A few weeks ago I hosted 3 of my other volunteer friends Dan, Ben and Abbie who live in nearby villages to join me for Thanksgiving. We didn’t get to indulge on the typical favorites of cranberries or turkey, but we did make some good homemade mashed potatoes and a random assortment of other Thanksgiving meal creations. Typically back home my family, friends and I would either watch a football game on tv, or go watch a basketball tournament or else I would be playing in a basketball tournament. Here as we ate dinner on my porch we watched the kids play soccer in the path in front of the house. One of my favorite things to do over thanksgiving weekend back home is to spend some good time outdoors with friends and family skiing or hiking. Discussing this with Ben we decided that we should make a hiking trip walking to each others villages, crossing the mountain in between and spending the night halfway at Dan’s post.
So the morning after Thanksgiving, we set off walking out of my village to hike the 20 km up to Dan’s village at the base of Mount Manengumba. Dan’s village is quite isolated having only one route in and out that isn’t always passable during rainy season, but it is a beautifully quaint agriculturally driven village. From his village we set off the next morning to meet two friends of Dan’s who live in the neighboring village along the route up the mountain. The two of them joined us to guide us up through the many paths traversing across the mountain. It wasn’t like climbing mountains back home where the paths lead to the summit, summiting typically isn’t the goal of individuals here. Rather, the paths become a maize leading from one families field to another where everything from café, macabo, taro or medicinal plants are grown. This mountain is well-known in the area for the two stunningly beautiful turquoise crater lakes that rest just below the summit. We sat along one of the lakes and ate our lunch of grilled fish and baton du manioc a typical Cameroonian dish that Dan’s neighbor had packed for us to enjoy along our trek. After leaving the summit we descended down the other side of the mountain passing the huts of the Fulbe cow herders that live atop the mountains raising their cattle. It was The Fete du Mouton an important holiday for the Muslim Fulbes and as we hiked past one of the huts a young boy came out dressed in a suite to chop wood to prepare for the celebration. (I will try to upload a photo of this boy). It was a very contradicting scene standing atop the mountainside regarding the impressive patchwork of the thatched roof and out walks the boy in his suite and tie. That is how life seems to be here though, always contradicting itself and yet I never cease to be surprised and awed.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Installation of a New Village Chief
The region of Western Cameroon in particular is rich with culture, specifically in the tradition of village chiefs. In October I had the honor of being invited to join a couple of my other volunteer friends to attend the installation of a new chief in the village of Badenkup in the West Region of Cameroon. I have now taken part in some incredible ceremonies and celebrations here in Cameroon, but the enthroning of a village chief has no comparison in terms of the magnitude and magnificence of the ceremony.
Every village chief from within the West region of Cameroon attended the ceremony along with dignitaries, government officials and the whole community of Badenkup. We arrived with the chief of the neighboring village, where my friend Kareen is a volunteer, we were sat close to the throne of the new chief and had prime space to view all that was about to take place. This was quite lucky as thousands of people were in attendance at this ceremony, kids had climbed up trees surrounding the field to get a view of the action.
To give a little background, the chief of a village is the traditional leader of a community and the title of chief is passed down within a family from generation to generation. Before a chief passes away he has already told his notables (chief’s advisory counsel) whom he has chosen of his sons to replace him as village chief. The very moment a chief passes away the notables search the chosen son and whisk him away to the secret house where in tradition the notables spend nine months teaching the replacement all the ways of the chiefdom. Also important during this time passed within the secret house the soon to be chief is with his new wife so they can conceive their first child around the time that he will become enthroned. However, for some reason that I didn’t understand the 9 months has now been changed to 9 weeks at least in the circumstance of the new chief of Badenkup.
