Yaounde trips

I am in Yaounde again for the second time in three weeks. Late August I came down for a week for the Steering Committee meeting for Agroforestry, and now I am back for a planning workshop to plan training for the new Health and Agroforestry volunteers who will be arriving here September 18th! Crazy to think they are in the same spot as us, one year ago. These two meetings have gone really well, and I have really enjoyed being a part of them. They have been both productive and insightful. The agroforestry program is undergoing a change of project plan, transitioning from much more agriculture farmer leader training program to a broader program which will emphasize four points: 1) Tree propogation, planting 2) Soil Fertility 3) Income Generating agriculture related projects, concepts, and 4) Environmental Education. The new project framework, which will cover the next 10 years, will allow for more flexibility and breadth of work for agroforestry volunteers. The fact is that because agroforestry extension volunteers are off in the bush with little schedule, most have already been doing such work as EE, income generating projects, as well as even broader activities as health and water projects, volunteering at local health centers, etc. But expanding the project framework will allow at least space for reporting such activities, and giving more of a longterm focus and unity of purpose with such activities.
And being in Yaounde twice has been very fun, very lovely. I had the choice of staying down here for an extra week between the two meetings, because traveling all the way back up to the north and then back down for one week, is, well, a lot. But I couldn't think of being away from my post for three whole weeks, and there were a few things I wanted to get done...a few trees to put in the ground, the paperwork with WWF being wrapped up and turned in, so I went back to village for a week and then headed back down. Surprisingly, with all the traveling, I was really excited to come back to Yaounde. I swore to myself that I'd eat ice cream every day, and though it is Ramadan, I worked it out pretty well, buying big bowls of it during the day and stashing it in the freezer to save for the evening. In fact, I gained maybe 10 pounds, thus back up to my pre-peace corps weight, ha. Didn't really weigh myself, but think it might be around there. Just wait till I get back to village, people will comment on how great I look, each one saying "Wow, you've gained a lot of weight!" This is a compliment in the highest form. Some other Yaounde highlights: 1) a lovely dinner with a lovely woman from the Embassy, with 5 other Embassy workers. Learned all about the Foreign service through interesting conversation over delicious Indian food. 2) getting together with a Cameroonian Rasta painter who took me to an art shop in the city where I bought some oil paints. Yay! SOOOO excited to get back to post and work on them. 3) Watching an African dance class, which, were I posted in Yaounde, I would without a doubt sign up for, but alas, two days journey is a bit far to travel for that. 4) getting to know some other very cool agroforestry volunteers who are posted in the south, and who unfortunately will be heading out of Cameroon in December. It's sad to just make their acquaintance now.
On top of that, as I said, the actual meetings, while rigorous, have been good and productive, working on the schedule for training (where to put in all those language, safety, medical and technical blocks) as well as the training manual and technical session subjects. I would love to be a part of the actual training, but this year it is held in the south and all the new volunteers will be replacing the grand south volunteers, so I think it's a bit to far to go again. Next Yaounde trip, December, for mid-service medical exams.