Traveling Off-the-Beaten Path: Maga & Pouss, Cameroon

My favorite places to travel are the places most people won't. This is not so much because the places are unattractive, but rather, they are so far off-the-beaten path that they are just unheard of by any normal person. And this is where I like to step in.

From the regional capital of Maroua, Crystal Leanza, Andrew Barrisser, Andrea DeRocco and I headed off to the village of Pouss with the 6:30AM agency car of D'jumare.

Tip: Tuesdays are market day at Pouss! This makes transportation much easier and the village becomes alive.

Motorcycle helmets are necessary for any Peace Corps Volunteer to wear. Annoying to carry around, they do make great impromptu chairs!

A couple hours later (and after a lot of dust due to the unpaved road), we finally reached Pouss. Just as I expected, we were in the middle-of-nowhere! Luckily, nobody seemed too phased to see four random Americans in their village. It was market day after all and we were just shopping like everyone else!

Pouss was a gem! Here, we stumbled across Muslim men hand-making leather sleeves for knives. My friends piled up on the small knives selling for just 800CFA (~$1.60US) each.

A Pouss specialty - making traditional knife sleeves from leather

After exploring a bit more, we came across traditional blacksmiths of the Extreme North. These happy-go-lucky men allowed us to sit around their fire while watching them make everything from shovels to axes.

The happiest traditional blacksmiths in Pouss

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Pouss was its decorated clay homes. I'll let the photo speak for this one!

The traditional painted-clay homes of Pouss. He was so nice to let us take this photo!

We soon jumped on a motobike and headed to Maga, another village just 10km away. Though our motobike broke down (c'est la vie), we manged to make it as...well, things here in Cameroon always seem to just work out!

After speaking with some very nice locals, they took us on a canoe ride around the Logon River for just 2.000CFA (~$4US). The Logon River separates Cameroon and Chad and for anyone interested in nature, my science teaching colleagues found some interesting sealife!

Canoe ride on the Logon River

Short clips from our day as my camera can automatically record a few seconds before every picture. Enjoy!

Governor's Support for the Peace Corps

One of the reasons why I love working with the Peace Corps is the amount of respect that one receives overseas. After I ran into the Governor of the Adamawa region during a women's entrepreneurship event, he requested that I set up a meeting to discuss my development projects.

When I showed up to his office, there were actually 10 people in line in front of me (appointments regularly overlap or become cancelled due to "African time"), so I waited patiently.  As the Governor walked out, everyone stood up and he stated that I was a Peace Corps member and he had to meet with me first.

The conversation consisted of updates from my projects (see "My Peace Corps Projects" to the right) and how development is a slow process, but a possible one.  It was a quick half-an-hour, but ended with him complimenting my work and the Peace Corps as he gave me a Chinese fan as a present!  

Excellent meeting!

 

 

 The Governor of the Adamawa and me in his official office

 

One of the projects discussed during our conversation involving a women's micro-credit cooperative that I organized.  In their first year, they received a 20% ROI!

And What Didn't Make News Headlines...

This story won't make the major news broadcasts tonight nor will it be written about in any newspapers. Even though a cyber cafe can be found down the street (very rare in general in West Africa), the most coverage this story will get will be this lonely blog post, lost amongst millions of personal blog posts worldwide.

You see, the Petite Marche ("Small Market") burnt down last night. At 11PM, a gas tank accidentally exploded in the Jolie-Soir neighborhood of Ngaoundere, Cameroon. I know this because I live down the street from it all. There were motobikes and police cars going to and from the market; my friends called to see if I was okay. My home is made from cement, so there was nothing to worry about...for me at least.

While I was with the wife of a traditional chief today, she told me that her husband's friend had lost everything in his boutique. The African fabric, the luggage, and the products that were imported. Muslims here don't have bank accounts or insurance, another friend says. People have been afraid of banks since the financial crash of the 1990s. Every time a microfinance institution closes due to insufficient loan reimbursements, all the clients lose everything. He had hid his life savings underneath the boutique. Everything burned with it.

My best friend Dali and I went to see whatever remained of the market. I looked for the guy that I buy my soccer jerseys from. Was he here? I would have no clue; his boutique has vanished. Merchant that I bought shoes from last week? Nowhere, nothing.


