Best Day Ever!

I just had an awesome day and figured I’d let you know what constitutes “awesome” out here. I woke up and had a cup of hot chocolate. Power was on. I got to watch a TV show. I had sunflower seeds for breakfast. It stopped raining! I hiked out to my water project site, which is about and hour and a half away. It was all misty and beautiful and not hot, which makes for the best walking conditions. I met a bunch of people I knew on the way and even got two marriage proposals (along with the offer of a plot of land, should I accept).

            “What did you bring me?”

            “Nothing, what did you bring me?”

            “I have a plot of land for you! You can garden it.”

            “You know I don’t know how to farm.”

            “That’s why I’ve told you to marry me already. I will teach you how to farm your plot when you marry me!”

Then I reached the village and the entire community was doing labor for the project! Every single person was working! Then a boy killed a viper! They cut it up and cooked it and I got to eat it and it was so nice! Then, the Chief and a few other “big men” (very important people) showed up! I was given a glass of wine. They took me back in their car! I got to ride in a car! They gave me bread! And 5 cans of soda! Then I went to see my counterpart and she had prepared me my favorite local meal, ndole! It was fantastic.

Also, I can’t wait for the days when some bread and soda aren’t the basis for an awesome day. But for now, it’ll do!

Riders Against Drunk Driving Program

After a long wait, I have finally unveiled my latest project—one that combats drunk driving amongst motorcycle riders. I have wanted to work with the drivers, or “okada men,” since I arrived, but, as usual, faced several setbacks along the way. The okada men are a very important group to work with because they are considered an at-risk population. As young men with a certain amount of income and a means of travel, they are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. They are often known in communities as big drinkers and players. Often they have not completed school, but are still young and are open to information. They also interact with many people every day, and can serve as a source of education to others.

They are also responsible for nearly all transport in and out of town, and carry many people every day. Despite this fact, they have a strong penchant for drinking. Often while still on the job. It is not uncommon to see a driver gulp down a beer so that he can jump on his bike to take the newly arrived passenger— or even to see a rider with a sachet (a baggie of hard alcohol) hanging out of his mouth while cruising around. The fact is, most people in Cameroon have very little alcohol education. Growing up they never get any lessons in school on the subject— certainly no “Every 15 Minutes” simulations. They don’t even receive any campaigns against drunk driving or the affects of alcohol. There are no TV commercials condemning it, no billboards denouncing, not even any prosecution by law enforcement. Many don’t realize that certain alcohols have higher concentrations than others. And while they certainly have experience with alcohol, they have never had its affects laid out for them. They don’t know the health affects it has on the body. They haven’t specifically been told the influence it has on driving abilities. And they haven’t necessarily stopped to think about it before.

I have started a program with them that covers attitudes towards alcohol, the affects of alcohol on the body, the affects of alcohol on driving, the health affects of alcohol, the economic consequences of alcohol, alcohol myths, and related risky behaviors associated with alcohol (like violence, unprotected sex, HIV, etc). Around 20 men attend the weekly sessions. The lessons are discussion based and interactive, but also have some lecturing involved. So far, the okada men seem very interested and appreciative. After each class they thank me and have told me they have learned something new, or that I have given them something to think about. Ultimately, I hope that drunk driving will decrease, but at the very least that these men will be able to make informed decisions regarding their lifestyles and that they will increase their knowledge on how their actions affect their health. 

The Water Project Goes On

The community of Akid continues to work hard on the project. We have now completed the water tank, but are still struggling to finish up the filter. Everything seems to take longer than expected. Like, a lot longer. But it’s going, that’s the good news. Everyday I walk up to the village (it’s about an hour and a half from my house) to oversee the work and help motivate the people there. They are always encouraged to see me. The men have been learning how to mix concrete, how to do the formwork for the structures, and how to pour the concrete. 

The women are typically responsible for the transportation of materials to the site. They use the baskets they use on their farms to carry stones, sand, and water to the site so the men can mix the concrete. 

