What Just Happened?

This morning I made a speech promoting savings accounts for women. It was made in a Lutheran church to 500+ Cameroonians in a language that I still do not fully understand.

This is life.

My Finished Apartment!

Peace Corps housing can vary by country, culture, city, and well...from a closed mud hut to a concrete house. Uniquely, this Peace Corps Volunteer lives in a city apartment that is furnished with every color of the rainbow.

After months of housework and purchases, the apartment is finally done!

Living room entrance view (top photo) and kitchen view (bottom photo)

Bedroom complete with mosquito nets and electric toothbrushes

Kitchen without sink (I make it work)

All-in-one bathroom/shower

Best part of the apartment - the balcony!

Breaking the Caisse a.k.a. Finishing a Full VSLA Cycle!

Another women’s VSLA savings group finished their first cycle today (a.k.a. breaking the cashbox/caisse). Results? The women received over a 50% return on their yearlong savings! For every 1,000CFA saved ($2US), the women received 1,556CFA ($3US) back. The average return received by those who saved was 35,000CFA ($70US) with the highest saver receiving over 90,000CFA ($180US) back. The cash out was exciting to see as the concept of saving money can be unheard of and difficult – go ladies of Mandamsa!

Finishing a savings cycle and receiving over a 50% return!

I also received four packages with letters today making the day complete (though one included test prep books ordered from Amazon Africa). Items included a Nicholas Sparks’ book (thanks, Brenda!), parmesan cheese (thanks, Brittany!), and a dried orchid (thanks, Nick!).

Just Another Day...

As the train arrived in 15 hours from Yaounde to Ngaoundere (train rides can range from 13-16 hours, though it is not unheard of to be delayed on a train derailment up to 36 hours), I was able to make it back to my house to charge my phone and drop off luggage before heading to my women’s VSLA savings group meeting at 9:30AM.

Today, the group started their third savings cycle and thus, revisited the VSLA constitution. This provided a great chance to really discuss group problems and see leadership develop. Being thorough, the group members spoke up until 11:45AM!

The VSLA savings group of Kawtal Robbe

Wanting to make it to my MC2 before it closed at noon, I called fellow PCV, Harley Hunner, to wait for me outside of the PC transit house. While taking a moto-taxi, I motioned for another moto-taxi to follow us. Right when we arrived, we picked Harley up and made it to the MC2 right as they were closing up for the day.

Currently doing a book donation project to the University of Ngaoundere, we wanted to talk to the Loan Agent about the proper procedures. He had spoken to his faculty contact there and they requested a formal letter.

Back at the PC transit house, I helped another PCV to use my computer for Skype and then had lunch at The Concorde (can be found on Google Earth!) with three other PCVs.

At 3:30PM, I headed off to the neighborhood of “Douze Poteaux” where my women’s group planned to congregate before heading off to the Governor’s house. They had arranged a meeting to give him crops from their farm in light of the new year. This, according to the President, would hopefully be the beginning of a partnership.

Luckily, I had the Governor’s cell phone number as well and I was able to call him and say that I wanted to say hello with my women’s group. He showed up not too long after and gave the group advice on how to get help from the State.

After making some quick food chez moi (my home), I headed off to meet the other PCVs before heading out to…the Karaoke Bar! Though not open yet, the owners love PCVs and we were invited back to enjoy a pre-opening Saturday night. Who knew I would have a karaoke bar down the street from me in the Peace Corps? Such is life…

Yes, that's right. This is Ngaoundere's first karaoke
bar complete with a bubble machine!

Time in Yaounde with Some Volunteers

A recent business trip took me back down to Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon and headquarters of the Peace Corps. A handful of PCVs are dubbed “Contact Volunteers” – meaning that if there is any kind of emergency, it’s our job to contact the other PCVs around us and relay information. This is actually an interesting process as should a large event happen, cell phone service may very well be cut. So to contact my other PCVs? I will send message by a moto-man and/or agency. They’ll take the message to the “American” living in town and that’s that. Simple huh?

When the conference was finished, we were lucky enough to have some time to explore Yaounde. First stop: the Artisinat (artisan market) for Cameroonian paintings, jewelry, and handmade crafts. Second stop: La Pailotte for some Vietnamese food!

Happy with our free necklaces

Ashley Johnson sporting her personalized made PC jacket

Enjoying Vietnamese food at La Pailotte

Ethan dancing the night away

My Balcony View

I used to see taxis out my window in America...now I see the the traditional chief's posse and his horses.

Ngaoundere, Cameroon

Oh, Transportation in Cameroon

While traveling by bush taxi on an unpaved and rocky road, I spent three hours in between my buddy’s legs as there were eight of us in the car (two people in driver’s seat, two people in passenger seat, and four of us in the back seat of the taxi)…sometimes you are pushed out of your comfort zone here in Cameroon.

Example of two people in the driver’s seat in a bush taxi

The travels of the day…

At 5:30AM, our bush taxi comes to pick us up and guess who pops out of the back seat? Our random medallion-wearing Cameroonian friend (see post below!). He says he is here to keep us safe and we are happy.

We travel for three hours by the bush taxi from the village of Mundemba to Kumba. Three hours was actually record time as the driver flew!

For one hour, we take an agency car (20+person caravan) from Kumba to the Southwest regional capital of Buea.

From Buea to Yaoundé (the country’s capital city and Peace Corps’ headquarters), we take another agency car for six hours. When we finally arrive in Yaoundé, we catch a taxi (which can take half an hour or so to find a taxi going your way).

By this time, it is 7PM, thirteen hours later, and we are exhausted

All this for 475 kilometers (less than 300 miles). I genuinely miss traffic in America.

Korup National Park - Rainforest Time!

Last night I spotted a random Cameroonian wearing medallions like “Flavor Flave” and a fisheman’s hat. I thought nothing about it until we saw him today…he had helped the other PCVs to find spaghetti omelettes (a normal treat here in Cameroon) and had later led me to my friends. You always have random Cameroonians helping you and it’s always more fun when they sport such bizarre attire.

Our savoir!

Today’s adventure was the highlight of the trip: trekking through the rain forest! Korup National Park is considered Africa’s oldest and most diverse rainforest. The most developed park in Cameroon, the 1260km forest is full of trails and suspension bridges. To set up a tour, call Obensam Oben at +237 77 60 15 10 or email Obensam@yahoo.com.

Entering Korup National Park

Though the trail we took to the Mana Waterfall only allowed us to hear birds overhead and chase a few butterflies, Korup is the single richest lowland site in Africa with over 400 species of birds and 1,000 species of butterflies. The road to Mundemba is rough (four hours on a unpaved road in a bush taxi), but the WWF has worked with the Cameroonian government to build it up as a tourist attraction.

The Mana Waterfalls!

Bush taxi transporation in Cameroon

Follow us into the rainforest!

Tip: Beware of the suspension bridge heading to Mana Waterfall! It may be missing a plank or two. Or three.

I think this bridge needs some work....

The Mana Waterfalls - gorgeous!