bored? No time! 2 weeks late: no comment ... It is time to stop making promises and accept the fact that publishing one article per week is too ambitious.
Maybe you've already noticed some changes on the organization's blog. First, links to other blogs or DCC to sites such as Jeune Afrique. And especially the photos! Include them directly in the articles is really too long. I therefore propose links to my albums on Picasa.
Happy reading!
Another culture
As I told you in January, I live in an apartment in Bonantone. Some of you have tried in vain to find this name by using the link to Wikipedia. In fact (I just begin to understand), Bonantone is a sub-district Deido (see Wikipedia!). I am a ten minute walk from the roundabout Deido. This must be the roundabout known as the city with its famous sculpture (inevitable on the Internet), so it is known commonly called Roundabout.
Finally, all that to tell you that I live in the heart of Douala, and despite everything I do picks or RFI, nor on my BBC radio. While fault better, I pulled over a local station: Radio equinox. The morning newspaper (in French and English) gives us the news from Douala, Cameroon and the world. The French news I miss a little, but I am fortunate to have Internet at ISTAC, which allows me back on the websites of the World or The Cross.
But listen to local radio also allows better immerse themselves in the country and its culture: I finally get to the heart of the matter. Last week, four young men who came to encounter a kind of "priest" street had their testicles removed and shrink their gender. What a big joke I tell you! Certainly not. And the matter is taken very seriously: the famous "priest" is being prosecuted for witchcraft! Both say that even if we have read (well the beginning of one!) Books that show that traditional beliefs still hold a place in everyday life, we fall anyway high when we are faced with cases concrete taken seriously by some of the public. 2 years will not be too much to try to get into the African culture that despite colonization has kept all its specificity.
A mission to capture
A ISTAC, life continues. I am now solely responsible for industrial missions. The missions are launched, we must manage every day: students learn from the good performance of the MI, ensure ownership of MI by escorts of the ISTAC (each pair is framed by a teacher ) monitor expense reports, etc. ... For me also starting a large part of the job: prospecting. It comes to signing 10 new contracts for MI students in September. If you have contacts, please! ;).
But the job at ISTAC, it also ups and downs. After meeting other volunteers who run a hospital or caring for disabled children, it is difficult to assume a privileged position in the middle. Where is my purpose? What is the purpose of my mission? I sometimes feel like going to the ISTAC would go to work in France. I sometimes lack the force that takes the whole being when we act for a ideal. The ideal exists, the link with what I do every day is harder to feel. It's not always easy.
In the hardest moments, Wednesday I can make a good break and re-motivate myself. It is now three Wednesdays I spend at the orphanage. Every Wednesday morning, so I take a taxi towards "Catholic Mission, Bonamoussadi. After a short stint in the parish, I go to the orphanage.
Hand in hand now houses thirty children: 10 toddlers, 13 primary-school students and 7 students. Most are orphans, but some were placed there by social services or entrusted by parents who can not handle it. The orphanage also has a sewing workshop that would cover a portion of the operating costs of the structure. Right next to the workshop, a teacher teaches sewing youth outside the orphanage and school failure. Me, I'm rather
orphans. Between the laughter, tears, arguments, trying to make my place, create my post. With toddlers, not very complicated. It is often enough to be present, to follow them in their games or not offer them too complicated to console when there is need to resolve any disputes. And when Uncle Benedict leaves the camera, no need to ask them if they agree to the picture: they all want to be filmed (= photographed).
Regarding the primaries, they have over soit le matin soit l’après-midi. Quand ils sont là, j’essaie de faire quelques jeux en plein air avec le matériel disponible. Il faut parfois essayer de les motiver, régler les disputes, comprendre pourquoi l’un ou l’autre se met à l’écart. Mercredi c’était la fête de la jeunesse, jour férié au Cameroun. Les collégiens-lycéens étaient là aussi. J’ai essayé de les intégrer aux jeux, mais pas ce n’est pas forcément facile de les persuader de jouer avec les plus jeunes.
Je passe également du temps à parler avec les personnes qui travaillent à l’orphelinat : Lydzia, l’infirmière (qui s’occupe also toddlers), Benedicte, psychomotor future, Mama Pauline, a volunteer at the secretariat, Mama Mary is particularly concerned with the primaries, Josiane Mama, Mama Alice, Matthew and Ishmael, the guards, Emmanuel, the son of small-Mama Mary. My work at the orphanage gave me the opportunity to meet people, to know a little better on Cameroon by its inhabitants.
