Last Picture Update

I promised this update and here it is. I'll write some about my overall experience later this week.

Left: A typical taxi to the village.

Left: Cocoa trees with ripe pods on them.

Left: Backfilling bucket brigade at the tanks.

Left: Tap stand at Boa Camp. This quarter is already enjoying the water.

Left: An awesome waterfall we found on the last couple of days in the village.

Left: Becoming an elder in the village.

Left: Giving money to the performers.

Left: Traditional African juju dancing.

Left: The three of us with Mr. Benjamin, the engineer.

Left: Our big happy village family.

Left: The outside of the Raf-cut Motel (where we stayed in the village.

Left: The inside of our room.

Left: Jugs full of palm wine.

Left: One for the road on our last day in the village.

Safe and sound in the USA

I got back on US soil yesterday afternoon. It's been a crazy couple of days between catching up with family and friends. I'll probably post pictures tomorrow afternoon.

What a sendoff

Friday July 24, 2009

I was excited but also a little depressed that today was the last time we would be walking the pipeline. I will miss hearing the children shouting “Good morning Uncle Ben” as we walk past their houses. I will also miss the serenity of a foggy morning on the road. It seemed even more calm than usual considering it was just the three of us walking the line. Since we had no work to do, we got the chance to explore. Near the aeration chamber the stream passes over a big waterfall. We had heard the waterfall before, but this was the first time we had the chance to see it. Some people in the village want to harness hydroelectric power from falls such as this one.

We also had the chance to view the tap stand at Boa Camp. The carpenters did a great job and the people of this quarter are enjoying clean water. Before returning to the village, we decided to check the flow rate at the tanks to see how much it had increased since the mud was removed from the line. Much to our surprise, the flow was about 2.5 L/s. This is an even greater flow rate than predicted by the original feasibility study done in 2002. At this rate, both tanks can be filled in less than 7 ½ hours. The three of us celebrated the success of the project on our hike to the house.

Dibamba Quarter provided us a small sendoff in the evening. It was a very intimate occasion held in the compound opposite to ours. It was very nice but also sad to realize we were leaving our home in Cameroon. I gave a small speech thanking them for their kindness and hard work. The palm wine was especially tasty tonight.

Saturday July 25, 2009

Our official sendoff (and “Launching Proper of the Boa Bakundu Water Project”) has come and gone. It was a wonderful ceremony. The festivities were supposed to kick off around 10 AM. Adding African time made the actual start time around 11:30. The sendoff began with a prayer and singing of the national anthem. Next, the emcee introduced all the elders, officials, chiefs, committee members, and other notables present at the chief’s palace. Then, immersion coordinator James introduced Dr. Amin, Brian, Mark and I.

The chief’s speech was first, followed by the chairman, Mr. Benjamin, Dr. Amin, Mark, and the divisional officer’s representative. The chief and chairman had representatives read their speeches. I thought Dr. Amin’s speech was particularly well written. He challenged the young people of the village to fight to improve the lives of fellow villagers. Mark’s speech got plenty of laughs as he talked about our experiences in the village such as drinking at palm wine bars, playing for Veterans FC, and Brian going to church for the three of us.

Near the middle of the scheduled activities the chiefmaker appointed us as elders in the village. It was a very special experience. I felt honored to have the opportunity to become an elder. Due to my elder status, I had to dress like one. Therefore, I walked out of the chief’s palace clothed in African wear and a cap. Mark, Brian, the chairman, Mr. Benjamin, and Dr. Amin also received the same treatment. Next, the committee began the “launching proper” of the Boa Bakundu Water Project. “Launching proper” is the pidgin way of saying “fundraise.” Each invited guest would walk up to the committee’s table and donate money toward the next phase of the project. As donations were turned in, the emcee would announce the name of the donator and how much money they contributed. At the end of the day the committee had raised 407,000 CFA (about 10% of what they need to complete the phase from the tanks to the school)

No Cameroonian celebration would be complete without music and dancing. Throughout the program various song/dance groups entertained everyone. TK wrote a song for us. It included verses about the storage tank, catchment, and connecting of pipes. He also sang about Brian, Mark, and I by name. Even Mr. Benjamin was included in the song. (I will get the lyrics the next time I talk to TK) The masquerades and other traditional dancers also made and appearance. Everyone would cheer for us when we stood up to go dance and give money. It was an absolute blast.