The mommas selling vegetables are still there as well as the butchers. They were untouched. The part that burned down is the "Beverly Hills" section of the market - the boutiques that sell the most expensive products in the city. Ironic right? Dali tells me that some people lost over 15,000,000CFA (~$30,000US). The World Bank estimates that the average income in Cameroon is just over $1100US.


That's just an estimate though. Wikipedia also estimates Ngaoundere's population to be 200,000, but all the locals tell me it's around 400,000. And if you ask the locals how many boutiques were lost, you'll hear estimates of varying numbers.

That's how everything just is here sometimes. Guesses, uncertainty.


The kids are digging through the ashes for coal to cook with. They aren't really aware about what's going on. But then again, who really is?

Daily Life in the Peace Corps: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

I spent the afternoon in the village of Beka Hossere just 5km outside of Ngaoundere. With a population of 3,000 people who have all been here for years, it really is the kind of place where everybody knows your name.

My postmate, Cyrus Suleman, and I started the Beka Hossere youth group's first savings meeting. Two girls saved 100CFA a piece, the equivalent of saving $.20US each. The group members applauded before going outside and doing what Cameroonians do best: dance!

Awesome function on my camera. It records a couple seconds before each picture is taken. And no, I don't really dance like that!

Presenting Aflatoun! A Social and Financial Curriculum

When my brother and I were teenagers, my dad always liked to say, "Treat your credit card like your debit card." That meant to pay it off in full every month and if you couldn't afford something, you wouldn't charge or buy it. I also opened my first savings account at six years old at Kinecta Federal Credit Union (the account still exists today!). Both my brother and I graduated college debt-free (albeit normal student loans) with solid credit scores and emergency savings.

It doesn't matter how much money you have; it's how you manage it (we see rich celebrities go bankrupt after earning more money that most of us see in a lifetime). Money habits are formed at a young age and learning financial literacy in childhood can set you up for a lifetime of monetary security.

Children under 14-years-old comprise 40% of the population of Cameroon. Thus, my latest Peace Corps project involved the expansion of Aflatoun, a social and financial literacy program for youths.

Aflatoun is the name of a friendly fireball that teaches everything from equal rights to savings to enterprise creation (and yes, he has his own music video). This is all done through child-friendly activities and savings clubs.

The past three days were spent performing a Training-of-Trainers as a teacher that implemented the program last year traveled to help us out! During the training, teachers and youth leaders went through the same activities as the children will go through as well as debated about equality, cultural diversity, etc.

As you can see, the training sessions are highly interactive!

Giving a calabash gift to our Aflatoun trainer (middle) as a representative of the Ministry of Education (left) looks on

Congrats to all the participants!

*As of July 2012, 135 students across three schools are participating in the Aflatoun program in the Adamawa region.  Plans for the 2012-2013 school year will include expansion to 1,000+ students in the region!

The Power of Michael Jackson

Here in this sleepy city of Ngaoundere, Cameroon...here in West Africa, a local break dancing hip hop group held a tribute concert to Michael Jackson 2 1/2 years later.

R.I.P. M.J.

Fete du Mouton a.k.a. Eid Al-Adha a.k.a. Festival of Sacrifice/Sheep (Part 2)

And the celebration continues!

After eating another delicious sheep meal at my counterpart's house, we headed off to the Lamido Palace. The Lamido is the traditional chief here in Ngaoundere and though the palace isn't too large, the shows during the holidays are very grandiose!

Crowd waiting for the show to start with everyone wearing traditional Muslim clothing

Traditional music

Faces in the crowd

The Lamido, Ngaoundere's traditional chief. To salute him,
you must fist pump with both hands!


The "Fantasia" horse show

Adorable kids in their party outfits

Later that evening, I had, yes, meals at three more houses! Though I naturally have a small appetite, I was able to pass on some food to the little guy below.

Bonne fete!

Fete du Mouton a.k.a. Eid Al-Adha a.k.a. Festival of Sacrifice/Sheep

Bonne fete!

Fete du Mouton is a Muslim holiday celebrated roughly 70 days after the end of Ramadan, the once-a-year fast for Muslims. The day commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God; however, God provided a sheep (“mouton” in French!) to be sacrificed instead.

