Thursday, November 22, 2012

From Bafia to Belel...

Training has officially ended and I am now a Peace Corps Volunteer!  Our Swearing In ceremony was yesterday and it was quite the celebration.  It was held at the Congressional Palace in Yaounde, which is the capital city.  Peace Corps tied our Swearing In with the “50 years in Cameroon” festivities.  Peace Corps Cameroon is one of the only African countries that has had 50 years of continuous service, which is great!   
When the time came to taking the oath, The 53 of us stood up, raised our right hands and repeated the words.  It was awesome! While we were reciting the oath, photographers and camera men were all around us, snapping and filming away.  When we were proclaimed as Peace Corps Volunteers, we all cheered and hugged each other, it was very exciting!
This is the oath that I took:

I,  Prinal Rajesh Patel  DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM)
THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, AND THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME, THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE MY DUTIES IN THE PEACE CORPS, SO HELP ME GOD.

We’d all woken up very early so we were very glad to have the day over with.  On our 2 and a half hour journey back to Bafia from Yaounde, we sang some Backstreet boys, Spice girls, Disney, Bon Jovi and Celine Dion.  It was a lot of fun, and a great way to pass the time.  We’d all decided to stay in a hotel the night of our Swearing In, because we wanted to celebrate together instead of being separated in our own homes with our families who wouldn’t understand the significance of this day.  I had a lot of fun at the party, I stayed up till 2:00am just dancing and talking.

Today is my last day in Bafia, and as I prepare to leave this town, I can’t help thinking how drastically my life has changed over the last two months.  My first night in Bafia was awful, it was the first night I was completely alone, (in Yaounde I’d had a roommate and all the Trainees were living together in the same hotel).  When I closed the door to my room that night, I remember crawling in to bed, (tucking in my mosquito net (super) securely) and just breaking down.  I cried and cried and cried.  It was so hot.  I was living in a family of 9 people, none of whom speak English (I barely spoke French), there was no electricity or running water and there were hundreds of insects.  It was the first time I felt the weight of my decision to join the Peace Corps.  
And now, two months down the line, I have survived over 350 hours of training, 116 of which was language.  I have learned how to wash my clothes by hand and the most efficient way to kill cockroaches.  I have learned how to live without running water and to expect no electricity when it rains.  I have learned how to speak French! I have also learned so much about myself, most importantly, I am a lot stronger and more capable than I thought I was.

I am about to begin the scariest most exciting adventure.  I feel completely unprepared and terrified out of my mind.  I have made friends here that I know I’ll have for life.  I’m moving to the beautiful, small and simple village of Belel and I am about to spend the next two years completely dedicated to the service of others. 
Wish me luck!

Friday, November 9, 2012

My French Presentation!

Bonjour tout la monde!
(After I show them the Title page)
J'ai choisi de vous parler aujourd'hui de l'une des choses que j'aime le plus dans ce monde, les animaux. Mon amour et l'appréciation des animaux proviennent de la façon dont j'ai été élevé. J'ai été élevé à aimer les animaux. L'un des parcs nationaux du Kenya les plus populaires s'appelle le Maasai Mara, il est à seulement quelques heures de ma maison, c’est une chance que nous avons.   Mes parents nous amenaient ma sœur et moi de voir les animaux. J'ai toujours eu un moment difficile de décider quel était mon animal préféré, je viens d'avoir un si grand nombre. Puis, lors d'un voyage à l'Maasai Mara, j'ai vu un lion et Je l’ai entendu rugir. Après cela, j'ai rapidement identifié comment était le lion mon animal préféré.

Slide 2: Picture of Lions
Voici la photo de mon animal préfère. 

Slide 3: Introduction to Cameroon
 La faune Cameroun est assez diversifiée, avec environ 409 espèces de mammifères, dont 32 sont menacées d'extinction.
Aussi, on peut trouver beaucoup d’animaux dans trois parcs nationaux et des réserves aux Cameroon.