After the ceremonies at the chief’s palace, all invited guests went to the Raf-cut Motel for a huge lunch of traditional Cameroonian dishes. We posed for tons of pictures with friends, neighbors, officials, and random villagers. I also learned that two members of the media were also in attendance. One woman was with Lakeside Radio in Kumba while a man from STV in Cameroon covered the event. Our night started at the chairman’s place with more free beer. This meeting gave each of us the opportunity to thank the water committee and talk about our time in Boa Bakundu and Cameroon. The beer we were offered was a symbolic “one for the road” in Cameroonian culture. One elder pulled out a bottle of whiskey. When they opened the bottle, they “snap the neck of the chicken” according to local traditions.

Then, we strolled to the Safari Snack Bar in Bakassi Quarter to enjoy our last drinks in Boa Bakundu with our friends. It was a wonderful ending to a great day.

Sunday July 26, 2009

We didn’t want to, but we had to leave Boa Bakundu today. In the morning we packed our things and cleaned up the house. Men were still working on the finishing touches at the Raf-cut Motel for its grand opening today. Bossman and his assistants were painting. The audio equipment had arrived and was being tested. I drove TK’s ocada one last time up to Bakassi to say goodbye to his family. Other last goodbyes followed back at the house. We’ll miss all the people of Boa Bakundu. They have been our second family here in Cameroon. When our taxi driver James arrived, we had our true “one for the road” at Lillian’s palm wine bar.

The ride back with James was interesting to say the least. His taxi has gotten much worse than when we first met him. Something in the rear suspension was loose. He tied it up with a strap, but that didn’t help much. Every time we descended a hill a loud banging sound erupted from the back of the car. He also had to stop multiple times to fill the radiator with water so that the car didn’t overheat. I will miss the fun of Cameroon taxi rides.

Back at Pa’s house on Soba Street we had a large family dinner. We also took some family portraits that we will send back to the family. Our family in Kumba was so wonderful. Ma and Glory cooked the best food. The boys (Fritz, Clinton, and Brandon) kept things lively around the house. Pa was always there for intelligent conversation or to enlighten us about Cameroon culture. I will miss them all deeply.

We all truly enjoyed our last night in Cameroon. :)

Once more to the village

Wednesday July 22, 2009

Before we could get back to Boa Bakundu, we made a stop at Bai Panya. Bai Panya has talked with Mr. Benjamin in the past about expanding their current water system. Bai Panya wasn’t much better than Bolo. (Other than Bai Panya having a piped water source already) The village follows two different chiefs. It has no water committee. The most frustrating part is that they don’t maintain their current supply. Tanks have not been cleaned in years. Air release valves are broken and cocoa farms surround the catchment. After seeing these problems, we made a list of suggestions for the village to show ETHOS that they are serious about this project. These recommendations should be easy for the village to implement within a couple of months. Hopefully, they will realize how fortunate they are to have a system in place already. Mr. Benjamin told us that the native dialects have no word for “maintain.” Perhaps that is why it is a difficult concept of this village to grasp.

Everyone in Boa Bakundu was excited for our return. Many of our friends said the village did not feel the same while we were gone. The Raf-cut Motel (our house) is coming along nicely. The only work that remains before it opens on Sunday evening is painting, installing some doors, and moving in audio equipment. Rafael also bought a huge generator to power the whole compound. Since we had plenty of light, we played cards with friends until well past 10:00.

Thursday July 23, 2009

Today was our last day of community work. Each quarter was assigned a section at the storage tanks to backfill. While Mark attended the water committee meeting, Brian and I supervised and participated in the backfilling efforts. As usual, some quarters were well prepared while others didn’t even have enough shovels to be effective. Eventually, we organized a dirt moving assembly line of sorts for each quarter. Villagers would begin the process by filling buckets with dirt. Then, buckets were passed from person to person until they reached the tank. After spreading out the dirt, the buckets were passed in another line back to the beginning. It was a very efficient system if the quarter had enough buckets available. Some quarters (especially our quarter, Dibamba) had difficulty understanding the concept of an assembly line. Men would carry full buckets all the way to the tank instead of passing them down the line. Other workers would just leave their station without having someone to replace them. At the end of the day all quarters except Carrefour and Tombei finished their backfilling.

