike. He kept sitting down to take a rest and they would tell him to get up again and start the wave again. He ended up on national television too.
It was so interesting watching the players, imagining their lives, seeing the Egyptians and thinking about how they traveled across the continent to play here, how they're lives in Cairo are completely different, and how I wanted to go there so much last year (and still do!) to work. Lives are so different and transect in so many ways. It's something. But I was really happy to be there.
I happen to have started reading "How Soccer Explains the World: an unlikely theory of globalization," which is pretty fun too. It's nice to be in such a soccer-crazed country.
There was a little bit of waiting before the game started, and then many officials arrived, including the countries Prime Minister (second below Paul Biya); all the officials arrived in nice cars that sped around the track surrounding the field. Quite an entrance!
The game itself was very exciting and full of energy: I think Garoua went up 1-0 and then Cairo scored, and then Garoua again but finally a PK given to Cairo sealed the deal at 2-2 near the end of the second half. So Cairo took the cup. My favorite guy was a crazy Cameroonian who ran around with a wand of cotton like a baton, cheering and running up and down the stands. Michael also had a moment ofame. We wanted to start the wave, so we did it as a small section of trainees, but wanted to get the rest of the fans involved. So Mike got down and ran to the end of our section, shouting in broken French "Est-ce que vous etes Pretes? Ou nous pouvons." But the third attempt it made it all the around the stadium. It was amazing and all the Cameroonians in our section were way enthousiastic and loved Mike. He kept sitting down to take a rest and they would tell him to get up again and start the wave again. He ended up on national television too.
It was so interesting watching the players, imagining their lives, seeing the Egyptians and thinking about how they traveled across the continent to play here, how they're lives in Cairo are completely different, and how I wanted to go there so much last year (and still do!) to work. Lives are so different and transect in so many ways. It's something. But I was really happy to be there.
I happen to have started reading "How Soccer Explains the World: an unlikely theory of globalization," which is pretty fun too. It's nice to be in such a soccer-crazed country.
November 7th, Friday--Francoise Mbango
Today we saw Francoise Mbango at the post office. Actually it wasn't as "everyday" as that. Jessie and I were walking to open up post office boxes and as we approached the post office. In front were tents, a stage, and music playing. As we got nearer, there werw signs saying "Bienvenue a Garoua, Francoises Mbango" et "Elle vaut de l'or".
Francoise is an Olympica athelete from Cameroon, in track and field. She won the gold medal in triple jump in 2004 and again this year in 2008. I didn't get to see her winning jump on TV this year but I think I remember my dad telling me abuot her, and also my friend Kailee emailing me a news article when she got the gold medal, saying "yay cameroon!"
So Jessie and I decided to stay, and Mike joined up with us. In typical African fashion, she was supposed to arrive around 1:00pm. We got there around 1:30 and I think it wasn't till 2:30 perhaps that she finallly rolled up, with the Governor. Meanwhile, everyone waited, as the grands slowly trickled in and live music played, and cold drinks were served (yes, cold drinks, what privilege).
The reason for her appearance was that she was doing a country-wide tour, which started in October 15. going till Nov 15, to talk to kids and present her medals. I'm not sure which province she was from, but she mentioned in her speech that one of her first meets or championships was in Garoua, so that's where she got her track start.
There were many school groups there and it was nice to see them all get a chance to see and listen to an Olympic athelet and to see such pride in her being Cameroonian. The lamido mentioned, that if anyone happens to break her record in the future, may they also be a young Cameroonian. After speeches form the grands, she gave a small speech and walked around shaking some hands. I really liked her. Jessie and I were feet from her but couldn't bring ourselves to push through. There was more music of course, and dancing.
We both agreed that it was such fantastic luck to run into that, that it was well worth the wait, and that was the closest we had ever been to an Olympic athelet. The music on the other hand, was another story, and you'll have to ask me about that later!
Francoise is an Olympica athelete from Cameroon, in track and field. She won the gold medal in triple jump in 2004 and again this year in 2008. I didn't get to see her winning jump on TV this year but I think I remember my dad telling me abuot her, and also my friend Kailee emailing me a news article when she got the gold medal, saying "yay cameroon!"
So Jessie and I decided to stay, and Mike joined up with us. In typical African fashion, she was supposed to arrive around 1:00pm. We got there around 1:30 and I think it wasn't till 2:30 perhaps that she finallly rolled up, with the Governor. Meanwhile, everyone waited, as the grands slowly trickled in and live music played, and cold drinks were served (yes, cold drinks, what privilege).
The reason for her appearance was that she was doing a country-wide tour, which started in October 15. going till Nov 15, to talk to kids and present her medals. I'm not sure which province she was from, but she mentioned in her speech that one of her first meets or championships was in Garoua, so that's where she got her track start.
There were many school groups there and it was nice to see them all get a chance to see and listen to an Olympic athelet and to see such pride in her being Cameroonian. The lamido mentioned, that if anyone happens to break her record in the future, may they also be a young Cameroonian. After speeches form the grands, she gave a small speech and walked around shaking some hands. I really liked her. Jessie and I were feet from her but couldn't bring ourselves to push through. There was more music of course, and dancing.
We both agreed that it was such fantastic luck to run into that, that it was well worth the wait, and that was the closest we had ever been to an Olympic athelet. The music on the other hand, was another story, and you'll have to ask me about that later!
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Health Agroforestry Combination
Agro and Health volunteers go through stage/training together, while Ed and SED (small enterprise development) volunteers have their training combined in June/April (I believe) here in PC Cameroon. This combination is particularly relevent for us, as there are many joint projects and overlapping of sectors between Agro and Health workers, three of which I will highlight.
Moringa
Moringa oliefera is a multipurpse tree that grows here. It does not grow very fast necessarily, or very big, however the leaves are edible and people here make a sauce out of the leaves to eat with couscous, which is delicious. The leaves themselves are very nutritious, containing high levels of protein, calcium, and potassium. In addition, the powder of ground up moringa seeds can be used to purify water.Thus it is a tree that is promoted for nutrition and agroforestry. Because it is a slight and delicate tree, people can be encouraged to plant one in their concession, where it won't take up much space, and will be readily available for cooking needs. It also coppices fairly well, meaning it can be cut off to a smaller height and regrow from there, growing more outward instead of too tall, making leaves easier to harvest. Other projects have worked to promote it at health centers. In health centers and hospitals here, including the big hospital in Garoua, when someone is sick and staying in the hospital, they have a bed, and care, however no food is provided. Family members come and stay outside, setting up cap, to cook for their sick one, and stay with them. Thus promoting moringa at health centers means you have a ready audience of people to learn about the benefits (complemented by classes or animations), you can use open space to demonstrate the trees, and families who are there can use the trees for their cooking during the hospital stay.
One interesting thing is that culturally, most Muslim families do have a moringa tree in their concession, but not a lot of Christian families, just due to traditional cooking. So introduction to Haako Kona (Moringa sauce) might be successful in non-Muslim cartiers.