Slide 4: Introduction to Kenya
Le Kenya est le foyer du Safari. Depuis plus de cent années, le Kenya a attiré les aventuriers et les amoureux des animaux de partout dans le monde. Cela a été le théâtre de certains des plus grands contes de l'histoire d'aventure.

Slide 5: Continued introduction to Kenya
L'attrait du Kenya a toujours été la même, la variété des paysages, la faune, les cultures humaines et de l'expérience. Aucun autre pays africain ne peut se vanter une telle diversité au sein de ses frontières. Ici vous trouverez des sommets enneigés et la savane de roulement, des plages immaculées et la forêt tropicale, les troupeaux d'éléphants géants et des troupeaux de flamants roses, des tribus nomades et les grandes villes, et beaucoup plus.

Slide 6: Geography of Animals in Cameroon
Le Cameroun dispose de tous ses gros gibier dans 3 grands parcs:

• Réserve de faune du Dja
Un site du patrimoine, cette réserve abrite environ plus de 107 mammifères et plus de 320 espèces d'oiseaux, et s'étend sur environ 5260 km ².
• Parc national de Korup
Parc national de Korup est situé dans l'ouest du Cameroun près de la frontière du Nigeria, et abrite environ 50 espèces de grands mammifères.
• Parc National de Waza
Parc National de Waza est un site classé au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO couvrant environ 1.700 km ². Le parc abrite un grand nombre d'antilopes ainsi que des girafes de l'Ouest et d'autres espèces.

Slide 7:
La diversité géographique du Kenya est née de la vallée du Grand Rift, un fossé impressionnant naturelle qui traverse le pays. Un itinéraire de la vieillesse pour la migration humaine et animale, le plancher du rift est à la maison à une série de lacs d'eau douce et de la soude, chacun soutenant son propre écosystème unique.
À plusieurs de ces lacs de soude le visiteur peut assister au spectacle étonnant de milliers de flamants roses (à la fois moins et plus) qui se rassemblent pour se nourrir et se reproduire.

Slide 8: Photo de Flamingos dans le lac Nakuru

Slide 9:
Le Kenya a la plus grande concentration de flamants dans le monde!

Slide 10: Photo du Mont Kenya
La vallée du Rift est entourée de volcans éteints, des caldeiras et des chaînes de montagnes. Mont Kenya, dont le pic remarquable (17.000 ft) est considéré comme sacré par la tribu Kikuyu locale, constitue l'une des curiosités les plus rares du monde, la neige équatoriale.

 (When finished reading, point out the photo)

Slide 11:
Les plaines du nord abritent des tribus nomades dont les Samburu et les Rendille, qui se déplacent avec leurs caravanes de chameaux après lits de rivières asséchées dans un grand désert semi-aride. Ici, les espèces rares comme la girafe réticulée, le zèbre de Grévy et Gerenuk se trouvent.

Slide 12: Photo of baby cub

Slide 13:
Le sud du Kenya est des terres masaï, et ici les communautés Maasai maintiennent un mode de vie traditionnel. C'est la maison de la réserve de Masaï Mara, 588 miles carrés de plaines ouvertes, les terres boisées et les forêts riveraines. Cette réserve de renommée mondiale appuie un éventail d'espèces animales avec de grands troupeaux de pâturage de zèbre, girafe, gazelle, buffle et Topi. Les forêts d'acacias sont en vie avec l'avifaune. Les rivières Mara et Talek abritent des hippopotames et des crocodiles.

Slide 14: Photo du Jackal

Le gros gibier ne peut être trouvée dans les trois principaux parcs au Cameroun, contrairement à ce que, comme vous venez de l'entendre, toutes les régions du Kenya a des animaux sauvages à voir.

