I have been away from my post for a good week and a half now. I’ve been doing work, just not where i’m assigned to do work. I was invited to help with a camp that a fellow health volunteer (Ali) put on for the youth of her community. But this volunteer is in the Adamoua Province. Which is a two hour train ride to Yaounde a 14 hour train ride (with a seat slightly bigger then a plane seat) up north and then another two hour bus ride to her small village. You may think this seems like a long trip but remember there are two provinces further north then the Adamoua. The camp was held over five days for about 28 13-17 years olds in the community. The camp was mostly health focused with classes on malaria, HIV AIDS, diarrea, future planning, gender equality; but also included sports, art and some environmental topics. The camp went over really well, considering none of the kids realy had a conception of what a camp is.
I should say that the Adamoua province and this small village of Tournigal are extremely different then where I live. This is a Muslim area and being a small village, Muslim traditions are even stronger. Polygamy, gender roles, lack of education, lack of development all much more pronounced then where I’m posted. Also this is a savanna plateau, which is very beautiful with its green rolling hills, occasional mountains and thousands of cows. As opposed to my jungle of trees, bushes and more trees, chez moi. Ever since we found out our posts, a joke among us has been the huge difference in posts between Ali and the other health volunteers. When together she would always stress the differences in post and ask us if we thought our posts where like hers. Until we got sick of her and just laughed when she asked. But I can say it is very different. Beginning with the complete lack of alcohol in her village. But we got around that by sneaking in our own little bags of whiskey to drink amongst us Americans at night. Also her village is very small, maybe a thousand people, so everyone knows her, constantly calls her name and kids followed us around all week.
The camp went really well and gave me a lot of good ideas for when i run my own camp and gave me good practice doing presentations. I’m now pretty excited to get back to post and work for a solid month on some projects of my own.
I miss everyone back home and am glad to hear any updates I can through my family or with facebook. Take care Ben
Bwix, Glad to hear all is well. Camp is not the same without you. Everyone says hi! Talk to you soon! Love your big sis!
what an experience you are having. i hope you are enjoying your time there… so different from time here. you have already been there almost a year i guess.