Not necessarily easy to create a position and to standardize a particular schedule, activities. For now I get a little "hands in his pockets," without too much equipment, with just one or two game ideas. For the rest, it I must take time to prepare for the day Wednesday: find storybooks for children, look for game ideas, reflect on activities for primary ways to establish contact with the greatest. I must find my place in the organization established, consider new things without disturbing the existing. For me to build.
Travel in Cameroon: an experience!
If I have not written too much these days is that (even if no excuse) I spent a good portion of my weekends off from Douala. The apartment where I screw is impeccable (even if a bit dark), the nice area, nice people, but nothing beats a little excursion to cut completely with the job, a change of pace, relax. The 2 last weekend, so I was "traveling".
15 days ago, Fleur and I went to Pouma, a small town on the axle heavy-Douala Yaounde Douala at 1:30. Pouma is not huge, but its fame comes from the hospital a little off, which was established by the Catholic mission. It is now lower than it could be in the past, but it is the origin of the health system in Cameroon and the country remains the reference for the reception of accident victims. Surgery, maternity unit for radio, optician, everything is there.
So (to reach the goal of the trip), we went to visit Max and Julie, the couple of DCC which manages the hospital. Their home is near the hospital: a huge building with views of the forest (see picture: it is superb). Two days to breathe away from the city, its business, its noise pollution. The opportunity for me to resume physical activity: 2 hours of hazing with machetes on Saturday ... débroussaillage de la haie devant la maison. Le samedi soir, nous avons bu la bière chez la cuisinière de Max et Julie. Nous avons eu droit à l’hospitalité habituelle des camerounais : impossible de ne pas se voir offrir quelquechose à manger. Une gêne cependant : la télévision qui, où qu’on aille, reste allumée et casse la conversation. Différence de culture… Le WE s’est continué avec la visite d’un autre couple de volontaires (noms à suivre…) le dimanche et le retour à Douala en petite camionnette. Mais j’attends le prochain paragraphe pour décrire les transports camerounais !
Le week-end suivant, c’était Limbé, port in the northwest of Douala, in English-speaking area. The bulk of Saturday I stayed in Douala. In the morning, I accompanied Ingrid (Natalie's sister) at a meeting of the Friends of the city of Douala, an association which aims to improve life in Douala. The meeting was very interesting, even if it was mired in issues of status on the end! Subsequently, I was invited to eat at Cathy, our cleaning lady (I can assure you: I struggled to take to have an employee at home, but it was enough to afford this and use it is useful).
Late afternoon I am therefore went to Limbe, very glad to pay only 1500FCFA instead of 2000. I understood then the price difference. The van was like all the others: 4 people per bench 3 seats, but we had some problems on the road ... 5 minutes after departure, the truck slows down, restarts the engine more. 20 minutes later, after cleaning the carburetor, we go back ... to stop thereafter: puncture. New start, then another breakdown, this time irreparable. The driver suggested we move into the van of a colleague, but the trading price between the 2 drivers patina. We finally leave in the second truck to stop 30 seconds later to drop off a passenger who had forgotten his load on the front wheels. Last pit stop time to fasten the door that had dislocated and we could easily slip up Limbe. I will spend the 45 minutes of trading with the taxi that took me from the entrance of Limbe at the campsite. I finally gave (1500 FCFA), but I do not think he won much to let it run his car during this time without new customer
... I was able to go quietly after this weekend Weekend with Emily and Perry (CCD Dschang), Gilles (the friend Perrine) and Barbara (an Italian). We were in a camp on the beaches of black sand. On Sunday morning, swimming in water that should have been approximately 25 ° C. We even had a chance to see Mount Cameroon clear of any cloud (which is not the case on my photo, taken a little later) of beautiful beaches! For lunch, braised fish feet in the water in a small restaurant near the huts of fishermen, then return to Douala, with a few colors and more. A good holiday weekend!
I'm finally happy to spend the weekend alone in Douala, history just ask me for once. Finally quiet .... I still the blog feed, I have the article for Talent (parish magazine Talence), yesterday in Douala ballad with Ingrid, Suzanne (Friends of the city of Douala), Augustine and John Paul (friends of Ingrid) and dinner at home (we had asked Cathy, and Emmanuelle Nicolas) this afternoon at the parish ... As you see, I do not take time to get bored!
I'll get back to you in the next section. Take care and thank you for your support and MPCQVE;)!
