All good things come to an end...

My placement in Camroon has finally come to end after a crazy 12 weeks in Kumbo.

I have loved my time at SEREP and the last few weeks flew by! With the arrival of other volunteers, the work load became less and I managed to focus on working with the women’s groups. I am really happy with the outcome of the Palm Oil Project, it is now up and running smoothly and the women are working extremely hard!

STOP the stigma still needs a lot of work but the base is there and I am hoping that as more volunteers come it will improve. I gave a seminar in order for the women to set up drop in sessions for the public to come and receive advice and information about HIV/AIDS. Whilst doing this I learnt many things about HIV/AIDS in Cameroon, such as, for you to be able to receive treatment you must first take a CD4 test as only those with a count below 300 receive treatment. However, the test is extremely expensive meaning hundreds of people do not take it and thus become very ill. As well as this, the government does not provide nearly enough drugs for everyone who needs them; I met several people who had gone months without receiving any drugs and were subsequently extremely sick. This really shocked me and made me angry. It is an issue that I really want to change in the future and have various ideas of how to do that!

I really enjoyed having some familiar British company and I felt much less lonely! However I had got used to being on my own so it took a while for me to adjust. I can safely say that 12 weeks was enough time to spend in Cameroon and I was definitely ready to leave and return to my family and friends. However, when it came to leaving everything was much more emotional than I anticipated! My women’s groups gave me several presents and sung many songs for me. They were so appreciative for the time I spent with them and the work I did with them and it really made me realise how much I had accomplished and the amazing friendships I had made. Saying good bye to the students was also extremely emotional! I have really made a huge investment in these people and feel extremely attached to Kumbo. I look forward to seeing how all the project and people grow and will definitely be keeping in touch and will return in the future!

Half way through!

WOW… these past six weeks have blown by! I cannot believe I am half way through my placement already!

It has been GO GO GO here in Kumbo with so much work to do! I have really got into my English classes and am really fond of all my students. Many of them really struggle with reading so I have set up a reading club during lunch break to help the ones that are struggling. I have realised that they learn so much better when they are enjoying themselves so I have organized a lot of creative and interactive classes which they all really enjoyed! I have mastered how to keep them all in check – make them scared of me. I have managed to make them scared enough of me to not misbehave whilst still liking me (I hope)! Teaching really is not easy and I am now looking back on my school days feeling sorry for all of my teachers! Haha However it really is enjoyable, especially now I am organized and know their level and how English is taught here.

There has been so much progress with my women’s groups!!! I am proud to say Palm Oil has been distributed to all the groups successfully and we are now waiting for the 28th March which is collection day. The money will then be centralized and the next batch of oil will be distributed on the 4 April. So far so good, so let’s hope everyone manages to bring the money on time!!

I have given a training seminar on HIV/AIDS preparing a few women from each group in order to hold their own drop in sessions. The idea is for them to offer support and advice about HIV/AIDS to the general public. This took a lot of organizing but I loved it! I learnt so much myself and the women really enjoyed the day. I visited all the big hospitals in the area to collect information about the treatment they offer, the prices etc. The Doctor in one of the hospitals was incredibly lovely and even took the time to show me around the HIV department and lab, which is where they do the HIV test and CD4 count. It was super interesting and I am loving being part of something which is so incredibly important. With the money I fundraised I have given packs to each of the groups containing all the information they need, record books, pens, posters and a massive stash of condoms! However, I realize now that there is so much more to be done for this project to be effective. Treatment for HIV in Cameroon is free, which is great. However, I learnt that treatment often runs out and hospitals go months without being provided with anymore. This is a problem created by the government, who are the ones supplying the drugs. I am sure if people were paying for it, it would be a different story! It makes me angry that the government cares so little about peoples health to not see it as a priority. More over, for one to receive treatment you must first take a CD4 test as you only receive treatment if your CD4 count is below 350.  The CD4 test is between 5,000-10,000 francs… which is a heck of a lot of money here!!! So many people know they are HIV positive but are unable to afford the test, meaning many people are walking around without treatment when they may really need it. This is yet another way the government is trying its best to supply as little free drugs as possible! It makes me deeply angry and upset that there are so many people in such a position, not knowing if or when they are going to become ill.  I really want to fundraise more money – on a larger scale – to enable me to buy vouchers from the hospitals for the CD4 tests. I will then distribute the vouchers within the women’s groups for them to give out to people during the drop in sessions. A lot of organization needs to be done, but this is a long term goal that I really want to achieve.

The work load has really been tough, with little time to rest. Although this is not a complaint as I would hate to be sitting around doing nothing! There is so much great work to be done here and I have really learnt that you don’t achieve anything good in life without working bloody hard for it. I have faced many challenges and getting used to the slower pace of life and poor time management has really not been easy at times, especially when I have had such a busy schedule. However, I am learning so much, especially from the challenges.

The fact I have been the only volunteer has also been difficult and at times lonely. However, looking back on the 6 weeks I am not sure I would have accomplished as much as I have if there had been other volunteers here acting as distractions. Having said that,, there are some volunteers arriving next week which I am really excited about. It will be nice to have a more relaxed second half of my placement where by I can share the work load and focus more on a few jobs and doing them well rather than juggling several!

I have actually really enjoyed writing all my reports for university as they give me a chance to really reflect on what I have been doing, which I may have not done as much if I wasn’t forced to write the reports!

The dry season is now coming to end! Which all the locals are very happy about as it is now planting season for them! However, I am less happy about the idea of constant downfall and mud pits for roads! But I have bought a rain coat from the market (for 50p!) and am ready for the rain!

