Hiking in the Hills of Belo, February 2010

Those good days...

Training
Febraury 2010

So, what exactly am I doing in Cameroon anyways? Well, as an Organizational Development Advisor, it is actually quite a rather tricky position, as I’m not a decision-maker, or even really a doer, more of a starter, an encourager, a supporter, a cheerleader, advisor. I make suggestions, and try to convince them that it was their idea in the first place and then sometimes, they may do those things. Other times, I must watch a struggle, so that learning can take place. It is frustrating, no doubt. Progress is slow, but certain days stand out in my mind, that make it all worthwhile. One of those days, was the day I facilitated a workshop on “Human Rights and using Rights Based Approaches to Development”. It was a great group, full of enthusiasm, questions, ideas, conversations… just one of those rare days where I felt I was doing something useful and having much fun!!!

Here’s an “excerpt from the Sun Newspaper in Bamenda about the Training I facilitated on Human Rights.” Just so you can get a taste of the local flavour / perspective... and, please note: I don’t remember using the word: ‘strange’.

NWADO Sensitizes people on Human Rights
BY GEORGE CHIFU
A Non Governmental Organization known by its acronym NWADO has sensitized the population on the basic principles of Human Rights. The sensitization took place November 26, 2009 at the Bamenda NWADO head office during a one day workshop organized by the NGO. Madam Sherry Stevenson, a foreign VSO Volunteer disclosed that the workshop was aimed at developing on understanding of Human Rights, its principles, familiarization with various existing mechanisms in case of violation of Human Rights, how to apply a Rights-Based Approach to work and process to Advocate for Human Rights.
The VSO Volunteer shortly after the workshop briefed the Sun that the workshop brought NWADO members from far and near for sensitization on Human Rights for development. She insinuated that the workshop which had empowered participants, whose approach to societal issues could be strange, might spark problems. The foreign national observed that knowledge of Human Rights can only improve situations despite its strange implementation. Sherry Stevenson further disclosed that there exist mechanisms locally, nationally, and internationally which people could exploit when there is violation of Human Rights. NWADO pledged its readiness to always provide people with right information to direct people to right directions like the Lawyers when Rights are violated.
Quizzed on what NWADO could do if Human rights are politically violated in Cameroon during elections, Madam Stevenson after a deep pause responded that everybody has a Right to Free, Fair and Transparent elections. She however, asserted that in case of unfair elections in Cameroon, NWADO will help monitor and present the situation for everyone to know for possible actions even through international communities.
The workshop was attended by Civil Society Activities, CIGS and associations. At the end of the workshop some participants shared their experiences and lessons with the Sun.
Mr. Nformi Lawrence from Njimnkang Ndu Sub Division said he was impressed with the discoveries on Human Rights which he pledged to share with his people. Mme Florence Woazineh, INADES Formation Cmaeroon promised to sensitize both men and women on Human Rights. She hinted that so many people suffer because of ignorance of their Rights which are also applicable to leisure, homes, and jobs. Mme Florence intimated that the Male Folk shouldn’t be scared by their discoveries because such discoveries will rather enable women work in partnership with men for better results not unhealthy rivalry. Mme Stephanie Tasah, coordinator, Hope for Widows and Orphans Ministries Bamenda noted that the workshop was enriching. She disclosed that most widows who are ignorant about their rights suffer educational set-backs for their children. Such widows encounter obnoxious practice from some Traditional rulers and Fons because of ignorance of the Human Rights. Participants were firm on the resolutions that there is need for massive sensitization on the Basic Principles of Human Rights.

Return

January 15, 2010

After a wonderful holiday... I returned… back to Cameroon for another few months. In many ways, it was as if I hadn’t left, though I did have a little perspective. Seriously, it felt like during the time I had spent in Cameroon before the holidays, nothing ever happened, but then I go away for a few weeks, come back, and boooooommmm... my favourite restaurant right across from my work moved (How could they?!?!?), all the okada (motor-bike drivers) were suddenly wearing proper fluorescent yellow vests with numbers on them, two buildings were built, my neighbour got a hair cut, the container city was being ripped up (literally overnight, a new law was passed that said no containers could be in Bamenda, so the hundreds of containers that lined the streets and markets with shops and hair-salons and pubs were quickly demolished, garbage and destruction everywhere… Bamenda never looked the same!) and finally, the entire city was now covered in a film of brown dust! There was so much dust in the air, it hurt the lungs, the eyes, the smelly feet. Wow,. my house was all closed up, but you won’t believe how quickly the dust was able to sneak in and settle and even how quickly the cobwebs took over. It was quite a mess. And, I still had to wipe the dust off everything each day.