(Change the slide)

Slide 15:
Plus à l'est d'Amboseli, où de grands troupeaux d'éléphants se déplacent à travers de vastes plaines poussiéreuses à une série de marais humides. Les réserves massives de Tsavo Est et Ouest comprennent 10 millions d'acres de nature sauvage pur, un haut lieu d'observation des oiseaux avec une infinité d'espèces de tisserands, des calaos, colibris, des rouleaux, et les rapaces.
Dans l'ouest du Kenya, il ya la forêt tropicale et les eaux bleues de l'ensemble du lac Victoria. Ce lac est le foyer de la perche du Nil massif, un trophée d'eau douce difficile pour tout dévot pêche au gros.

Slide16: Photo of Lion

Slide 17:
Le littoral du Kenya est un paradis de plages bordées de palmiers et les eaux chaudes invitant de l'océan Indien. De vastes systèmes de récifs coralliens avec la vie marine spectaculaire pour faire de la plongée de classe mondiale et la plongée avec tuba.

C'est cette diversité myriade dans un seul pays qui a établi le nom du Kenya comme la maison du safari. Avec tant de liberté de choix, le Kenya est la destination idéale pour les voyageurs d'esprit libre.

Slide 18: Photo d’un Eléphants  et de David Sheldricks

Slide 19:
Voici une liste de tous les parcs nationaux, les réserves et les sanctuaires d'animaux trouvés à travers le Kenya. Il ya beaucoup non?

Slide 20: Photo of Lioness

Slide 21: Photo of Lioness and her cubs

Slide 22: Photo of elephant at David Sheldricks

Slide 23: Lioness standing by her kill

Slide 24: Lionesses approaching a kill

Slide 25: Photo of Lioness eating

Slide 26: Photo of Lionesses drinking water

Slide 27: Photo of Lioness with her cubs




Slide 28:
Comme vous pouvez le deviner par cette présentation, je ne sais pas beaucoup de choses sur les animaux au Cameroun. Donc, je vais passer les deux prochaines années à explorer le pays et d'essayer de voir tous les animaux que ce beau pays offre.

Avant de terminer, je veux partager avec vous des anecdotes amusantes

Slide 29 : Fun Facts

Slide 30 :
En raison de notre faune extrêmement diversifiée, le Kenya est la destination favorite de nombreuses personnes remarquables, à la fois passé et le présent, par exemple:

Slide 31 : la Photo de la reine Elizabeth II
La reine Elizabeth était en vacances au Kenya où elle a appris la mort de son père. Ainsi, elle est devenue la nouvelle reine d'Angleterre dans sa chambre à l'auberge Treetops qui offre une vue magnifique sur le mont. Kenya et beaucoup d'animaux sauvages.

Slide 32: la Photo de Bill Gates

Slide 33: Photo of the Constant Gardner
Le film The Constant Gardner a été tourné au Kenya. L'actrice principale, Rachel Weisz aimé Kenya o beaucoup, elle est revenue et a construit une école pour les enfants.

Slide 34: Photo of Will and Kate
Prince William a proposé à Kate Middleton d’aller en vacances au Kenya.

Slide 35: LA FIN

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Swearing in Ceremony

Our Swearing in Ceremony is a really big deal because they’re going to tie our ceremony with the “50 years in Cameroon” celebration, because our group marks the 50th year that Peace Corps has been in Cameroon.  So there are going to be a lot of government officials and the fair at the end of the ceremony is open to the general public, so we’re expecting upward of a thousand people!  A peace Corps tradition is to have the Swearing In Trainees to do something fun and American for our audience, and normally the group will do a skit or a dance or something, but because this year is super special, figuring out what we’re going to perform has taken a really long time.  So yesterday, finally, after A LOT of indecision, discussion and changed plans, we finally decided that we will sing “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson.  The song is obviously a classic, but it’s also very appropriate for us and the message we want to send to all people we’ll be performing in front of.  Everybody knows that my favourite quote is “Be the change you want to see in the world” by Gandhi.  So this song is pretty perfect in conveying exactly that; I’m not going to post the lyrics to the entire song, but I will post the chorus, because I think it’s beautiful and I’m really looking forward to singing it with my fellow Volunteers:
 “I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change,

Amazing huh? Oh and while we’re singing, we’re going to have a video playing on a giant screen behind us.  The video is going to be a montage of all of us trainees.  it’s mainly going to be pictures, but there will be video interviews also.  So we’re going to be the soundtrack to the video! Yay!  

