Thursday June 4, 2009
Of course, we were supposed to leave Kumba for the village at 8 AM, but that did not happen. Our driver didn’t show so we were forced to scramble a new ride. The taxi ride was our worst yet. It was cramped and very dirty, but it just makes you smile and know you are in Cameroon. When we arrived in the village, we unloaded and headed up to survey a new route. We were hoping that this new route would prove to be easier to dig as well as more economical than the original trace.
Our new trek followed the path of the stream more closely. By more closely I mean we literally waded through the stream. We trudged over marshes, mud, and fields of cocoa yams. My shoes and pants were soaked. At the end of the day, the route proved to be no better in shaving off distance. In addition, it would have been nearly impossible to lay pipe in this area.
After resting and drying out for a few hours, Julius, Brian, and I headed off to the soccer field to throw around a Frisbee we brought. Within minutes, we were surrounded by hundreds of residents of Boa Bakundu. Almost everyone who tried to throw it failed miserably the first time. Many of them were amazed when one of the whites would toss it a couple hundred feet. As it began to get dark, the kids of Boa Bakundu became just like any other kids. They started to fight over the Frisbee after each toss. So, before anyone got hurt, we picked it up and headed home.Friday June 5, 2009
Friday brought more surveying for us. This time, we were resurveying the original route to pinpoint areas that would require deeper digging. The problem area occurs within 100 m of the catchment. After reviewing the original feasibility study, it was obvious the engineers who performed the first survey somehow ignored or missed this high area. In the afternoon, we (by we I mean “Mark Awot and guests”) were invited to nursery school graduation. (the school principal came and forcibly took us to the ceremony) We were given seats of honor and treated like royalty. It’s nice to be treated this way, but it also makes me feel guilty. The only thing that’s different about us is our skin color. All three of us are poor college students and we haven’t even completed the project yet.
Anyways, this nursery school graduation was a test of endurance. I thought UD graduations were long at a few hours for a couple thousand kids. I was wrong. With only about 10 graduates leaving for primary school, the ceremony lasted over 3 hours (and we even came late) Each child had to show/tell us what they learned that year in school. There were also repeated requests for donations throughout the festivities. We had to scrounge up what little CFA’s we had to place in the pot. I feel that was probably one of the main reasons we were invited. Many Cameroonians feel that all Americans are rich due to the celebrities they see on TV. The principal was even so bold as to give us his address so that we could send more money when we get back to the states. (we were the only guests to receive this paper)
Friday evening we played football on the pitch. I played defender for the shirts team while Brian was a midfielder. All the kids laughed when I slipped and fell during the match. It was really fun. Mark made the whole village break out in laughter when he ran onto the field in short red shorts and no shirt. The game ended in a 2-1 loss for my team. I guess I’ll have to learn this whole football thing before I leave Cameroon.
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