Fruit Trees
Similarly, is the promotion of fruit trees, both at health centers and in family concessions, for the same reasons of nutrition, as eating more fruit can greatly improved the vitamin deficiency in a lot of children here. (In addition, growing fruit tends to be a pretty lucrative endeavor, as once the tree is grown, the inputs are few and the amount of fruit produced exceeds what is eaten, and excess can be sold) People keep their water here in great big ceramic urns. An ingenious container for water in hot places--as water evaporates from the "canerie" the temperature and water inside is chilled. Indeed, it is the refrigerator for volunteers without electricity, because you can stick food in plastic bags and throw them in the water and they will stay much colder! As it is though, a lot of water does leak out. So a simple thing is to encourage people to plant a tree right next to their canerie...a fruit tree or moringa perhaps. (Papayas grow and start producing in 2 years, and their root systems are not extensive, so they can grow right in a small concession) That way, you don't even have to water your tree as it grows. The lost water from the canerie does it. I'm planning on planting a papaya next to my canerie as soon as I get to post, and also some moringa in the concession as well.
Soy
Nutrition again, mixed with agriculture. As agroforesters, our aim is two fold: to get people to plant trees (for all sorts of needs--reforestation, amelioration of the soil, fruit, economic benefit, anti-erosion, etc) and also to improve the environment/soil and agriculture. Soy is a legume meaning that it fixes nitrogen back into the soil. Where other crops, like corn, millet, and above all, cotton, take a lot of nutrients out of the soil and tire it out, soy, peanuts, beans, all work to improve the soil. Thus we like to promote it as another alternative crop. Simultaneously, adding a little soy to diets here can go a long way to improve nutrition, especially for children. Sarah and Ryan, two previous Health and Agro workers in Bibemi, had a nice successful program, promoting soy on the equal parts of farmers and mothers. Ryan worked to promote it to farmers, talking about the benefit to their land, etc, and Sarah worked to promote it to mothers, encouraging them to put a little in "Bouille" (a flour drink served frequently) or other sauces to give a little more protein. Thus they created the market for it by working together. I would love to be involved in such a project...simple but effective.
Water
Finally, there are all issues with water. Water, a necessity for growing trees, here where it rains for 3 months out of the year. Water, which is such an integral part of health, where so many diseases are spread due to lack of good water quality. Working on well projects and education is something almost all health and agro volunteers are involved with at some point.
I think it is a wonderful thing to collaborate across sectors, and hope there will be a Health Volunteer near me at my post.
Moringa
Moringa oliefera is a multipurpse tree that grows here. It does not grow very fast necessarily, or very big, however the leaves are edible and people here make a sauce out of the leaves to eat with couscous, which is delicious. The leaves themselves are very nutritious, containing high levels of protein, calcium, and potassium. In addition, the powder of ground up moringa seeds can be used to purify water.Thus it is a tree that is promoted for nutrition and agroforestry. Because it is a slight and delicate tree, people can be encouraged to plant one in their concession, where it won't take up much space, and will be readily available for cooking needs. It also coppices fairly well, meaning it can be cut off to a smaller height and regrow from there, growing more outward instead of too tall, making leaves easier to harvest. Other projects have worked to promote it at health centers. In health centers and hospitals here, including the big hospital in Garoua, when someone is sick and staying in the hospital, they have a bed, and care, however no food is provided. Family members come and stay outside, setting up cap, to cook for their sick one, and stay with them. Thus promoting moringa at health centers means you have a ready audience of people to learn about the benefits (complemented by classes or animations), you can use open space to demonstrate the trees, and families who are there can use the trees for their cooking during the hospital stay.
One interesting thing is that culturally, most Muslim families do have a moringa tree in their concession, but not a lot of Christian families, just due to traditional cooking. So introduction to Haako Kona (Moringa sauce) might be successful in non-Muslim cartiers.
Fruit Trees
Similarly, is the promotion of fruit trees, both at health centers and in family concessions, for the same reasons of nutrition, as eating more fruit can greatly improved the vitamin deficiency in a lot of children here. (In addition, growing fruit tends to be a pretty lucrative endeavor, as once the tree is grown, the inputs are few and the amount of fruit produced exceeds what is eaten, and excess can be sold) People keep their water here in great big ceramic urns. An ingenious container for water in hot places--as water evaporates from the "canerie" the temperature and water inside is chilled. Indeed, it is the refrigerator for volunteers without electricity, because you can stick food in plastic bags and throw them in the water and they will stay much colder! As it is though, a lot of water does leak out. So a simple thing is to encourage people to plant a tree right next to their canerie...a fruit tree or moringa perhaps. (Papayas grow and start producing in 2 years, and their root systems are not extensive, so they can grow right in a small concession) That way, you don't even have to water your tree as it grows. The lost water from the canerie does it. I'm planning on planting a papaya next to my canerie as soon as I get to post, and also some moringa in the concession as well.
Soy
Nutrition again, mixed with agriculture. As agroforesters, our aim is two fold: to get people to plant trees (for all sorts of needs--reforestation, amelioration of the soil, fruit, economic benefit, anti-erosion, etc) and also to improve the environment/soil and agriculture. Soy is a legume meaning that it fixes nitrogen back into the soil. Where other crops, like corn, millet, and above all, cotton, take a lot of nutrients out of the soil and tire it out, soy, peanuts, beans, all work to improve the soil. Thus we like to promote it as another alternative crop. Simultaneously, adding a little soy to diets here can go a long way to improve nutrition, especially for children. Sarah and Ryan, two previous Health and Agro workers in Bibemi, had a nice successful program, promoting soy on the equal parts of farmers and mothers. Ryan worked to promote it to farmers, talking about the benefit to their land, etc, and Sarah worked to promote it to mothers, encouraging them to put a little in "Bouille" (a flour drink served frequently) or other sauces to give a little more protein. Thus they created the market for it by working together. I would love to be involved in such a project...simple but effective.
Water
Finally, there are all issues with water. Water, a necessity for growing trees, here where it rains for 3 months out of the year. Water, which is such an integral part of health, where so many diseases are spread due to lack of good water quality. Working on well projects and education is something almost all health and agro volunteers are involved with at some point.
I think it is a wonderful thing to collaborate across sectors, and hope there will be a Health Volunteer near me at my post.
phone number
I meant to post earlier that I do indeed have a cell phone number. As I dont want to post it online, if you want to know it (as sending text messages across the ocean seems to work pretty well, as well as calls using a cheap calling card or skype) please send me an email, and ill email it to you. Of course I would loooove to hear from people!!
New posts
Yesterday we received our new posts, and today we met our counterparts.
Counterparts are local Cameroonians, for us in most cases farmers, who live or work in our villages and will be partnering with us in our work. It was certainly an exciting time for all the stageaires, to find out where we will be living for the next two years of our lives! My village is called Mafa-Kilda and is right on the main road between Garoua and Ngoundere, but only 30 km from Garoua. This is so close to Nassarao, where we have been training, which I am happy about, because I look forward to visiting my homestay family, and now will have real means to do so as I wont be far at all. Over half of our group will be posted in the Extreme North, some very close to the border with Nigeria, in the mountains, some near Waza National Park, which should be cool to visit!
I will be opening a post, which means that I will be the first Peace Corps volunteer the community has had and in fact I believe there are six or seven of us opening posts. Peace Corps agroforestry system is set up somewhat to go in an eight year rotation (if needed). A volunteer opens in a communty, and if things go well and the communty wants to continue the work, that volunteer will be replaced after two years. This can continue up to eight years, when, ideally the work is done. Because of course the goal is to work ourselves out of a job. That is to say that the purpose is not to always have volunteers in a community, but to train community members to do the work, to become leaders so the community has no need for volunteers. There are also posts who convert from agroforestry to health, or vice versa, so we have some trainees who will be the first agroforestry volunteer in the community, but not hte first Peace Corps volunteer.