The first few days back in my house were pretty busy, had to fix the electricity and water, get a new gas bottle, and clean up the dust... and pay the bills... funny there should be so much to “fix” when they hadn’t been used in a while???? My neighbour was adamant I was gone for at least two months... it was just too long he said. Anyway, back to the old rhythm, with mixed emotion… strange how that happens.

These are just a few pics from a hike I took to the local Dam with friends, Karly, Marcy, and Divine.

Travel

Travel…

December 10, 2009

So, I went to the bus stop to buy my bus ticket at 6:00AM, then returned to catch the bus that was said to leave at 8:30AM. However, they then realized it was “Clean Up Campaign” Day, so everyone is ‘supposed’ (key word) to be cleaning up the city and no vehicles were allowed on the road, so we would not be departing until NOON! So, I sat around the smelly bus station until then. And, after a long, hot, sweaty ride, made it to the bustling, beautiful city of Douala. Spent the day there, touring around a little and enjoying some local delicacies, primarily seafood. Then headed to the airport... utter caos. No clear line ups. No clear signage. One thing after another, so many stops just to get out of the country. When weighing your bags, you had to fight to keep your spot in line and convince the ticket people that no, it is a bus I’m taking from Montreal to Ottawa, not another airplane... sketchy... my bags did make though, amazingly. Thing was, the flight was delayed by three hours, so I was again, stuck sitting around this crazy, hot airport, for an additional six hours!!! And, no food or water allowed in the lounge, of course, so had to sweat it out in the hallway instead... I was think’n... just get me outta here!!!

Weekend on the white, sandy beach of Kribi.

Nothing says relaxation like the sunset on the beach. During my two weeks in Yaounde, I took a short break with some friends and headed to the beach of Kribi. We were "four chicks in a pick up", haha, goodtimes. What a nice change from the huslte and bustle of the capital city, where the streets are crowded with yellow taxis slowly, cruising by all the people that line up shoulder to shoulder at the end of the workday, shouting out their destinations with more and more desperation on their faces as the time passes, hoping some taxi will finally take them home. Traffic nightmare. What a city! At the beach, no shouting: "la blanche, la blanche, ma cherie, ma pousse", the touristy, fishing town was a nice change and we could hear the sound of the waves as we fell asleep. We visited the fish market and even went out for pizza (with cheese, lots of cheese... mmmm...). I went jogging along the beach each morning, enjoying some seafood, sunshine, and interesting conversations of our Cameroonian experiences.

Craziest thing was the drive... a perfectly paved, flat road (that is unheard of in the north west region!), but people were driving so fast and so crazy, it was really scary. People would pass blindly, completely blindly, on a turn or behind a big truck. (I found out later that that road is all called death road.) Another crazy thing, you see... I'll never get over transportation in Cameroon. You won't believe how many people and how many things they will cram into one tiny car or bus, or all the things (or animals) piled up high on top! Anyway, on that road, I saw a passenger sitting on the hood at 100 miles per hour... and then, when I thought that was bad, we slowly crept up behind a yellow taxi and a saw, hanging out of the trunk, a person's leg, someone was crammed in the trunk of the car among the luggage, with the door pressing down on his head!!!! Helllllooooo! This is crazy. Can you see the black leg and hand hanging out in the photo??? Just when you think you've seen it all, whew!

Scenes from Cameroon

Overlooking Bambili, during our hike to the bat cave!

How do they carry so much on their heads? A skill, I just can't master.

Cameroonian Traffic Jam

Buddies

Drying maize

In the market

Always babies on my back.

Serious business folks, serious business.

Dance of the Elephants

Just some of the North West Region's VSO Volunteers, at our Forum Meeting, that's Bamenda behind us!

Waterfalls, Bambili

Please, someone tell me I'm not really seeing this?