Together, they all dig pipeline. Work is going to have to start moving a bit faster if we expect to finish in time for rainy season, but I expect it to happen! The engineer has returned home for a bit and won’t be around again until July, so we have the rest of June to finish things up. When he does come back, he will connect the pipes and do the finishing touches, and hopefully we’ll have a functional water system then!

Stranger Things

I have just about seen it all. Motorcycles transport almost anything here. I have seen live goats, pigs, dogs, and chickens carried on motorcycles. I have seen numerous crates of beer. I have seen mattresses, I have seen tables and chairs. I have seen entire couches strapped to the back. I have watched five people squeeze onto one. I have seen heavy things, I have seen many things., I have seen awkward things. But today was the first time I have seen a corpse go by. That’s right. The body was wrapped in a shroud and then wrapped in a thin layer of foam, and tied to a wooden plank with rubber straps, which was then attached to the front of the motorcycle. I suppose it was just a sensible way to transport a body, but after that, I’m not so sure I want to know what I will see next!

A Day in the Life

This morning, I woke up when the mothers began cooking in the kitchen outside my bedroom. They clang pots and pans and shout at their children to bring this, wash that, and generally make a lot of noise. Power has also just returned to village after a month hiatus, and people are happy to begin blaring their music at 6:00am. By 6:30am I finally accepted the fact I would not be able to fall back asleep, and I should just get up (this battle occurs nearly every morning). I had work to do for my water project, and had to go to the nearby town of Tombel to purchase some materials. I went out to find a bike rider to drive me. I saw several, all of whom were eating at the local “chop mamas,” women who serve food out of coolers at little roadside shacks. I approached them and asked if any would take me to Tombel. All of them said no. This I will never understand. Why are you a bike rider if you refuse to take me where I need to go? Where I am paying you to go? It’s your job! It is what you have decided to do as a career! I pleaded with some of them. No, none of them wanted to go to Tombel. I went to wait at the health center for a bit and played with babies. Then I tried again. I new rider had arrived, and he was willing to take me. I climbed onto the motorcycle and off we went… for two hours. After the two hour motorcycle ride, I arrived in Tombel. There is another PCV who lives in Tombel, and she said I could stay at her house while I was in town. I go to her house and discover a random Cameroonian man inside. I call her. She has hired a man to look after her dog, and he has apparently interpreted her dog-sitting invitation as a house-sitting invitation as well. I drop my things off and say hello to the man. I then go out on my mission: to buy an empty propane tank, which will be used in the pump system. I go to the first store and ask for one. We cannot sell them empty anymore, the man tells me. I ask if he knows of another shop that is still willing to sell the empty bottles. “You cannot find them in Tombel,” he replies. While a bit daunting, I have learned never to take what someone says as the definite truth in this country, until you have explored every aspect yourself. So I went to the next store. No. Next. No. Starting to possibly believe him…. Next. Yes. I buy the bottle. Now, I have to get someone to weld iron rods onto it. The things I do in Cameroon. And strangely enough, I actually know a welder. He is also a driver and has transported materials for me already. I take the propane bottle to him and he fixes some iron rods onto it, no problem! I’m now done with the things I came to do. I decide to go to the tailor and order some clothes. I have been holding onto some fabric for a while, but have not had anything made out of it. I bring it to the tailor. She takes my measurements, I make a few sketches of what I want, and then I go. I come home and the man is still there. He is taking a nap in the spare bedroom. Power has gone out and I’m a bit bored, but since my friend is away I’m not sure what to do. I decide to go get some dinner. I walk out of the house and pass a bar, and who is there but the welder! “Allely, come buy me a drink!” This is not a rude thing to say here, people are always asking for you to buy them drinks, and it is just as appropriate for you to ask the same of them. I normally try not to buy drinks for people, however, but he had definitely done me a big favor today, so I accept. I sit down and have a drink with my friend the welder. Where else would this happen? He then goes and buys fried pork from a roadside stand with plantains and brings it back for us to eat. I eat my dinner and then go home to go to bed. And that’s the end to a day of my life here. 