Imagine, the son of the old chief has just lost his father and has immediately been given the most powerful position in all of the village, now imagine this for a 17 year old boy as in the case of the new chief of Badenkup. At the moment the young chief walked through the entrance leading to the palace grounds the crowd of thousands surrounding the open field erupted with shouts, cheers, song and dance. The young boy kept his face serious and raised his arms in gratitude for the great welcome, but I wondered what was really going through the head of this young boy who had suddenly become the most powerful man in his village while a few weeks before he was just another young boy in the local high school. Now the young boy was standing in the midst of thousands carrying the hopes of a whole village and facing the challenge of carrying the traditions into the modernized world.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Manjo
Well, I wrote this blog update a few weeks ago thinking I would get to the internet. However, that didn’t happen as soon as I thought it would but yet since I am here today and will post it anyway and will try to post another update with more stories as soon as I get the chance. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have the internet in my village which has made communication a bit challenging, but know that I think of everyone often and wish I could talk to each of you but will continue to update whenever I get the chance.
“Well, now what?” my friend Ben said as the van carrying us and everything we owned arrived in his new town. The doors opened we unloaded his few items into the empty walls that comprised his new home. He spoke exactly what I was feeling. The question is something I ask myself several times a day and each time the answer comes… keep your eyes wide open and be ready for anything.
What does Peace Corps Volunteer in Small Enterprise Development really mean? One thing I can tell you is it is a title left incredibly vague, but I am coming to realize it is left vague for a reason as we were taught in our training as volunteers “your Peace Corps experience is what you make it” (I would add, as with all things in life). That applies to everything from the personal attitude, your personal characteristics and your personal skill sets and ideas that you bring to the community where you live over the two years. Through our training we were taught and given many different tools as far as what as business volunteers we can possibly do within the community. We were also given the very good advice of take your time and get established in the community learn first off just how to function as a member of that community which includes everything from learning to live on your own in a completely different society (can’t begin to capture all of the details of this but I will say I am just beginning to get the “hang of life” here after just over a month), continuing working on language skills, meeting people and examining the current social and economic climate of the area. We are also each given a partner within the community as a basis and an entry into the business atmosphere, mine is a micro-finance institution. So currently my time is spent with several days a week at the institution understanding how they function, continuing taking language lessons with a tutor who is a teacher in the local high school and my favorite project thus far creating a young girls sports group.
I don’t know how to capture all of the details of this last month but everyday is a something new and I never truly know what will happen as I step outside of my door but I guess that is one of the things that I love the most.
Here is what I wrote in my journal while sitting on my front porch...just to give you an image of what I see.
I have a balcony with a view that is incredibly serene tremendously large palm trees stretch from the rolling green hills into the tropical jungle routes that line their way to family’s fields where they grow all types of fruit, vegetables and tubercules. To my southwest the clouds are breaking slowly revealing the summit of Mount Kupe, the sun is hitting the top at this very minute and highlighting the clouds floating in behind. Yes, sitting up on my second floor balcony seems like a dream site, and it is, it is a welcomed respite but as with all here I am living in a world of contrasts for at this very moment I am also looking across at two older men who seem to be having a peeing contest on the wall of the house in front of mine. This isn’t just any house it is also a palm wine shop (bars that only sell one drink the fermented juices from the palm trees) and from what I can tell there are typically about 15 people within the small wood paneled shack, this includes about 7 kids who range in age from around 6 months to 7 years old. This is just one of 4 palm wine shops that line the other side of the route to my house. While I hope that I have visitors here in Manjo from the states, I know that not many of you will get a chance to sit on my balcony with me. Anyway, hope this gives you somewhat of a visual.
“Well, now what?” my friend Ben said as the van carrying us and everything we owned arrived in his new town. The doors opened we unloaded his few items into the empty walls that comprised his new home. He spoke exactly what I was feeling. The question is something I ask myself several times a day and each time the answer comes… keep your eyes wide open and be ready for anything.