If only there were toilets in Cameroon??? Sigh.

Stuck in the mud, again!

Mosque in Kumbo

Rain in Bamenda's Market

The colours of Africa...

Njama njama anyone?

My neighbours... family meeting, 6AM

It's a rainbow...

BBBBBBBEANS

Teeny tiny Cameroonian feet

Rice Fields

A typical day in the life of Sherry in Cameroon...

5:00 AM: I awake, to the sound of my neighbour’s radio, blasting it’s usually tune from across the street. Every day... the same tune. I rummage around for my ear plugs, shove them back in my ears and drift in and out of sleep for the next hour or so... fighting the comfort of my bed and the sounds of roosters and pigs and life and activity outside.

6:00 AM: I get up, finally. I chug some water and go for jog, dodging mud puddles and rocks, and greeting all the neighbours with a “goodmorning”. People shout: “Whiteman, you go for make sports?” And, sometimes, the children try to run along, giggling, behind me.

I get back home and attend my very own private yoga class (my yoga dvd) in my very own private yoga studio (my spare room, with a straw mat and towel on the floor, very luxurious yoga stretching and meditation). Then, as if I haven’t woken myself up enough... I enjoy a refreshing, freezing cold shower and prepare for the day. I usually pack some fruits and porridge for breakfast and munch on my home-made chapathis with fake nutella on top, Cameroonian styles.

I say “see ya later’ to all my neighbours, who are already outside and have been chopping wood and washing dishes and working for two hours already... and walk down to Mile II Junction and bargain with the usual moto guys. I hop on a motorbike for the bumpy ride through the bustling morning traffic to work... zooming past all those yellow taxis stuck in a pile up!

8:30 AM: I’ve arrived at work, NWADO – the North West Association of Development Organizations, and throughout the day, I will chit chat with my colleagues, review proposals, debate gender issues, plan activities, meet with member organizations, talk with VSO volunteers, edit documents, review our strategic plan, or facilitate workshops or meetings, you know... work stuff. I’ll just leave it like that.

12:30 PM: I’m hungry. So, I’ll usually slip out across the street to “Central Restaurant”, where I’m greeted with “Sister, sister, long time.” (Even though I’m there all the time!) It’s where one can find the best food in Bamenda, (even vegetarian-friendly options) and I’ll have an omelette or salad or beans and rice or njama njama or maybe ndole for lunch... with nice, fresh fruit juice too, usually pineapple or papaya and if mango’s are in season, that’s my favourite.

4:30 PM: By now, I’m heading out of the office and perhaps I’ll wander down the big hill into town to do a few errands in the shops or head to the hectic food market and buy some nice fresh veggies and green chillies and garlic to cook something scrumptious for dinner. The vendors say: “Sister, sister, nice carrots today”. I’ll put them all in my back pack and hop on another motorbike to get home. Many people will request that I “Dash” them my helmet or “whiteman, you buy, you buy!”, but I just keep mov’n. It’s usually a tough bargain to get the right price on a motorbike home, but I stand my ground... convincing them that “I no be stranger for town, I pay 250 francs every day.” I walk home from the junction, on the opposite side of the street from the bars, that are now filling up with men having their after-work beers. Later on, perhaps I’ll go for a walk, observe a football game taking place, visit my neighbours and watch Spanish soap operas, play peek-a-boo with the local children, or even visit the call box. If it’s Friday, then, I’ll head to the International Hotel for beers and talk over the week’s events (or lack there of... hehe), with my VSO volunteer colleagues (there’s almost 30 of us in the North West Region now!).

6:00PM: I’m cooking dinner and thoroughly clean-up the kitchen, in an attempt to reduce the interest of mice and cockroaches... ewwwww. I sit down with a glass of wine and eat my usually Indian-veggie cuisine, while watching a movie or reading a book. Sometimes, (a lot lately) under candle light, cause the electricity is OUT.

9:00 PM: I read in bed and contemplate the day’s adventures, put those ear plugs back in and to the sound of the thump thump of my neighbours’ music, crying babies, a mice stampede overhead, and shouting on the street, I eventually drift off to sleep, ready to do it all over again the next day.

5:00 AM: ...