Back to Bafia

As I am always one to keep promises, I headed back to visit the host family and friends in Bafia. Remember that odd, nostalgic feeling when one visits their old high school? It was EXACTLY like that!

The City Itself 

 

After the car took off from Yaounde, we had to turn around as the driver forgot to take a generator. C’est normale. Two hours later, I was back on a moto in the center of Bafia watching the town I spent three months living in go by. It was bigger than I remembered it and though the same, there were small changes like umbrellas in a local bar and a new hotel. 

The People

Simon at the post office was happy to see me as I mailed out my holiday cards and Shantal, one of the first neighbors I ever met, yelled at me on the moto like it was just yesterday that we had seen each other. And the family? Well, right when I walked in the door, it felt like nothing had changed. I definitely (and they definitely) could tell that my French had improved, but other than that? Felt just like I had come home from a day of training.

I headed over to the house of Tatiana, the nine-year-old kid that would wait to walk me home nearly every single day of training. As I had the wrong phone number for her mom, it was a fun surprise to show up at the house. Wearing her blue school uniform and an over-sized backpack, the once timid kid yelled out my name and ran for a big hug – adorable!

The Business Impact!

The best part of the visit back to Bafia was seeing the entrepreneur and cyber café that I consulted for two months during training. At the end of Pre-Service Training, he had started an accounting system (he didn’t write anything down before) and minus a few fluke expenses, he was making a profit.

Flash forward four months later…

He’s made over 400,000CFA worth of profit! During our consulting sessions, he stated that he couldn’t stand it when several high school students would gather around one computer. When I asked why he thought they did that, it was simply because they didn’t have any money. A quick suggestion and a final report later, he decided to take my recommendation and give students a discount. Well, now students pour through the cyber and since he advertised at the local high school, a staff member asked him if he could make and laminate ALL the students’ ID cards! Money!

Further, he opened up a separate business account at MC2 (the host institution many Small Enterprise Development PCV’s work with) and bought computer software that tracked when people use the internet and for how long (an exercise I had him do by hand). His employee stopped the accounting book, but I’ll let that go as he still knows exactly how much he is making. His first two weeks of income go towards expenses and the next two weeks of income go straight to profit. This week alone, he has made 47,000CFA (the same amount that some teachers usually make in two months!).

Who knew that while I would learn to speak French, my small advice might actually have an impact. Hindsight is everything. Good visit if I do say so!

Small Enterprise Development

Over the course of the past eleven weeks, each Small Enterprise Development trainee has consulted a small business. I had my final meeting with my entrepreneur today who owns a cyber cafe in the center of town. Our major accomplishments included:

-Implementing an accounting system - The most important implementation has been the "cahier de caisse," a simplified method of accounting. He records his expenses and revenues on a daily basis (he didn't write anything down before!) and has been teaching the accounting method to the other employees.

-Performing a SWOT: We conducted a SWOT analysis of the cyber cafe. He is looking into other opportunities such as selling cell phone credit or snacks.

-Looking at benefits versus costs - After having his employees track when, who, and how long each customer uses the computers, we decided it was unnecessary to buy another computer as that would just be an added expense; there would not be enough benefit versus the cost. Thus, the focus is not so much expansion
at the moment, but rather improvement on attracting clientele.

-Budgeting - He has made a personal and business budget - something I think everybody should do!

-And...minus a few fluke expenses this past month, he is making a profit!

With my entrepreneur, Jean Marie and his cyber cafe

We will continue our working relationship as I plan to revisit Bafia in the future. And as a thank you, he gave me a "cadeau" (gift in French): pagne tissue! Time to make another Cameroonian dress!

Motorized Canoes Anyone?

Peace Corps Training Days

Pictures of a Peace Corps Trainee's life in Bafia, Cameroun:

The postal service vans of Cameroun - festive!

My host mom making kous kous

Shantal and her lovely family that I visit from time to time

My host mom in the traditional kitchen in the backyard

Bike rides in Bafia keep me sane!

One of the awesome kids that sells delicious beignets

The June 2010 Small Enterprise Development Peace Corps Trainees

Bike Ride in Bafia, Cameroon

Life as a Peace Corps Trainee

It’s Sunday today, or as the Cameroonians like to write: Bafia, le dimanche, 25 juillet 2010 (that could still be wrong though as my Francais is still just a bit…or rather…really, really, weak).

Life as a Peace Corps Trainee in Cameroon consists of eleven weeks of technical, cultural, medical, and language training. I’m up at 6:45AM and in the Peace Corps training center until 4:30PM. Though the evenings are free, it seems that I’m always busy doing something. Here’s a glimpse into reality:

-Small Enterprise Development: I’m currently consulting a cyber café in the center of town. He’s a full-time teacher looking for ways to better manage his business. Thus far, I’ve had him implement a new accounting method (in other words, he didn’t have one before!) and we’ve figured out a few ways to lower his monthly expenses. We speak French, English, and “Franglais” and somehow we make it work!

-Local Language and Culture: It’s necessary to know French, but if you attempt to speak the local language of Bafia and even just say hello (pronounced “Y-um-bay”), they will love you! Did it at the market and received eight tomatoes instead of five for 100CFA – equivalent to about $0.20US. Everything is negotiable here.

-Kids: They love us! Whether I walk home at 4:30PM or 7PM, there’s a seven-year-old that always keeps a look out and accompanies me back to my house. She’s only about three-and-a-half feet tall, but it’s nice having a miniature body guard.

-Current Happenings: I was living in Manhattan and wearing a cocktail dress a few weeks ago…and I need a night out…and thus, I am organizing a discotheque night for the crew. No worries though! I am working hard (see Small Enterprise Development section above).

-Happiness: Watching “Family Matters” in French while reading the magazine “Planete Enfants” has become one of my new favorite activities with my host family.

The most difficult part is the language barrier…and the fact that I really, really miss greasy American food. As we’re only Peace Corps Trainees at the moment, we hope to achieve the honorable status of “Peace Corps Volunteer” soon! On se voit!

Pictures Galore

I already have hundreds, but here are some quick pics and a video of life as a Peace Corps Trainee in Cameroon:

The oxen that block my path home everyday around 5PM

Being Camerounaise with a traditional pagne

On the way to meet the U.S. Ambassador i.e. one of the only times
I've worn makeup or gotten dressed up

My washing machine

Meeting my community host, Haouwou, and her baby!

On the way to Beka, a village outside of Ngaoundere

With two Cameroonians from a Village Savings & Loan Association
I could potentially work with

The Cameroonian landscape on the way to the Adamoua - gorgeous!

Things That Surprise Me About Bafia, Cameroon

1- Toothpaste is more expensive here than in the States even taking into consideration the exchange rate. A travel size Colgate is $1 in the U.S. and $1.25 here. What?

2- The humidity is crazy hot and it feels like 90F, yet I enjoy wearing long skirts and pants. Why? Damn mosquitoes.

3- I do not understand how I ever lived life without a pocket knife or a bucket.

4- People yell LA BLANCHE at me! If anybody has lighter skin than them, they are called white; thus, I am a white person here!