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!