Water Project Update

After many failed attempts at finding an engineer who would actually show up, I am pleased to say I not only found an engineer who shows up, but a very good engineer to boot! We have hired a man who is originally from Italy, living in Cameroon to work on his own water project, who has volunteered to donate his time and energy to our project in Akid. I could not be more thankful. After hiring four separate engineers, all who promised to come to the site on a certain day to begin work, only to fail to appear —eventually making it very clear to us that they were not going to work for us (for example, by ignoring my desperate phone calls or by sending a man to notify me I should look for someone else)—I was ultimately forced to go through the hiring process five distinct times. I was, therefore, imaginably thrilled when our current engineer arrived in Akid on his scheduled date. He met with the community and began inspecting the site. That first day we were able to map out the route from the river to the catchment to the filtration tank to the pipeline down into the village to the different spigot sites. 

The engineer went back to begin calculations and plan the project form a logistical standpoint. He has discovered that a pump engine is not necessary in this case and that he can create a pump that will be powered by harnessing the power of the river. This is wonderful news for the community. If the project required the engine pump, the community would be responsible for buying fuel, going to the site to actually fuel the engine, and repairing any problems with the pump. It’s a lot more responsibility and a lot more costly. This new solution will help the already poor village save money, and will be easier to take care of and fix should problems arise. The community is very happy about it. With the plans complete, the community then began the labor aspect of the work. 

They had to clear bush and jungle to make paths for pipeline and for tanks. They had to shift sand for the filter. They had to cut poles to mark the path. They had to create planks of wood for laying the concrete. They had to dig areas for the tanks. And most importantly, they had to dig meters of pipeline. It was a true community effort. 

Each day, women, men, and sometimes even children and dogs, went out to the work sites and began contributing. 

Sometimes when you work that hard, you deserve a sugarcane break. 

Then it’s back to work, marking the path, clearing, digging, and carrying materials to the site! 

This old pa is making baskets so the women can carry sand and stones up to the filtration tank in them. Literally everyone has a role to play. 

I have been unbelievably impressed by the community’s efforts in this project and the dedication they have shown. While I am out this week, they are supposed to finish all the digging and will begin pouring concrete. It looks like this project might finally be coming to completion! 

When finished, water from a nearby river will be collected at the catchment and pumped to a filtration tank where it will be filtered into clean, drinkable water, which will become accessible to the community at four spigots in the village. Women and children will no longer have to spend time each day trekking to rivers and hauling water home, and the water they use will be clean and free of disease! 

Handball Champs

The girl’s handball team of the local elementary school has been making headlines in Cameroon (metaphorically speaking)! The girls, ages 10 to 12 years, have been on a winning streak, and even became the champions of the South West region! The way in which they reached the title is almost unbelievable. If you love a good Cinderella story, this one’s for you!

The first match the girls played was located at the county’s capital, nearly 20 miles away. To get there, the girls had to walk. They trekked together, up a mountainous dirt road, passing farms along the way. I normally travel this road on a motorcycle. It is not an easy walk. It also normally takes me about two hours. The girls left at 8:00am and arrived sometime around 2:00pm. That’s right, 10-year-old girls walked over 6 hours, as fast as their little legs could carry them, 20 miles, so that they could play in their match. As tired as they were, they still had not even done what they had come to do. When they arrived, they were expected to stay with relatives or friends who had homes there. The next morning, they played.

Handball is a sport played on a field similar to a soccer field. There is a goal on either end, protected by a goalie. There are forwards, mid-field, and defense players. Participants dribble the ball as they run up or down the field, passing as they go. Only the use of one hand is allowed, except for when catching the ball.

The girls won.

They now were to go on to the next round. This location was much further away. Again, the girls had to trek to the capital. From there, they caught a truck. They crowded into the bed of the truck and stood the entire journey, holding onto modified rails that surrounded the truck bed.  When they reached the town, they slept on the floor of the local elementary school.

They won again. This put them into the Championships for the South West Region.

Again, they stood in the back of a truck while they travelled to the city. This time, from there, they were able to all cram into a small bus to go to the capital of the South West, Buea. There, they were able to sleep in a school dormitory.

They became the champions and took the first place title for handball. They will now go on to compete at the national level, and will play against the winners of the other regions. I congratulate them on their success so far and wish them the best of luck!