We will be visiting our posts Sunday for the week, to see our houses, meet people and see the communty, set up post office boxes and bank accounts, etc. (While I will get a new mailing address, I can keep the old, and Ill see which one tends to get mail quicker-but dont worry about if you send something to the old one--it will get to me)
Counterparts are local Cameroonians, for us in most cases farmers, who live or work in our villages and will be partnering with us in our work. It was certainly an exciting time for all the stageaires, to find out where we will be living for the next two years of our lives! My village is called Mafa-Kilda and is right on the main road between Garoua and Ngoundere, but only 30 km from Garoua. This is so close to Nassarao, where we have been training, which I am happy about, because I look forward to visiting my homestay family, and now will have real means to do so as I wont be far at all. Over half of our group will be posted in the Extreme North, some very close to the border with Nigeria, in the mountains, some near Waza National Park, which should be cool to visit!
I will be opening a post, which means that I will be the first Peace Corps volunteer the community has had and in fact I believe there are six or seven of us opening posts. Peace Corps agroforestry system is set up somewhat to go in an eight year rotation (if needed). A volunteer opens in a communty, and if things go well and the communty wants to continue the work, that volunteer will be replaced after two years. This can continue up to eight years, when, ideally the work is done. Because of course the goal is to work ourselves out of a job. That is to say that the purpose is not to always have volunteers in a community, but to train community members to do the work, to become leaders so the community has no need for volunteers. There are also posts who convert from agroforestry to health, or vice versa, so we have some trainees who will be the first agroforestry volunteer in the community, but not hte first Peace Corps volunteer.
We will be visiting our posts Sunday for the week, to see our houses, meet people and see the communty, set up post office boxes and bank accounts, etc. (While I will get a new mailing address, I can keep the old, and Ill see which one tends to get mail quicker-but dont worry about if you send something to the old one--it will get to me)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
seasons
The leaves are beginning to c hange here, and turn yellow. I think our last rain was around the 10th of October or something, and it is strange to think that we will be going for 8 months without rain! And also interesting to think about how at home the leaves are changing and turning colors and dropping, for the cold; and here it is for the lack of water. I like making that comarison between our winter and the dry season here, and it is nice because the weather seems to be getting a bit colder, and certainly changing. A short rundown of seasons here, thanks to Sarah Mays, a wonderful volunteer who taught some of our seasons and just finished up her agroforestry service here:
November
Dry and starting to cool off
December through February
Dry and cool, starting to move towards hot in March
March through May
HOT and dry, temperatures perhaps up to 140 degrees (c'est fou), thank goodness no humidity attached to that
June and July
Hot and a bit wet and rainy, cooling down a bit in July
August
rainy and cool (most likely the most wonderful month here, except for driving conditions)
September ( when we arrived)
rainy and cool, end of month starting to get hot
October
rains end and hot (small hot season)
Of course "cool" here means 60s i think.
It is bizare for us to be in October though, and still be so hot ( a few nights ago i had trouble sleeping because of the heat) still be sweating and drinking so much water, and be thinking about what its like in the states. We were all salivating over thoughts of pumpkin pie and most definitely apple cider, apple pies, apple everything. Its hard to imagine winter as well, and what a shock it will be in two years time (or before if we visit home) going from our weather here to December weather in the states, especially for our friends from Montana and New York, Minnesota and Michigan!
November
Dry and starting to cool off
December through February
Dry and cool, starting to move towards hot in March
March through May
HOT and dry, temperatures perhaps up to 140 degrees (c'est fou), thank goodness no humidity attached to that
June and July
Hot and a bit wet and rainy, cooling down a bit in July
August
rainy and cool (most likely the most wonderful month here, except for driving conditions)
September ( when we arrived)
rainy and cool, end of month starting to get hot
October
rains end and hot (small hot season)
Of course "cool" here means 60s i think.
It is bizare for us to be in October though, and still be so hot ( a few nights ago i had trouble sleeping because of the heat) still be sweating and drinking so much water, and be thinking about what its like in the states. We were all salivating over thoughts of pumpkin pie and most definitely apple cider, apple pies, apple everything. Its hard to imagine winter as well, and what a shock it will be in two years time (or before if we visit home) going from our weather here to December weather in the states, especially for our friends from Montana and New York, Minnesota and Michigan!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Rain
I love rain. And thankfully it is still the end of the rainy season here in the North. I am writing down every time it rains here, always wondering which will be the last. I loved rain before comnig here, to a very high degree, enjoying dancing in the rain, walking in the rain, running ni the rain, surfing in the rain, all great pleasures in life. But let me tell you, how MUCH I love rain here. The first time it rained here was our third night in Nassarao I think, the 27th. We were sitting around the compound in the evening and I looked up and the horizon was dark. I said "Its going to rain!?" Everyone jumped up and started gathering things and in a short time the rain came pouring down. I went to my room and to my latrine and reveled in the rain, taking a much enjoyed bath. With the rain came such a drop in temperature, a relief to the hot, hot, humid weather we had been having. The air cooled off, the water was cold, and wind cdame with it too. For the first time I laid in bed that night without sweating until I fell asleep. And to the sound of the water hitting the tin roof. Very cozy. And rain also means water for drinking and bathing which is wonderful. I knew when I was back in the States that I was going to be thinking in a drastically different way about water, that I would value it so much more. And I certainly do! Some times theres just not a lot of it around! And this is the rainy season! When it starts to rain I run outside and put my bucket right side up and put my filter out to catch the rain to use it. Seriously, when it rains, it is my favorite time here. (gonna be a long 8 months!)
With the rain comes beautiful clouds as well, a beautiful sky of changing colors, just like the sky at the beach, or over mountains. Gorgeous. At some point I will start adding photos, so that everyone can see. Until then, imagine, or look at my fellow trainee blogs!
With the rain comes beautiful clouds as well, a beautiful sky of changing colors, just like the sky at the beach, or over mountains. Gorgeous. At some point I will start adding photos, so that everyone can see. Until then, imagine, or look at my fellow trainee blogs!
Nassarao et Pitoa
I wanted to write a few short notes about our two training towns for the parents back home!
Nassarao, where the agroforestry trainees are living and training is a small Muslim village. It is very close too Garoua, probably about 7 km. Many peolple call it a suburb of Garoua. In my head, it is very similar to (pre shopping center) Forest Lakes Subdivision to Charlottesville....same distance and in the same way, there is not much in Nassarao other than houses. For instance, there is a tiny tiny market, but there's nowhere really to buy bottled water. There are a couple of bars which are occasionally open, for the non-Muslims in the town. It is a beautiful little village, with a light yellow mosque at the center of town. The town hub/center is the mosque, chefferie, and school, and they form the inner circle, and six roads lead off from there, like spokes on a wheel. So it is more circular rather than grid-like.
Pitoa is much much larger, and it should probably be a health trainee writing about it, since don't live there, and don't spend as much time there. It is 10 km from Nassarao in the other direction from Garoua, and the drive there is beautiful, with mountains on the one side and fields all around. The town seems to be more grid-like, with roads on perpendicular lines. There is a very large market there on Sundays, which I only went to once or twice. Pitoa is not predominantly muslim. So there are pigs running around, quite a few more bars, (which I know our friends in Pitoa enjoy!) and a little more commerce, little boutiques to buy things, like frozen, yes I said frozen, bottled water.