The Last Great Ape

If you set out on a journey pray that the road is long
A wandering without apparent aim a blind groping
So you come to know earth’s harshness not just by sight but by touch
So that you measure yourself against the world with your whole skin
When you come to know don’t speak of knowing
Learn the world again like an Ionian philosopher
Know the taste of water and fire of air and earth
For they will remain when all has passed away
So if there is a journey pray that it be long
A true journey from which you do not return
A copying of the world an elemental journey
A dialogue with nature an unanswered question
A pact forced after a battle
From “Journey”

By Zbigniew Herbert
Taken from Ofir Drori and David McDannald
The Last Great Ape
I began reading The Last Great Ape if you want a very very good, easy read. Want to know more about African climate; culture, natives, and life~ pick this book up. It has some revealing photographs about the illegal bush meat trade, but if you can bear this, you will learn about LAGA a “NEW version” NGO and author’s Ofir Drori’s battle, struggle, and will to end this hideous crime against our close animal relatives.

Challenge of the Week!

One of my fellow Trainees here has started a “Challenge of the Week” for his family and friends back home.  So I’m stealing his idea and will challenge you (as frequently as I remember to).  So for those of you that wan t to try out some of the things I do on a day-to-day basis, please try out the challenges.  If any of  you actually accept a challenge, please comment or send me an email telling what you did and how it worked out for you!

Challenge 1
I have to take a bucket bath every day.  This includes one big bucket (roughly two gallons or 4 well pulls) and a smaller cup.  The water is very cold and is just like an ice bath. 
My challenge to you is to attempt a bucket bath.  Get your biggest bucket and either go outside or in your bathroom and fill it up with cold water; not the coldest but pretty cold and attempt a shower! Good Luck!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

"Some Nights" by Fun.

I love this song! I listen to this song and truly feel like “Fun” Wrote it for Peace Corps Volunteers. Here are the lyrics, YouTube the song, it’s awesome!   
"Some Nights"
Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights, I call it a draw
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know anymore...
Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa oh oh
Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa oh oh

This is it, boys, this is war - what are we waiting for?
Why don't we break the rules already?
I was never one to believe the hype - save that for the black and white
I try twice as hard and I'm half as liked, but here they come again to jack my style

And that's alright; I found a martyr in my bed tonight
She stops my bones from wondering just who I am, who I am, who I am
Oh, who am I? mmm... mmm...

Well, some nights, I wish that this all would end
Cause I could use some friends for a change
And some nights, I'm scared you'll forget me again
Some nights, I always win, I always win...

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know... (come on)

So this is it? I sold my soul for this?
Washed my hands of God for this?
I miss my mom and dad for this?

(Come on)

No. When I see stars, when I see, when I see stars, that's all they are
When I hear songs, they sound like this one, so come on
Oh, come on. Oh, come on, OH COME ON!

Well, that is it guys, that is all - five minutes in and I'm bored again
Ten years of this, I'm not sure if anybody understands
This one is not for the folks at home; Sorry to leave, mom, I had to go
Who the f*** wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun?

My heart is breaking for my sister and the con that she call "love"
When I look into my nephew's eyes...
Man, you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from...
Some terrible lies...ahhh...

Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh
Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh

The other night, you wouldn't believe the dream I just had about you and me
I called you up, but we'd both agree
It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance... oh...
It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance... oh...

I normally wake up by 5:30,

get water from the Well for my bath, take a bucket bath, get ready, drink my powdered milk dissolved in hot water and eat my tangerine on the walk to school.  I usually make it to school right before 7, just in time for my French tutoring session which runs until 8, when our regular sessions begin.