Thus, Cameroonians do what they do best today: eat good food i.e. sheep! The festivities last through tomorrow, so my kitchen will rest untouched the next couple days while I have a handful of houses to share meals with!

Dali, one of my neighbors and best friends, proudly displaying our feast! Presentation is everything.

It's family-style eating! Everyone eats off one plate, but since I'm the American, they provide me with my own plate.

Adorable kids of Tongo Pastoral.

Getting Cameroonian sipa done (equivalent of Indian henna). I was told the appointment would be at 3PM, but African time took over, so now it's 7PM!

Isn't it beautiful?

Yes, This is My Movie Audition

Auditioned for a vampire movie today at Alliance Francais. Internet is too slow to upload a video, but have no worry...my drama skills for the "Best Actress" Award back in high school came alive :)

I believe this is the most random post on my blog thus far.

Random Cameroonian Things I See From my Front Porch in Ngaoundere

Title says it all.

If that's not a baby on board, I don't know what is...

Ya know...just a man selling egg sandwiches and mayonnaise on his head

Peanuts and a cute, sleeping baby!


Anyone need a bucket?

No matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to balance anything on my head
and walk at the same time


Awesome traditional outfit

This One's For You, Kid: Skype Session!

This post is a shout-out to Nick Kump. He religiously keeps up with my blog (even though my updates are months behind) and even throws in comments for good measure.

I'm a pretty lucky as I'm one of the 5% of PCVs in Cameroon that has internet fast enough to video Skype from home (go Ringo!). So here's Nick!


Fun fact: Nick was a good college friend and moved to Sacramento after graduation. My brother moved to the city for work and they happened to live in the same apartment complex. A few months later, they became roommates without any introduction from me whatsoever. Small world!

Cameroon's Election Day

Happy Election Day, Cameroon! As a PCV, I'm restricted from publicly speaking or publishing my political opinions (see disclaimer on bottom of website). Thus, this post will provide a bit of background of Cameroonian politics and how Election Day works!

Paul Biya, Cameroon's current president, has been in power for the last 29 years. Presidential elections are held every 7 years and before 2004, there was a two-term limit for Presidents. After Biya was re-elected in 2004, he revised the Constitution eliminating the term limits.

Peace Corps Volunteers were put on "No Travel" during the election period as we patiently waited to see the outcome. As everything in the city closed down for voting, I wandered Ngaoundere with Abdul, my 12-year-old sidekick/neighbor to check out the election process in action.

Like in the U.S., people must register before Voting Day. The day of, each voter receives a ballot for every candidate that is running. The ballots are color-coated with the candidates' photo as the illiteracy rate is high, so voters can just look at the ballots without reading.

The ballots of the October 2011 Presidential Elections of Cameroon. Twenty-three ballots for each of the 23 candidates.

Polling place. Voters put their respective ballot in the envelope behind the curtain and then into the ballot box.

I know who you voted for!

After voters put their ballot into the envelope, they leave the polling place with the other 22 ballots to do as they wish. Thus, for the next few weeks, locals will use the ballots as scratch paper, etc.

Things are relatively peaceful, so this PCV won't be evacuated from the country anytime soon! And yes, Paul Biya won again.

Daily Life in Cameroon

Since the beginning of this blog, I wanted to focus on travel and the adventures that came with it. Thus, I've always written about that one-in-a-million exciting event and the once-in-a-lifetime trip. Let this post; however, be just a glimpse into the everyday, no biggie part of my life here in Cameroon.

Hail for the first time in Ngaoundere in years! Everyone ran so fast and it sounded like my tin roof was caving in.

Little Seurah, my next door neigbor! This is the coloring book you sent over Mom! She loved it though we had to talk to her about sharing habits (or lack thereof).

My neighbor making cous-cous Cameroonian style. She is sifting the corn before mashing it and turning it in a cauldron-like pot.

"I love my country, I love peace!" Let's hope this holds true for the
national elections in a few days.

Buying oranges right outside the market. You can't see the baby attached to her back, but the little guy is there!

I always buy garlic and onions from this neighbor who is always preparing some type of food regardless of the time. Here she is cracking open the Cameroonian version of sunflower seeds.

C'est la vie.