Both our training centers are houses, with kitchens, some rooms our language trainers and tech trainers live in, and bathrooms. Most of our tech classes are at our respective training center, but we do have combined sessions, such as health sessions, safety and security, some combined tech sessions, which are mostly in Pitoa, but sometimes in Nassarao. We have a general meeting in Pitoa every Thursday, followed by a soccer or frisbee game all together, trainers too. It's definitely good to have as a destresser! As it is, I wish that we had had more opportunity to spend time together, more sessions together, but such is life. I really enjoyed riding my bike between Pitoa and Nassarao for a while when I went there for langauge sessions. Beautiful ride.
Nassarao, where the agroforestry trainees are living and training is a small Muslim village. It is very close too Garoua, probably about 7 km. Many peolple call it a suburb of Garoua. In my head, it is very similar to (pre shopping center) Forest Lakes Subdivision to Charlottesville....same distance and in the same way, there is not much in Nassarao other than houses. For instance, there is a tiny tiny market, but there's nowhere really to buy bottled water. There are a couple of bars which are occasionally open, for the non-Muslims in the town. It is a beautiful little village, with a light yellow mosque at the center of town. The town hub/center is the mosque, chefferie, and school, and they form the inner circle, and six roads lead off from there, like spokes on a wheel. So it is more circular rather than grid-like.
Pitoa is much much larger, and it should probably be a health trainee writing about it, since don't live there, and don't spend as much time there. It is 10 km from Nassarao in the other direction from Garoua, and the drive there is beautiful, with mountains on the one side and fields all around. The town seems to be more grid-like, with roads on perpendicular lines. There is a very large market there on Sundays, which I only went to once or twice. Pitoa is not predominantly muslim. So there are pigs running around, quite a few more bars, (which I know our friends in Pitoa enjoy!) and a little more commerce, little boutiques to buy things, like frozen, yes I said frozen, bottled water.
Both our training centers are houses, with kitchens, some rooms our language trainers and tech trainers live in, and bathrooms. Most of our tech classes are at our respective training center, but we do have combined sessions, such as health sessions, safety and security, some combined tech sessions, which are mostly in Pitoa, but sometimes in Nassarao. We have a general meeting in Pitoa every Thursday, followed by a soccer or frisbee game all together, trainers too. It's definitely good to have as a destresser! As it is, I wish that we had had more opportunity to spend time together, more sessions together, but such is life. I really enjoyed riding my bike between Pitoa and Nassarao for a while when I went there for langauge sessions. Beautiful ride.
Flushing toilets is overrated!
My house/compound is really nice, so beautiful, quite comfortable, and all that I need. My family compound is without running water (which is the norm) and without electricity (of which there are only two of us volunteers staying in such households). And I am perfectly content to be without both.
Latrines have been fun, or not so fun, for all of us, as self flushing toilets are definitely not an option. And in fact we have recently begun a poll of whether people love, hate or are indifferent towards their latrines. I'll have to get back to you with the results. My Latrine is actually a sanctuary of sorts. It is clean, it is open sky, and I am lucky enough to have my own one, attached to my bedroom. I love it, and love getting up early in the morning, or coming in late in the evening and taking a bucket bath with views of the sunrise, a pretty papaya tree, or stars overhead. I'm sure that my thoughts about going to the bathroom in a small hole in the ground might change when I have my first case of GI disturbance, but for now, I am quite enjoying it and feel it is somewhat freeing and comfortable. I'm also trying to make friends with the Madames Cabinets, who also love my latrine. So I am finding that I am perfectly happy without running water. Electricity is something that I really would like to have at post, to have the option of listening to music, and writing on a computer, but running water I could certainly live without.
Bucket Baths are also pretty wonderful. There is not much better than coming home sweaty and hot and going into the latrine with a bucket of water and pouring cupfuls of it over yourself. Bathing has become much more of a long event, which I enjoy, once again to a beautiful sky of sunrise clouds or stars. If, however I take the bucket bath in the evening, or any time in the day, the water is warm or hot. So for "cool" water, it has to be morning.
I also appreciate not having electricity in my homestay for the fact that we do not have Television. There are quite a few families with televisions here, and many volunteers go home to houses where the families watch TV together, or the TV is on and kids watch, etc. There are also some pretty big stereo systems. But there is none of that at my house. There is people and conversation. And whether that is or isn't the traditional "Africa", I appreciate it very much and value the time when I can lie on the mat with the family and talk about all sorts of things, and let time pass slowly.
Evenings are truly my favorite time of the days. I enjoy them much better than the training classes. I come home, take a bath or change, come out to the courtyard and sit on a mat with my family. Sometimes there is rice to sort (picking out pebbles, insects) which used to be a daily task. Now is corn harvesting time, so a few nights ago, after dinner, we all took the corn kernals off cobs for an hour or so. We sit and talk, (or I read and study some evenings), and eat dinner, talk some more until its time for bed. I get home from school around 5:00 pm every day, and it gets dark around 6:00. So from 6:30-8:00 or so, it is by lamp light. There is only so long you can stay up by lamplight, so by 8:00, I am getting tired and usually head to get ready for bed. Of course that means that most days I get up between 5:30 or 6:00. Right about when its getting light outside. I love going to bed early and getting up early, and have always wanted to get on a more "sun directed" schedule. Having no electricity is an excellent way of doing that. So I am loving the schedule. It is also going to be interesting being a place with practically the same sunrise and sunset times all year long, as it is only three degrees from the equator.
My family
My family is wonderful. I already think that they are possibly the best family of all the homestay families. At first I wasnt so sure. Namely becuase the one thing I was hoping for, and asked for, was a family with a lot of children. I love kids and feel that they make a transition a lot easier, because of laughter, and games, even when communication is difficult. When I arrived at my house, however, there was only one 11 year old boy, Abdu, and two babies, of 2 years and 2 months. Yes I was a little disappointed. And it was funny because many of the other trainees said, you might be really really glad about that a little later, when you just want some peace and quiet and dont have six faces staring at you and watching and laughing at your every move. And it turns out to be true, (although I still think I would like more kids, but hey, kids are everywhere, its true.) But yes I love my family. There is the "Papa", Ibrahim, who is a farmer and goes to his various fields around Nassarao on his bicycle. He knows a little little bit of French, mainly limitted to "Hello! Did you eat? Did you eat well? Really? Are you lying to me? Ok. Thank you!" He is very concerned about me eating well. And very sweet. And always says "Merci" at the end of our very short conversations. His older daughter is 29, Aissatou. She has a daughter Coultoumi, aged 2 years. Ibrahims wife is Aissatou and she is 34. Her daughter is Coultoumi, aged 2 months. Yes, confusing. About every fifth woman here seems to be named Aissatou. And then Aissatou (Sr.) has a son Abdu, 11, from a different father, and he speaks very very limitted French. I think actually he just nods his head and says "Yes" a lot of times when Im speaking french although he doesnt understand. At the beginning this made me think he spoke French. Actually it took me a very long time to figure out that noone really speaks french and also to figure out who everyone in the family was and how they were related. All three of the adults in the compound were previously married and divorced, something I found interesting. Aissatou Jr is now looking for a husband and is living at home, although actually this past week she has been visiting her mother in Garoua. The women dont speak any French at all, only Fulfulde. I was kind of expecting not to be in a French speaking family, and it has been really good. The only difficulty I have is that I cant really communicate with the women as I would like to. This was very hard in the beginning because the only ones I could have conversations with were men. I can say Good morning, and May I help, Im going to school now, etc in Fulfulde, but no real conversations. But that will come, as Im slowly learning. But the word to describe everyone in the family is just Sweet. They are all sweet. And very nice and laid back and easy going. I do wish you all could know them. In addition, there are about 6 students who live in our compound and are going to high school here: they are all 20 something males, who come by most evenings to sit on the mat with us, to speak french, or even english, as many of them are very interested in learning and imroving english, and learning about America. There is also another woman, probably about my age, who lives in the compound with her four little boys and husband, who I just met for the first time two nights ago. Her name is Magout, and she too is a friend, and helps in that she speaks french with me and can help communicate between myself and the Aissatous.