As most of you know I was having a big problem with cockroaches, so for about a week now, right before I go to sleep, I’ve been lining the bottom of my door with my thick French text books.  It had been working well, or so I thought.  When I woke up yesterday morning, I switched on the light, un-tucked my mosquito net from under my mattress, swung my legs over the side of the bed, ready to slip my feet into my slippers when suddenly, a massive cockroach comes zooming out from under my desk! I quickly picked up my feet, put them back in the bed and securely tucked my mosquito net back under my mattress.  I watched as the stupid (huge) bug crawled into my shoes.  After a few minutes I saw it climb out of my shoe and head for the door, where it tried to leave, but because of the stupid books I lined to keep roaches out, it kept this one locked securely in my room with me! Oh the irony! I felt so helpless; I literally sat in my bed and cried.  I watched the cockroach crawl in and out of my stuff and cried for about 45 minutes.  Then, when I saw it come closer to my bed, I quickly pulled out the mosquito net, picked up my shoe and crushed it! It was now 6:50; I was so nervous and jumpy that I didn’t take a shower or brush my teeth, I grabbed my jeans, the first shirt I could find, grabbed an orange, and got the hell out of the house and headed for school.  When I got to school I brushed my teeth took out my kindle and read some Harry Potter to put me in a better mood.  From there, my day fell into place.

Our first session was language, following that was  a session on “Sexual Assault Reporting Impact and Response which was run by our PCMO Nurse Anne and our Safety and Security Officer Ruth.  After lunch we had an emotionally charged session on Mental Health.  We discussed how our mental and emotional state will be very volatile during our service.  We will have high “highs” and low “lows”.  Some of it is caused by the work we do, where we live and just the fact that our lives have changed COMPLETELY!
                We were then asked to list the concerns we’ve had since being in country, here are a few:
1.       Water shortages
2.       Snakes
3.       Outdoor bathrooms
4.       Lack of sanitation
5.       No electricity
6.       No doctor
7.       Flooding
8.       Malaria
9.       Diarrhea
10.   Dangerous spiders
11.   Cockroaches (!)
12.   Roads that were sometimes impassable
13.   Armed robbery
But I think it’s really important to note that though we all listed these things as our concerns, we can handle these things (because we are, daily!) the things that we’re all really struggling with is the culture, the feelings of isolation, the language barriers and being culturally sensitive.  I like to think of myself as being non-judgmental and an extremely tolerant individual, but I’m having a hard time adjusting to the gender roles in this country. 
                We recently had a session on gender roles where one activity had us draw an American girl and all the opportunities available to her in the States.  My group drew “The Bill of Rights”, a school, a diploma, a hospital, and airplane and mountains, and at the center of it all, we drew a boy.  We then explained to the rest of the group that In America girls have rights, they can go to school, they have access to health care, they can go to university, they can travel, work and vote.  We drew the boy because in America, girls have the same opportunity as boys, in Cameroon that is definitely not the case.  Boys are valued much more in their families and their communities. 

                This ties me into another major session we had on “Girls Empowerment”

The United Nations defines the importance of the empowerment of the Girl Child in two parts:
1.       Parental Engagement: Parents should act as the first line of defense of their children’s rights.
2.       Child Participation: Children should be given resources and tools from the family and community to take control of their own lives.

(Sessions are starting, I’ll finish this later)

Saturday, October 20, 2012

I was walking home yesterday when...