After the work ended, we trekked to the chief’s palace to sit in at the water committee meeting. By this time the meeting was about five hours long. The committee had much to discuss concerning the sendoff on Saturday. In addition, they were short about 80,000 CFA (~$160) to pay for the party. So, much of the meeting was dedicated to locating sources for this funding. The preferred sources were people who had not paid previous fines or collections. The funniest case of the day was a man who was accused of stealing two plastic chairs. The committee fined him 10,000 CFA, 2 plastics of beer, and one goat. That would be the equivalent of a council in America deciding that you should give them $20, two cases of beer, and McDonald’s for everyone. When the man finally came to pay his fine, it was reduced to two plastics of beer and 5,000 CFA. The beer was put to good use as each of the committee members had one for themselves. If only council meetings in the US were run in the same manner. The meeting was still going on when we left at 2:00 PM.

Traveling around with Mr. Benjamin

We are officially moved out of Boa Bakundu village and on our way back to the US. The past week has been incredible. (Pay attention to the blog this week to find out more) We will fly to Paris this evening for a few days before returning to the US on the 31st. I'm sorry I won't be able to post pictures this week due to some problems with my camera. I'll be sure to have a big picture update on the 1st.

Monday July 20, 2009

Nothing much happened for us today. But for the immersion students, it was a very sad day. We met them at the Azi Motel before they drove to Duoala to catch their flight. Many of the girls were crying, especially when they had to say goodbye to their host families. I’m sure it will be tough for me to leave next Monday. We also went to the market to buy a few more things for our families and friends back home. A local tailor is sewing me a shirt to take back as well.

Tuesday July 21, 2009

Early in the morning, we traveled with Mr. Benjamin to the taxi park in Fiango. (A section of Kumba) We were traveling to two villages that have potential water projects for next year’s group. Due to the low number of people traveling in our direction, we waited almost two hours before we left. The trip to the village of Weme lasted over an hour on a relatively good road. The Weme project is quite large. An NGO estimated the cost at 35,000,000 CFA (~$70,000). However, many of these estimates are inflated so that when the NGO and/or village receive funding, the NGO can eat the extra money. An option for this project is to split it into phases like Boa Bakundu has done. ETHOS might be able to complete one phase like we did this summer.

Weme has a water committee and some small funds saved for the project. That’s much more than can be said for the next village we visited. The village of Bolo is along the road back to Kumba. Bolo had no water committee, no estimate, no funds, and few answers to our questions. We became so frustrated that we left after perhaps fifteen minutes of discussion. Villages must prove that they are serious before ETHOS or Mr. Benjamin would consider working with them.

One of the most interesting aspects of this journey was the road itself. At one time the government wished to make the road into a major highway. (If we continued to follow the road, we would eventually reach Nigeria) Many of the bridges we crossed were a result of that project. But between the villages of Weme and Bolo we saw a literal “bridge to nowhere.” We crossed a one lane bridge that runs parallel to a four lane structure. The bridge was perhaps 80% complete when the project was abandoned or funding disappeared. Now the bridge sits covered in all types of vines and trees. It stands a poignant symbol of Cameroon’s problems with infrastructure and corruption.

Semme Beach and Celebrations

Saturday July 18, 2009

Our last day in Limbe began with plenty of rain. We sat around most of the morning in the hotel. I thought there was no way we would have the chance to enjoy Semme Beach. I was almost ready to call it a day and head back for Kumba when the rains slowed to a mist. We decided to attempt the beach. I am so glad that we did. As the taxi drove us to the beach, the skies lightened and the rain stopped. The resort is located about 20 minutes outside of Limbe proper. Admission was 1500 CFA per person, which included a free soft drink.

Semme Beach was my first experience on a black sand beach. The black sand comes from the lava rock that covers this area of the country. The sand is fine and soft. The water was incredibly warm and the waves were excellent. Swimming in the ocean made yesterday’s van ride ordeal worth it. It was a great way to celebrate our successes this summer. After a couple of hours of swimming, we hopped back in the taxi and headed to the Limbe park to grab a van back to Kumba. (This ride was much better than yesterday’s nightmare trip)

Sunday July 19, 2009

This morning we decided to get some much needed laundry out of the way. Washing laundry by hand is tough work. It took the three of us about an hour and a half to wash about 1/3 of our things. (Lack of experience was probably also a contributing factor) I have a new-found appreciation for all the laundry Julius has done for us while in the village. The women of the house had a good laugh over our attempt at washing clothes. They also provided helpful tips and guidance along the way.