The compound is really beautiful. Its all walled in in a sort of Trapezoid shape with red dirt mud walls. Some of the buildings are mud huts with thatched roofs. My room and the Aissatous room is a mud brick covered in cement building with tin roof. There are fruit trees, guava, papaya, citris, around the compound, and a big garden in the outside part. It reminds me of mideival castle set up, with walls and rooms making up a community. Pictures will come later.
The compound is really beautiful. Its all walled in in a sort of Trapezoid shape with red dirt mud walls. Some of the buildings are mud huts with thatched roofs. My room and the Aissatous room is a mud brick covered in cement building with tin roof. There are fruit trees, guava, papaya, citris, around the compound, and a big garden in the outside part. It reminds me of mideival castle set up, with walls and rooms making up a community. Pictures will come later.
Expectations et Receipt
The last day we had in Yaoundé, we learned that while our stage would be posted to the Grand North (the three most northern provinces: Adamaoua, Nord, et Extrème-Nord), agroforestry would be only posted in the North and Extreme North- noone in the Adamaoua. This, after making me want to cry at first, had to make me laugh. It was so perfect. First, of the 9 possible countries I could be sent to for agroforestry in Francophone Africa, Cameroon was my 8th choice. Granted, this was mainly because of not having much knowledge about it, not knowing anyone who had served there, or been there, or was from there. Then I researched it and thought, Ok, thats a pretty cool place. And then I said, Ok, well it has a coastline, at least let me be on the coast. And I learn that there are no agroforestry workers on the coast. So then I pray, Ok, so maybe not on the coast, how about the mountainous region in the west. And I hear through the grapevine that 90 percent of our stage will be going to the Grand North. I prayed "Dear God, please let me be in the south, please dont let me be in the North." Then we get to Cameroon and find that yes, indeed all posts will be in the Grand North, except for two possible health posts in the South. And I said "Ok. Ok. Ill deal with the hot north, and being far from the coast. But God, please please let me be posted in the Adamaoua. Please." And then we find out today that no, in fact you will not be in the Adamaoua. At first this seemed almost crushing, but the fact is, the only thing I can do is laugh. Because in all honesty, I want God to direct things. All last year, God was teaching me this difficult dance of having hopes and dreams and letting go of them. A quote, which I had over my bunkbed at the beach, and then on the wall everywhere else became my mantra: "May all your expectations be frustrated. May all your plans be thwarted.May all your desires be withered into nothingness. That you may experience the powerlessness and the poverty of a child and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son and the Spirit." So here we are again, but thankfully, having grown a little at least, learned a little at least, so that the disappointment back in Yaoundé lasted only a few minutes before humor set in. How much better is it to go through life open, to take what comes, joyfully and peacefully, and to flow with that without specific expectations. I do believe this is a skill which is generally very helpful in Peace Corps!! Dont go in with specific expectations! And what this all hinges on for me is that, in fact, I can make my own plans of what I think is my own best interest, but who knows ones best interests better?
And what I find out is, that in fact, upon getting to Cameroon and getting to know it, I do much prefer the North. The two downsides are the heat and being so far from the ocean. But other than that, I am shown again how my best interest is being watched over, and how much more it turns out that I appreciate and am suited perhaps to the North. The culture of the North generally is much softer, less aggressive, less loud. It is also much more predominantly Muslim and the Arab influence is wonderful (I may actually get to use a tiny bit of Arabic, or perhaps get someone to continue tutoring me!) It is beautiful up here!!! And for now, because it is still the end of the rainy season, it is Green, trees, plants, rice fields everywhere! If I gain skills doing agroforestry in arid lands, those skills may be easily transferable to the Middle East, opening up another continent for work. And if we can learn to help things grow in the desert thats about as extreme as it gets...then how much easier anywhere else, where there is water and less heat? So once again I see that I am exactly where I should be, and where after all, I want to be. And I am grateful for that.
Now do I have the courage-or foolishness-to ask, "Please God, dont send me to the Extreme North"?
And what I find out is, that in fact, upon getting to Cameroon and getting to know it, I do much prefer the North. The two downsides are the heat and being so far from the ocean. But other than that, I am shown again how my best interest is being watched over, and how much more it turns out that I appreciate and am suited perhaps to the North. The culture of the North generally is much softer, less aggressive, less loud. It is also much more predominantly Muslim and the Arab influence is wonderful (I may actually get to use a tiny bit of Arabic, or perhaps get someone to continue tutoring me!) It is beautiful up here!!! And for now, because it is still the end of the rainy season, it is Green, trees, plants, rice fields everywhere! If I gain skills doing agroforestry in arid lands, those skills may be easily transferable to the Middle East, opening up another continent for work. And if we can learn to help things grow in the desert thats about as extreme as it gets...then how much easier anywhere else, where there is water and less heat? So once again I see that I am exactly where I should be, and where after all, I want to be. And I am grateful for that.
Now do I have the courage-or foolishness-to ask, "Please God, dont send me to the Extreme North"?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Journey North
It was wonderful, and very long, traveling from Yaounde up to Garoua and our training sites. We traveled from Yaounde to Ngoundere (the capital of Adamoua) via the overnight train. I think it was a 12 hour ride, through the night. We didn't have sleeper cars, but we had two cars to ourselves, which was nice, so we lounged all over the place, with our luggage. It actually was so cold at some points in the night that I was too cold to sleep! whoops, should have packed some warmer clothes. With the lights on all night and chairs instead of beds, it wasn't the best sleep situation, but I think I managed to sleep for two hours at a time, waking up every few hours for 20 minutes or so. I will never foget the jerking of the train at every stop along the way (usually jerking me awake), sticking our heads out the windows to peer at villages and trees racing by at dusk and dawn, and the surreal sound of all the "vendors" selling lait, miel, l'eau, banane, ananas at every stop, even in the middle of the night, going window to window, as passages passed money through the window in exchange for the goods. I think we'll all remember that....
We got to Ngoundere sometime in the morning, maybe more like noon. From the train station, we took two bus/taxis to Garoua, which I think was another 1.5 or 2 hour drive. The Adamoua portion was lush, cool, with tree covered hills and valleys. I will definitely be going back there at some point. As we crossed over the mountains in the car, you could feel the temperature changing, not only because the day was progressing and it was getting towards noon and then one pm, but because we were entering the sahel zone. It became much flatter, with some mountains still sprouting up here and there, covered with some scrubby trees. The whole drive was very pretty though, and I loved looking out the window and taking it all in.