Louisa, Bettina and Boi my next door neighbor’s kids came running up to me yelling “Prin! Prin! Mama ya Junior tombe” (Junior’s mum has fallen) after hearing that I took off for my house with the kids at my heels.  When I got to the house, the kids led me around the house to the back where I saw a group of about 10 women huddled in a tight circle around my mama who was lying on the ground arms and legs splayed out haphazardly.  As I got closer to the group I saw a lot of kids standing behind the group of women trying to get a glimpse of my mama.  When I saw my little brother Junior, he just came over and put his tiny arms around my waist and looked up at me. 
I then went over to one of the ladies I recognized and asked her what happened? What was going on? Before she had time to respond, my mama’s chest started heaving really heavily and she clutched her heart in intense agony, I think she was having a heart attack.  After some time, the heaving stopped and she just lay there and all the women were clutching their faces making sympathetic noises and used their hands and pieces of cloth to generate some sort of breeze for my mama. 
I’ve honestly never been so scared.  This women had taken me into her home, welcomed me with open arms into her family, she calls me her daughter and is always there when I need help or a hug.  She truly has become my family here in Cameroon.  I was terrified for her, her kids and (selfishly) for me to. 
I went on the side and called Monique.  When she picked up I told her “Monique it’s Prin, I’m at home, I think my mama just had a heart attack and now she’s unresponsive”  Monique told me she’d call me right back. 
I went back to the group of women and asked if there was anything I could do.  One of the ladies told me that a car had arrived to take her to the hospital, so all us women made a make-shift gurney with our hands and carried my mama to the car.  While the ladies were deciding how to place her in the car, I ran into the house to my room to grab two bottles of water for my mama.  By the time I got outside, the car had left, but Lamine was taking a Moto to the hospital, so she took the water bottles.  After Lamine left, I went into the house to look for my boys, when I came back outside; I saw David and Monique talking to some of the older neighborhood kids.  I think it’s important to note how quickly they got to me.  I had spoken to Monique less than 10 minutes prior to her arrival with David at my house.  They are awesome!  Anyways, so I walked over to them, and as soon as I was in front of them, all my stress and worry came to the surface and my eyes filled with tears and my lip began to quiver.  But almost automatically I composed myself and told them “I can’t do this here” I meant cry, but David misinterpreted what I said and said “let’s go, you can come with us and relax and get away from this chaos.”  I considered it, I really did, but I honestly could not leave my four brothers at home alone.  So I told David no, I’m fine and that I have to be at home where my brother’s are.  David and Monique said that’s fine and they told me they would follow my mama to the hospital and find out what happened.  After they left, I went to the house and sat on the front porch with my four brothers and the three kids from next door.  I can honestly say it was the first time where there was complete silence.  But the drama wasn’t over, after half an hour some kids ran up to our house saying the car was coming back, so we all stood up and went outside, I kept hearing the word “mourir”, and I have no idea what that means, but I know that “mort” is dead, so I was thinking oh my god, she died and that’s why they returned home, but then I saw my mama and saw her head bobbing slightly and let out a sigh of relief, she was still alive. I later learned the word they were saying was miellur (incorrect spelling) which means better.  But she was still unresponsive and we had to carry her into the living room.  When we placed her on the couch, the older women ushered all the little kids out of the house.  Our next door neighbor ran to her house to bring a fan, and we placed it to blow over my mama.  The atmosphere in the house was very quiet and very tense, the only sound was the steady humming of the fan.  After a while though mama started moving her head more and more and started mumbling things, which in my eyes were definite signs of improvement.  After an hour or so, she sat up but still looked really out of it.  Her eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on me she gestured for me to come and sit by her, so I did.  I kept smiling and saying ca va? And she would smile back and just nod, I felt terrible that I couldn’t comfort her (or the kids).  By 8:30pm I left to go to my room.  I gave my dad a missed call and waited for him to call back.  As soon as I heard my Ruhi’s voice, I started crying and said “Uj, please give the phone to mum”.  Talking to my dad helped me a lot (as usual); he calmed me down and reminded me that I have to be strong for the family. 
This experience really scared me; it also made me critically think about families here in Cameroon.  In one of our first tech sessions, we learned that the average Cameroonian lives to the ripe old age of 47.  We also learned that the average family has 6 kids, my mama has 7!  What happens to these kids if their parents die? How will the support themselves? How will they continue with school? How will they eat? Who will protect them?
I was also reminded of how resilient women are.  This morning my mama was sitting on the couch, watching TV talking to her friend and delegating chores to my siblings, she also sat with me as I had my breakfast; she had a heart attack yesterday!
xxx
Before I finish this post I want to talk about women and the world.  Women bear a disproportionate burden of poverty, ill heath, gender based violence, and hunger. Yet despite these facts, I feel a sense of hopefulness at the resilience of women.  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes civil and political rights - but also the importance of economic, social and cultural rights including the right to decent work, to adequate health care and education. Yet the path to gender equality and women's empowerment remains an uphill battle for many women, often complicated by a lack of access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health services.
To advance the conversation about resilience, we have no choice but to talk about the uneven distribution of resources and the growing disparities between and within countries, and the importance of gender equality. Agronomists, economists, public health professionals and politicians all agree there is enough food to feed everyone, but many go to bed hungry (60% of the chronically hungry are women and girls).
“The strength of a woman is not measured by the impact that all her hardships in life have had on her; but the strength of a woman is measured by the extent of her refusal to allow those hardships to dictate her and who she becomes.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Friday, October 12, 2012