It was International Women’s day last week, which is huge here! It was such a fantastic day; I loved seeing the women doing things for themselves and going out and enjoying the celebrations (rather than waiting on men!). There was an event in a huge field where all the women’s groups march, sing, dance and speeches are given by the divisional officer etc. All the speeches were really moving and it was wonderful to see the women fighting for their right! There were many men there as well which was also encouraging. However, when it came to celebrations the men seemed to think it was the women’s responsibility to invite the men out and pay for them. They were clearly jealous of the fact it was a day for women and not them. But regardless of the way men were acting, the women were enjoying themselves which was the most important part. I went out dancing and saw many of the women from my women’s groups, which was really nice!
I also marched twice in the parade (in front of thousands of people)… having never marched before in my life and being put right at the front! It was definitely one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life! Whilst also being a very proud one.

I am learning bundles about the culture, poverty, people, gender, myself and much more every single day! I can’t wait to see what the next half of my placement brings 

The lovely Yvette you has stayed with my for most of my time here so far!

 One of the groups collecting their Palm Oil - A happy day!

 The HIV/AIDS STOP The Stigma seminar!

 Me with the lovely Dinran group Women!

 After marching with the Dinran group!

 A great message held on women's day - Men as partners in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (of HIV)

 The women marching in their beautiful uniforms!

                                                       
Myself and Madam Vera (a teacher at the SEREP school) wearing the women's day material for 2013!

Crazy two weeks

So I have been here more than two weeks and time has flown by! There has been almost no power whilst I’ve been here so it has been impossible for me to write any blog posts… I will attempt to write about these past two weeks as concisely as possible and hopefully my posts will come more regularly in the future!

I have found it emotionally difficult returning to Kumbo, mainly because my last visit here I was accompanied by many other volunteers where as this time I am here alone. I have been trying to not compare my experience with the last time I was here because the NGO and all the projects I am working on are amazing and there is so much to be done here. After accepting the way things are I have been busy 24/7 without a single day off!

Because I am the only volunteer I am doing the work of maybe three people. I feel like there is a lot expected of me and I never get all my work done. However, this is definitely a good things as I would hate to not have anything to do. Also, everything I am doing is helping someone in some way.

I am learning even more than last time! (maybe because I am the only volunteer I am immersing myself and noticing things much more) I have already learn so much about gender, politics, sexuality and many many more development orientated things. When ever it comes to writing my reports I always have so much so write.

I am teaching English in the school the NGO runs for orphaned and vulnerable children. It isn’t something I had planned to do but I am enjoying it all the same as I love children and (most of  them) are a pleasure to teach! I am trying to teach them about Africa and problems they face in their own country as it seems a lot of their texts books and classes in the past have been based around western things rather than learning about important things in their own context like famine, draught etc.

Working with the women’s groups has been hard work! There are 5 groups and all of them want me to help them with so many different things. But it is going successfully. With the money I raised before coming here I have been able get the Palm Oil project moving and the women are so happy that they are able to buy and sell palm oil again instead of buying in on credit or not at all.

The HIV project is definitely going to be something I am focusing on. I have already begun planning a training session for 3^rd March where I will teach a few members of each group about HIV/AIDS in order for them to run drop in sessions where people can come and get advice or counseling about HIV. The whole point is to reduce the stigma and the women will give knowledge in a way that makes people know there is treatment and it’s NOT the end.

Not knowing the local dialect is proving to be a real problem. I find myself sitting for hours on end not having a clue what people are saying. It is especially frustrating during meetings with women’s groups when I really want to know what they are discussing. When ever I ask what they are talking about I often get given a very short response to what has been an hour long discussion!!!

I am trying to learn Lamso but it is really hard as there are no books etc to help me learn and it is so different to any of the European languages.

However I am trying… it hasn’t always worked out too well though. Everyone who sees me shouts “Kimbang, Kimbang” which means ‘white man’ in lamso, so I thought it would be funny for me to learn the word ‘black man’ for me to respond (it isn’t racist to comment on someones race here and I most definitely am not being racist!). So now I always shout ‘wirasinir’ and everyone thinks it is great! However, one morning an eldery women approached me and instead of saying ‘Iranua” which means ‘good morning’ I mistakenly said ‘wirasinir’ (black man)….she no longer greets me in the morning! Oops.. haha. I am hoping I will iron out the creases in time!

Self Reliance School marching in the National Youth Day

Me being welcomes by the Salama women's group in Mbosha

The Mbosha women celebrating after recieving the news that they will now 

be purchasing Palm Oil again!

Juliet and Yvette and myself walking back to Mbosha after collecting potatoes in the field (exhausting day!)

Riding horses with the Fulani people in Mbosha

My (slightly messy) bedroom in the volunteer house!

Me cooking the local food, 'fu fu corn' in Mbosha!

A student carrying the Seld Reliance Post in the march!

I am hoping future posts will be shorter and more frequent... with the hope that the power improves!

Introduction

I am returning to Kumbo, Cameroon for the second time after volunteering here in summer. I am now here on a formal placement with my university as part of my degree in International Development.

I loved my experience here in summer and learnt so much in relation to what I have been studying.

I decided to come back to build on what I had learnt and carry on working with the incredible people I met here the first time round. 

I will try and update little and often to make it easier to keep up with it.

The idea is to show you what I am experiencing and how I am feeling about everything!

I hope you enjoy reading about my time here in Cameroon :)