Arrival in Cameroon---Sunday September 21
We have arrived in the country capital, Yaounde. We flew from from NY to Brussels and then from Brussels to Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, which is on the coast, where we spent one night in a hotel. The following morning we took a three hour bus trip up to Yaounde. So enough boring descriptions about travel logistics.I am in Cameroon. I am in Africa again. And Im not exactly sure what my feelings are exactly. I have been taking it all in. And while many people are already noticing their reactions: getting exited about being out of the US the first time, feeling happy about being back in Africa, looking forward to what we will be experiencing, feeling anxious about what will be hard, my feelings have been somewhat nonexistant. I notice that I am not incredibly excited, nor disappointed, not happy nor nervous. I am not sad, or anxiuos. I just am, and have just been taking it in. But I think that is somewhat normal (and can probably be attributed to the jet lag and days of travel).The ride up to Yaounde was really nice though, just to get to drive through so much countryside. It was so lush and green. The dirt is RED. And I saw my first African bird out the bus window (that was for you Ben) I dont know what kind it was, and it was flying, but it had a long tail and different shaped head and was certainly not a North American species, so that was super exciting.I have been thinking about the experience so far, and my lack of feelings, and have a picture of climbing up a mountain, where gradually, each step, I come more into my own, become more excited and purposeful, feel more at home. And eventually I will be at the peak.What I am most excited about right now:Getting traditional clothes madeGetting into the agroforestry trainingLanguage Language LanguageSeeing more of the countryContinuing developing relationshipsAnd it turns out that I dont know how much opportunity there will be to update this, as our schedule here in Yaounde, and then for training in Douala is very very packed, with little computer access or time (and the French keyboard continues to be my enemy, making typing take so much longer!) But hopefully from time to time......But thank you for your continued love and prayers. All is well and safe and we are doing well, happy, and excited, anticipating the training which soon begins!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
End of staging
Well we just finished up our two days of staging. I had every intention to post last night, and of course we were swamped with "orientation to peace corps" in two days. I must admit that it still has not sunk in that tomorrow we take off from NY to Brussels, and then arrive in Cameroon on Saturday. And to be honest, I don't think it will really sink in that I am there, there-there, until a few weeks from now. This whole experience has been a little detached for me, like something that is real in theory but that I am not truly feeling or knowing in my heart. Especially the 2 years part. And I know that I am excited but as the real-ness has not set in, I don't necessarily feel it. Yet. But I do get excited thinking about what is coming...
It has been fun meeting the other members of our group, however I could have spent a week doing that, talking to people, getting to know people, but there will be time enough for that the next three weeks. I just learned something new today! Our actual training is not really in Garoua proper, but in a village--Nasaroua (agroforestry) and small town-Pitoua (health) 7 km from Garoua.
Tomorrow we begin our long journey starting at 6:45 am. As one of the 4 group leaders, I am definitely hoping that all our prepartions and transitions will be covered in grace and flow smoothly...hotel to bus to airport. (seriously, we drew pieces of paper with our names on it, and I'm sure my parents are thinking how did Elizabeth become one of the group leaders. I'm not exactly the most organized person in the world...and I do tend to lose things...Thank goodness I am not the document person in charge of everyone's passports and other important documents. Thank goodnes. That would be a disaster.)
It has been fun meeting the other members of our group, however I could have spent a week doing that, talking to people, getting to know people, but there will be time enough for that the next three weeks. I just learned something new today! Our actual training is not really in Garoua proper, but in a village--Nasaroua (agroforestry) and small town-Pitoua (health) 7 km from Garoua.
Tomorrow we begin our long journey starting at 6:45 am. As one of the 4 group leaders, I am definitely hoping that all our prepartions and transitions will be covered in grace and flow smoothly...hotel to bus to airport. (seriously, we drew pieces of paper with our names on it, and I'm sure my parents are thinking how did Elizabeth become one of the group leaders. I'm not exactly the most organized person in the world...and I do tend to lose things...Thank goodness I am not the document person in charge of everyone's passports and other important documents. Thank goodnes. That would be a disaster.)
Staging first day
Well, I am more than a little tired after getting up at 5:30am for my flight to Philly and having staging from 2-7pm tonight. What an interesting thing to walk into a hotel and try to start meeting people that will spend the next two years with you!
A little about our class: We have 30 total volunteers, 16 agroforestry, 14 health workers. Agroforestry is made up of 7 men and 9 women, and health is 4 men and 10 women. And from all over the country which is very fun. I really do look forward to getting to know all of these people, although I don't really think it can be done in two days of staging...
For those wondering what staging is, our schedule looks like this:
Day 1
Welcome and Introductions
Peace Corps Approach to Development
Personal Definition of Success
Safety and Support
Anxieties and Aspirations
Nuts and Bolts
Day 2
Coping with Unwanted Attention
Managing Risk
Policies in Practice
Crossing Cultures
Staging Capstone
Bridget to Pre-Service Trainig
Logistics of Departure
Evaluation and Closing
Plus, lots of activities. (I really, really, do not enjoy icebreakers, but I will survive!)
Whew. Yeah a lot of broad things, which to be honest, I'm not so sure how helpful it is to go over all this because much of it needs much more depth and will be re-covered in training. It's possible they want to gather everyone to begin introductions, and cover some of these topics in brief so that everyone knows what they're getting into and if anyone has second thoughts, they can still get out now, before the flight to Cameroon!
Still not setting in though....Three days till another country...for two years.
Thai restaurant for dinner with 11 other trainees.
A little about our class: We have 30 total volunteers, 16 agroforestry, 14 health workers. Agroforestry is made up of 7 men and 9 women, and health is 4 men and 10 women. And from all over the country which is very fun. I really do look forward to getting to know all of these people, although I don't really think it can be done in two days of staging...
For those wondering what staging is, our schedule looks like this:
Day 1
Welcome and Introductions
Peace Corps Approach to Development
Personal Definition of Success
Safety and Support
Anxieties and Aspirations
Nuts and Bolts
Day 2
Coping with Unwanted Attention
Managing Risk
Policies in Practice
Crossing Cultures
Staging Capstone
Bridget to Pre-Service Trainig
Logistics of Departure
Evaluation and Closing
Plus, lots of activities. (I really, really, do not enjoy icebreakers, but I will survive!)
Whew. Yeah a lot of broad things, which to be honest, I'm not so sure how helpful it is to go over all this because much of it needs much more depth and will be re-covered in training. It's possible they want to gather everyone to begin introductions, and cover some of these topics in brief so that everyone knows what they're getting into and if anyone has second thoughts, they can still get out now, before the flight to Cameroon!
Still not setting in though....Three days till another country...for two years.
Thai restaurant for dinner with 11 other trainees.
Fulfulde!!!
So we recently learned that one of the languages that we may be training on is Fulfulde. I am incredibly excited about this and hope I'll be able to jump into that training early on, if I do well enough on my French entrance exam. I had thought that if we learned a second language (second to the official language) it would be a very specific local language, used only in a few villages, not very practical for "post-PC" time, (although still incredibly exciting and enjoyable, as all languages would be for me.) But Fulfulde (also called Pular, Pulaar and Fula in other dialects) is the language of the Fulani people, who spread across much of West and Central Africa. And it is spoken in one form or another in 13 African countries! : Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia (Pulaar), Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissou, Mali (Pular/Fulfulde), Mauritaina (Pulaar), Niger, Nigeria, Senegal (Pular/Pulaar), Sierra Leone (Pular), Sudan, Togo. So, what a blessing, and soooo exciting to be learning a language that will be practical and probably useful later on down the road! (And, as it is in the north, and a very Muslim region, there are Arabic phrases that are used in Fulfulde--now, maybe I know why I was placed in Cameroon...that and that they cater to vegetarians!:))
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
rewind a week
So last Saturday (the 6th) my family was so wonderful to have a giant get together of dear friends. I think there were 45 people in our house for cookies and lemonade. That was a lot of cookies, all made by my sister, and mom and dad, who had an amazing oatmeal raisin, coconut, heath bar crumble concoction. (I'm sure there are still tins full, though we've been unloading them every chance we get on unwitting friends and guests). But I was struck by how it is such a beautiful thing that my sister and I have entered an age where all my parents friends have become our friends, and how wonderful it is, and how special it was to have them all present to wish me off, to wish me blessings, to pray over me and for me, and how meaningful it is to me that many of them have seen me grow up.