My Host Brothers!

From the left: Ami (12), Georgie (11), Miguel (8), Junior (4)

My yongest host brother, Junior!

Yaounde to Bafia!

September 26, 2012 – Wednesday
Peace Corps Staging
Location: Yaounde, Felydac Hotel to Bafia, Host Families House

Today morning we headed to the Peace Corps office for a Homestay Orientation by Monique our Homestay coordinator.  Monique gave us a lot of insight into the following areas:
Importance of Homestay
1.       Language
2.       Culture
3.       Safety
Families Selection
1.       Willingness to host
2.       Availability of a room
3.       Accessibility of the house
4.       Health of family members
5.       Hygiene conditions (Cameroonian wise, not American)
6.       Learning environment
Family Orientation Topics
1.       Peace Corps Goals
2.       The purpose of training
3.       Family role
4.       Nutrition of PCT (Peace Corps Trainee)
5.       Privacy
6.       Diversity
7.       Sickness (we learned that the family has no boundaries where you are concerned and all medical issues will be treated as pieces of gossip, so there’s a huge possibility, that your neighbours will stop you on your way to training and say “Oh I heard you had Diarrhea last night, are you better?” haha!)
Placement of Trainee into a home
1.       Health/allergies
2.       Language level
3.       Trainee questionnaire
4.       Family questionnaire
Complaints PCT’s have about their families
1.        Lack of cleanliness
2.       No variety of food
3.       Lack of privacy
4.       Mistreatment of women and children
5.       Very noisy
6.       Large families
7.       Mistreatment of animals
Complaints Families have had about Trainees
1.       Lack of cleanliness
2.       Stinginess (they won’t share their laptop, iPod etc)
3.       Drunkenness (we have a curfew of 7pm, what kind of PCT was drunk?)
4.       Lateness
5.       No phone calls from the PCT after training had finished and they had moved to post (aww)

After this presentation, we had a lengthy discussion on what we should do if we see our “mum” or one of our siblings getting abused.  David our training manager told us that children here were disciplined severely, and whereas in America, it would definitely be labeled child abuse, over here, it is “Spare the rod, spoil the child”.  We were all very uncomfortable with that.  Monique told us that she had informed the families that the kids should ideally not be hit in front of the PCT as we were not accustomed to seeing such blatant mistreatment of children.  But we were warned that because it was common practice to discipline the children in front of the whole family, there would be times when we would be witness to the abuse.  We were told not to panic or react overtly, and to just keep busy, by reading, or doing homework, or to just walk away.  We were also told that if we felt that our safety was at risk, we should call Monique immediately, no matter the time and she would get us out of there (So don’t worry mum and dad!). 
Monique told us a story about one PCT a few years ago, who had locked herself in her room when she heard her host dad beating her host mum.  She called Monique crying saying she didn’t feel safe and was scared for her host mum.  Peace Corps got her out of there that night. 
After this story, we had a lot of questions, firstly and most importantly, what would happen to the host mum, how could we just leave her at her home when she was clearly in danger?  David told us that we could file a report with the police, but that presented us with whole new set of problem:
1.       The police will ask for a bribe
2.       The police will ask for a witness to the abuse (it has to be a man).
3.       The police will bring up Traditional Law where the man is always considered right.
David told us to remember that in the United States, (for the most part), women are respected, independent and we can do whatever we want.  In Cameroon, most women have no means of supporting themselves other than by their husbands. 
It’s a double edged sword, because do we report the abuse and shame the women in her community and risk her losing the “security and support” of her husband? Or do we do nothing and let her go on living with her abusive spouse?  Oh god!