What does Peace Corps Volunteer in Small Enterprise Development really mean? One thing I can tell you is it is a title left incredibly vague, but I am coming to realize it is left vague for a reason as we were taught in our training as volunteers “your Peace Corps experience is what you make it” (I would add, as with all things in life). That applies to everything from the personal attitude, your personal characteristics and your personal skill sets and ideas that you bring to the community where you live over the two years. Through our training we were taught and given many different tools as far as what as business volunteers we can possibly do within the community. We were also given the very good advice of take your time and get established in the community learn first off just how to function as a member of that community which includes everything from learning to live on your own in a completely different society (can’t begin to capture all of the details of this but I will say I am just beginning to get the “hang of life” here after just over a month), continuing working on language skills, meeting people and examining the current social and economic climate of the area. We are also each given a partner within the community as a basis and an entry into the business atmosphere, mine is a micro-finance institution. So currently my time is spent with several days a week at the institution understanding how they function, continuing taking language lessons with a tutor who is a teacher in the local high school and my favorite project thus far creating a young girls sports group.
I don’t know how to capture all of the details of this last month but everyday is a something new and I never truly know what will happen as I step outside of my door but I guess that is one of the things that I love the most.
Here is what I wrote in my journal while sitting on my front porch...just to give you an image of what I see.
I have a balcony with a view that is incredibly serene tremendously large palm trees stretch from the rolling green hills into the tropical jungle routes that line their way to family’s fields where they grow all types of fruit, vegetables and tubercules. To my southwest the clouds are breaking slowly revealing the summit of Mount Kupe, the sun is hitting the top at this very minute and highlighting the clouds floating in behind. Yes, sitting up on my second floor balcony seems like a dream site, and it is, it is a welcomed respite but as with all here I am living in a world of contrasts for at this very moment I am also looking across at two older men who seem to be having a peeing contest on the wall of the house in front of mine. This isn’t just any house it is also a palm wine shop (bars that only sell one drink the fermented juices from the palm trees) and from what I can tell there are typically about 15 people within the small wood paneled shack, this includes about 7 kids who range in age from around 6 months to 7 years old. This is just one of 4 palm wine shops that line the other side of the route to my house. While I hope that I have visitors here in Manjo from the states, I know that not many of you will get a chance to sit on my balcony with me. Anyway, hope this gives you somewhat of a visual.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Officially a Peace Corps Volunteer
My time here in Bangangte has quickly come to an end and it is with so many emotions that this week culminates. I am proud to have completed the intense 11 weeks of Peace Corps training, excited for what is to come as I become a Volunteer and move into my new community, but sad to move on from all the memories and relationships that have been created here in Bangangte over the last couple of months.
The past few months have been full of huge life adjustments moving from Colorado and flying to Philadelphia for pre-service training where I met the 29 other volunteers who will be serving throughout Cameroon over the next 2 years, then leaving Philly to arrive in Yaoundé for our first week of in country orientation, and leaving Yaoundé to move in with my host family in Bangangte where all 30 of us have completed the intense language, culture and technical training for our role as volunteers. Now, we find ourselves getting ready to make the biggest transition yet: on Thursday the 20th each of us will part our separate ways to different regions of the country where we will serve in our own community over the next 2 years. Throughout each of these adjustments one learns to role with the punches, patience in all situations, excepting of uncertainty, and that laughter is always the best medicine.
My move this week is filled with uncertainty as I have just a small idea of what my life will be like over the next few years there. However, along with the uncertainty comes the certainty of new friendships, new experiences and new adventures yet to be had.
The past few months have been full of huge life adjustments moving from Colorado and flying to Philadelphia for pre-service training where I met the 29 other volunteers who will be serving throughout Cameroon over the next 2 years, then leaving Philly to arrive in Yaoundé for our first week of in country orientation, and leaving Yaoundé to move in with my host family in Bangangte where all 30 of us have completed the intense language, culture and technical training for our role as volunteers. Now, we find ourselves getting ready to make the biggest transition yet: on Thursday the 20th each of us will part our separate ways to different regions of the country where we will serve in our own community over the next 2 years. Throughout each of these adjustments one learns to role with the punches, patience in all situations, excepting of uncertainty, and that laughter is always the best medicine.
My move this week is filled with uncertainty as I have just a small idea of what my life will be like over the next few years there. However, along with the uncertainty comes the certainty of new friendships, new experiences and new adventures yet to be had.
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