I was very surprised to receive many monetary gifts. I had talked with a previous PCV from Cameroon about her experience, and with similar contributions, she set up a fund that she could access when she got to her site and got to know her community, in order to fund a specific needed project. Often times, PCVs find specific projects that they can help get off the ground with matching funds from home and their village. This volunteer decided to use the money she received to help build and begin a library in one of her villages. So I put the money towards some last minute items needed to finish up packing, and then into an account, set aside for such a project. I would love to be able to work on a library (mmmmm books) or another similar project, and I will certainly keep you all updated on where that goes, as many of you were the donors!
Thank you all and thank you for coming last Saturday!
I was very surprised to receive many monetary gifts. I had talked with a previous PCV from Cameroon about her experience, and with similar contributions, she set up a fund that she could access when she got to her site and got to know her community, in order to fund a specific needed project. Often times, PCVs find specific projects that they can help get off the ground with matching funds from home and their village. This volunteer decided to use the money she received to help build and begin a library in one of her villages. So I put the money towards some last minute items needed to finish up packing, and then into an account, set aside for such a project. I would love to be able to work on a library (mmmmm books) or another similar project, and I will certainly keep you all updated on where that goes, as many of you were the donors!
Thank you all and thank you for coming last Saturday!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Agroforestry
I will be an agroforestry volunteer during my time in Cameroon. So what exactly is Agroforestry? As I'm asked that question a lot, to be honest, I think it's a pretty vague and broad word, describing the use of trees in agriculture. It could mean combining agriculture and forestry through methods of intercropping trees and vegetables and other crops, using alleyways and windbreaks. It could mean reforestation efforts to improve water quality and soil quality. It could be focusing on the cultivation of "agriculture trees," fruit trees, such as mangoes, papayas, avacados, bananas, guavas. And that's all pretty broad. However agroforestry volunteers end up doing an even more wide variety of work at their sites, ranging from working with individual groups (school groups, women's groups, farmers cooperatives, church congregations) to forming community gardens or nurseries, soil conservation efforts, erosion control, small livestock raising, beekeeping and fish farming. (I hope to get as much experience as possible in all of these small project endeavors! especially with beekeeping, fish farming, and goat raising)
While that will be my primary job assignment, that is not to say that my duties and activities will be solely that. In fact, I think the most successful volunteers are those that go into their community and find out what the community really needs or wants and devotes their efforts to that, rather than having a preconceived notion of what their job may or should be. There have been many volunteers who have one designated assignment, and end up going to their location and finding out that other skills and projects are needed and wanted. Some agroforestry workers find that their village really has water issues and wants a well, and devote their time to that. Other water volunteers may find their village is more interested in other technical ideas, and shift their focus to respond to that. If they are flexible enough, they will help the village out in those areas and devote their time to that, and such experiences will likely be more successful as they will be identified by the village and wanted by the village, and therefore provide more ownership and relevence, and be continued after the volunteer leaves. So that is to say, we shall see what exactly I will be doing day to day!
In addition, volunteers are encouraged in what is called a "Secondary project" which is in another area outside their assignment. This could be working on HIV education, starting a school garden or nursery, organizing maternity education for women, starting a sewing organization, etc. I would love to get involved with women's groups, either working on sewing and clothing production, art and craftwork, and maternity. If I could work with a local midwife, that would be fantastic, as I am currently working on certification to be a doula (labor assistant) and have been reading books upon books on childbirth.
But we shall see. Like all things in the Peace Corps! I will only know once I arrive and find my place! :)
While that will be my primary job assignment, that is not to say that my duties and activities will be solely that. In fact, I think the most successful volunteers are those that go into their community and find out what the community really needs or wants and devotes their efforts to that, rather than having a preconceived notion of what their job may or should be. There have been many volunteers who have one designated assignment, and end up going to their location and finding out that other skills and projects are needed and wanted. Some agroforestry workers find that their village really has water issues and wants a well, and devote their time to that. Other water volunteers may find their village is more interested in other technical ideas, and shift their focus to respond to that. If they are flexible enough, they will help the village out in those areas and devote their time to that, and such experiences will likely be more successful as they will be identified by the village and wanted by the village, and therefore provide more ownership and relevence, and be continued after the volunteer leaves. So that is to say, we shall see what exactly I will be doing day to day!
In addition, volunteers are encouraged in what is called a "Secondary project" which is in another area outside their assignment. This could be working on HIV education, starting a school garden or nursery, organizing maternity education for women, starting a sewing organization, etc. I would love to get involved with women's groups, either working on sewing and clothing production, art and craftwork, and maternity. If I could work with a local midwife, that would be fantastic, as I am currently working on certification to be a doula (labor assistant) and have been reading books upon books on childbirth.
But we shall see. Like all things in the Peace Corps! I will only know once I arrive and find my place! :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
It really takes 6 weeks???!!!
Yes, mail will sometimes take 6 weeks to arrive to my post in Cameroon. Which means that if you want to send something that will arrive around my birthday, you're going to have to send it next week, before I have even left the country! I find that particularly amusing. It takes so long because it takes a while to get from the US to Cameroon, but then from there, in the capital Yaounde, it goes out to the individual sites. Mail runs obviously do not occur every day, and so mail might sit in the Peace Corps Headquarters for a while before being sent out with the delivery person to the training sites and later sites. I believe I will be in the north of the country as well, which means more travel time and less infrastructure.
However, don't let this discourage you! I know that I will love letters, whether they are a day old or 40 days old! So please, write away! I think that regular mail from my loved ones will be the most cherished possession I have, as email access may not be very reliable or frequent, and they will be one of the few connections with friends and family. To know what is going on in all of your lives will be more precious than silver. I too, will try to write as much as possible; however, I do know that when I am extremely lonely, I tend to withdraw a bit rather than reaching out, so your contact will be so much appreciated!
Some tips for mailing:
Write "air mail"/"par avion" on the outside of the letter or package and send it air mail. Items sent ground mail sometimes take years to arrive. (and I still remember sending a "ground mail" package home from South Africa which arrived many months after I arrived back home.)
If you are mailing a package, it is helpful to write on the outside the general contents of the package. (I.E. "cookies, t-shirt, watch" rather than "oatmeal raisin, j.crew, rolex") This will discourage people hoping for money or other items and might prevent it from being opened.
However, don't let this discourage you! I know that I will love letters, whether they are a day old or 40 days old! So please, write away! I think that regular mail from my loved ones will be the most cherished possession I have, as email access may not be very reliable or frequent, and they will be one of the few connections with friends and family. To know what is going on in all of your lives will be more precious than silver. I too, will try to write as much as possible; however, I do know that when I am extremely lonely, I tend to withdraw a bit rather than reaching out, so your contact will be so much appreciated!