After this emotionally charged discussion, Kristen led us in a session on Diversity. 
Then it was back to the hotel for a quick lunch then we were off to Bafia to move in with our host families.
Bafia is a small town, about 80km North of Yaoundé.  It was created in 1937.  It is an urban centre with an estimated population of 40, 000.  There is 1 hospital in Bafia.  Cocoa production is very big in Bafia, and yes, they do make their own chocolate.  It’s called Mambo, I have tried it, it’s no Dairy Milk or Recesses, but it’s not bad.  Corn, apple, tangerines, pineapples, plantains and bananas are all grown here.  Cassava and Jam are heavily produced here as well. 

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Cameroonian Police station and Shots!

September 25, 2012 – Tuesday
Peace Corps Staging
Location: Yaounde, Felydac Hotel

Today we had to complete our immigration paperwork at the Police Station.  That was quite the experience.  Firstly, all the walls were covered in smudged fingerprint ink (which I can only assume was the work of people who had just been arrested and fingerprinted).  It was unnerving to wait at the station, surrounded by these dirty white walls that were covered in long black finger smudges.  Anyways, we got done with that in about 3 hours.  We then headed back to the Peace Corps office for our next two shots, Hepatitis B 1 and Meningo. 

Peace Corps Office

September 24, 2012 – Monday
Peace Corps Staging
Location: Yaounde, Felydac Hotel

Today was our first full week day in Cameroon, we had breakfast at 6:30 and left for the Peace Corps office by 7:30.  When we were all settled in, the Country Director told us her vision and the expectations she had for us.  Then all of the trainees went individually to the front of the room to give our self introductions to the group. The following was mine:
Name: Prinal Rajesh Patel
Program: Youth Development Volunteer
Hopes: I’m excited about learning from all the trainers, Cameroonians and the other Volunteers.  I’m excited to make long lasting bonds with the other Volunteers.  I’m excited to become fluent in French.  I’m excited to move in with my host family and I’m excited to complete training and begin working with the youth.
Fears: I’m afraid of being ineffective and not creating an impact in my community.  I’m afraid that I won’t be able to identify the needs of the youth within my community.  I’m afraid of missing my family too much and not learning French fast enough.  I’m also extremely afraid of the crazy amount of cockroaches I’ll run into.

We then had a brief Medical Orientation and were given a big PC medical kit, a medical manual and Malaria slides.  Simultaneously, we were each receiving our first 2 shots, Hepatitis A 1 and Typhoid.
After lunch we had our intake interviews with our Program Managers.  My program manager is Amadou, he is amazing! He’s been with Peace Corps since 1992.  During our meeting he asked me he following questions:
1.        What kind of post would I like? Somewhere in the North.  That’s where all the national parks are, the people are super Christian, so the men are more conservative and don’t harass the women as much.  Unfortunately, it’s also one of the hottest regions in the country.
2.        Do I want any amenities? I’m flexible either way; I don’t need running water or electricity.
3.       Do I want a post mate? Definitely! 100% yes!
4.       Do I prefer an urban or rural setting? Rural setting, because there is more poverty in a rural setting.
5.       Would I prefer an Anglophone or Francophone region? Francophone obviously! I wasn’t going to spend 3 months becoming fluent in French then pass up the opportunity to actually use it.
While the trainees were going in and out of different offices to get their injections and do their intake interviews, in the main room, Yaya was playing Mulan on the projector, so that was fantastic! We were all singing-a-long and laughing, it was a lot of fun.