Some tips for mailing:
Write "air mail"/"par avion" on the outside of the letter or package and send it air mail. Items sent ground mail sometimes take years to arrive. (and I still remember sending a "ground mail" package home from South Africa which arrived many months after I arrived back home.)
If you are mailing a package, it is helpful to write on the outside the general contents of the package. (I.E. "cookies, t-shirt, watch" rather than "oatmeal raisin, j.crew, rolex") This will discourage people hoping for money or other items and might prevent it from being opened.
Sending mail in a padded envelope rather than in a box might help to disuade people from opening it.
Also helpful: drawing religious symbols (a cross or fish) on the outside, or addressing it to "Sister Elizabeth Moore", which might discourage pilfering and enhance speedy delivery.
Occasionally volunteers go back to the states and friends and family go to Cameroon to visit volunteers. When this happens, all the volunteers tend to group together in terms of helping each other out with mail. There is a box at the country capital entitled "Next Departure." People put their mail in there and then the next volunteer returning home will take it and mail it once back in the US, which of course, speeds up delivery. On the other end, parents and friends might be able to hand deliver mail from the US to Cameroon if they are coming for a visit. (of course, we're talking letters and small small packages, not huge things, as it is a blessing and a favor they are doing for us!) That way, you could send the item to them and then they could carry it over in their luggage and deliver it to the Peace Corps Headquarters, or even to the volunteer if they are in nearby villages. This of course, cuts way down on delivery time. There will most likely be a network for parents that will inform people of when visits will occur, and volunteers will be aware of that and let their loved ones know.
Also helpful: drawing religious symbols (a cross or fish) on the outside, or addressing it to "Sister Elizabeth Moore", which might discourage pilfering and enhance speedy delivery.
Occasionally volunteers go back to the states and friends and family go to Cameroon to visit volunteers. When this happens, all the volunteers tend to group together in terms of helping each other out with mail. There is a box at the country capital entitled "Next Departure." People put their mail in there and then the next volunteer returning home will take it and mail it once back in the US, which of course, speeds up delivery. On the other end, parents and friends might be able to hand deliver mail from the US to Cameroon if they are coming for a visit. (of course, we're talking letters and small small packages, not huge things, as it is a blessing and a favor they are doing for us!) That way, you could send the item to them and then they could carry it over in their luggage and deliver it to the Peace Corps Headquarters, or even to the volunteer if they are in nearby villages. This of course, cuts way down on delivery time. There will most likely be a network for parents that will inform people of when visits will occur, and volunteers will be aware of that and let their loved ones know.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Geography
Knowing nothing about the country before receiving my invitation, other than its location on the African continent, I am busy researching it and reading as much as possible before my departure on September 19th.
Geographically, Cameroon is very diverse, and is called "Africa in miniature" or "Little Africa" for this reason. It contains every climate and ecological niche of the continent in one country: tropical coast, mountains, rainforest, savannah and desert. How exciting. For this reason, some people say if you are only going to visit one country in Africa, you should visit Cameroon. I would agree. And especially in the next 27 months. If you're even thinking about a trip to Africa......anything I can do to encourage you to come visit! :) I know it would be much appreciated! While my dream and desire would be to be near the coast, where fresh vegetables, fruit, and fish are readily available, and remaining vegetarian would be a practical option, it is about 99% sure that I will be assigned to a northern region where most of our group is assigned. This area is more savannah/desert like, much drier and cooler, and honestly could probably use a lot more agroforestry work, as food security is more of an issue. Cameroon also contains the tallest peak (Mount Cameroon) in sub-Saharan West Africa. Definitely have to make it there at some point.
Cameroon is a bilingual state, having been colonized partially by the British (in the west) and French (in the north and east). I will be in a French speaking region. It is made up of 10 provinces and I will likely be assigned to a village in the north or extreme north, which is a Sahelian climate. The country is made up of 230-280 ethnic and liguistic groups. I look forward to learning a new, local language during training and during my service, beyond French! If only I could use Arabic as well...
Geographically, Cameroon is very diverse, and is called "Africa in miniature" or "Little Africa" for this reason. It contains every climate and ecological niche of the continent in one country: tropical coast, mountains, rainforest, savannah and desert. How exciting. For this reason, some people say if you are only going to visit one country in Africa, you should visit Cameroon. I would agree. And especially in the next 27 months. If you're even thinking about a trip to Africa......anything I can do to encourage you to come visit! :) I know it would be much appreciated! While my dream and desire would be to be near the coast, where fresh vegetables, fruit, and fish are readily available, and remaining vegetarian would be a practical option, it is about 99% sure that I will be assigned to a northern region where most of our group is assigned. This area is more savannah/desert like, much drier and cooler, and honestly could probably use a lot more agroforestry work, as food security is more of an issue. Cameroon also contains the tallest peak (Mount Cameroon) in sub-Saharan West Africa. Definitely have to make it there at some point.
Cameroon is a bilingual state, having been colonized partially by the British (in the west) and French (in the north and east). I will be in a French speaking region. It is made up of 10 provinces and I will likely be assigned to a village in the north or extreme north, which is a Sahelian climate. The country is made up of 230-280 ethnic and liguistic groups. I look forward to learning a new, local language during training and during my service, beyond French! If only I could use Arabic as well...
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
If it starts with a C....
So, 12 days ago, I finally received my invitation to serve in the Peace Corps as an agroforestry volunteer, and my country assignment: Cameroon. It seems that places beginning with C is a trend and it shall be added to Charlottesville, Carlisle, Corolla. I will be heading up to staging September 17th, and then flying out September 19th.
I am so excited about this opportunity, and feeling as though "I just wish I could have a little bit more time to prepare and spend with my family and friends!" But I think it's something you never can quite prepare enough for and so I'm ready to jump right in.
We will fly into the capital, Yaounde, and spend a little bit of time there before departing to our training sites. We will be at our training sites for three months, roughy, and training will encompas language, culture and technical training, all of which I am looking forward to immensely. During the first three months, my address will be:
Elizabeth Moore
Peace Corps Trainee
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 215
Yaounde, Cameroon
Following those months of training, we will be sent to our assignment villages for the next two years. I will let you know what address I will be at then.
I don't know what kind of internet access I will have during the training or the placement, but I am hoping to be able to keep this relatively up to date, to keep you all informed, and to educate you on Cameroon! How blessed I am to get to introduce you to a new place and new people through my experiences! I know that I will cherish letters and packages like pure gold, and as things take about 6 weeks to arrive, if you're planning on sending a little note, don't hesitate! :)
I am so excited about this opportunity, and feeling as though "I just wish I could have a little bit more time to prepare and spend with my family and friends!" But I think it's something you never can quite prepare enough for and so I'm ready to jump right in.
We will fly into the capital, Yaounde, and spend a little bit of time there before departing to our training sites. We will be at our training sites for three months, roughy, and training will encompas language, culture and technical training, all of which I am looking forward to immensely. During the first three months, my address will be:
Elizabeth Moore
Peace Corps Trainee
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 215
Yaounde, Cameroon
Following those months of training, we will be sent to our assignment villages for the next two years. I will let you know what address I will be at then.
I don't know what kind of internet access I will have during the training or the placement, but I am hoping to be able to keep this relatively up to date, to keep you all informed, and to educate you on Cameroon! How blessed I am to get to introduce you to a new place and new people through my experiences! I know that I will cherish letters and packages like pure gold, and as things take about 6 weeks to arrive, if you're planning on sending a little note, don't hesitate! :)
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