In the afternoon Mark and I stopped at Spirit’s shop to get our hair cut before the big celebration this evening. The three of us sat down and prepared for the speech we were to give at the party. We left for the Azi Motel after 7:00 PM. (The supposed start time of the party) After arriving at the motel; we proceeded to wait 2 hours until the program actually began. We were waiting for government officials to arrive. (Typical Cameroon) After brief introductions and speeches by Dr. Amin and the immersion coordinators, Mark, Brian, and I spoke to the 100+ people in attendance. Mark discussed ETHOS and past projects. I talked about the Boa Bakundu project. Brian covered our experiences of life in Kumba and Boa Bakundu. I think our speech went over really well. The immersion students spoke after us. Their presentation even included some small skits. After the presentations, the Senior Divisional Officer gave a short speech.

Finally, it was time for dinner just before 10:00. Mark, Brian, and I were asked to serve drinks. By the time everyone was served, it was after 10:30. I was soooooo hungry. We spent the rest of the night dancing and drinking. Most of the immersion students left the party by 1:00 AM. ETHOS closed the place down sometime after 3:00 AM. I’ll just catch up on my sleep when I
get back to the US. :)








Left: Late night at the immersion going away celebration

Limbe here we come!

Thursday July 16, 2009

We woke up early this morning to begin our trip back to Kumba. We took the Greyhound of Cameroon, Mondial Express. We took a full size bus direct from Yaoundé to Kumba. These buses seat 5 people in each row and can hold over 70 people when they are completely full. Stops were few and far between. We left Yaoundé at 9:00 AM and pulled into Kumba around 3:00 PM.

The bus ride gave me plenty of time to reflect on my time in Yaoundé and this summer in general. I’ve certainly become used to the culture and people of Cameroon. I’ve had the opportunity to see and do more things than I thought possible. This trip has also changed me in many ways, some of which I probably won’t know until I return back to the US. I now have a much different perspective on poverty, development, government, and family. I’ve also learned how complex relationships between Africa and the rest of the world have become. I’ll write more about overall impressions of my summer experience after I get back to the US.

Friday July 17, 2009

We spent much of the morning and early afternoon running errands around Kumba. Our most important stop of the day was at Mr. Benjamin’s office. We are starting to search for projects for next year’s ETHOS Cameroon group. (Hopefully, I’ll be one of the participants ;)) We met with him briefly and received information on a few promising projects. We would also like to find an NGO in country to assist us in providing logistical and financial support. The difficulty with NGOs is finding honest organizations that are not out for a quick profit. Another topic that was brought up was transitioning into other aspects of appropriate technology besides water projects. The key for any project is having great contacts in country. We have certainly found those for water projects near Kumba. We’ll have to search for those contacts for any other types of projects. Perhaps next year, students could even move to another division or region in the country.

We also started our trip to Limbe this afternoon. Limbe is a coastal city located in the Southwest region. It is a tourist destination for people inside and outside of Cameroon. We went to the van park at 3:00 seeking a ride to Limbe. When we pulled in, the two rival van service factions began yelling and fighting for our business. After the dust settled, we ended up choosing an unmarked blue van. Thus began our van ride from hell. Only 100 m down the road, we picked up a random passenger. Apparently, it is less expensive to hop onto the bus outside of the park. The driver also saves money because he doesn’t have to pay for that person when he leaves the park. Within a few minutes the bus was completely full.

The next issue occurred at a wildlife checkpoint outside of Kumba. They questioned the driver as to the discrepancies between his ticket from the park and the number of passengers in the van. They ripped up the ticket and entered into a 30 minute argument with the driver. After paying a bribe, the driver got us back on the road. We continually stopped to pick up and drop off various passengers the rest of the way to Limbe. At one stop some passengers were fighting with the driver concerning their fares. When we were actually driving, I feared for my life on a number of occasions. Cameroonians are not used to such nice roads and take curves far too quickly. The 1.5 hour ride ended up lasting closer to 3 hours.

A taxi drove us from the Limbe park to our place for the night; the lovely, charming, and CHEAP Samaritan Hotel. Julius and his friend Ramos negotiated us a price of 3500 CFA (~$8) per room, per night. The rooms weren’t elegant by any means, but they served their purpose. The closest thing I can compare them to is a dorm room at college. The rooms were probably 10’ x 12’ and held only a bed and nightstand. The bathroom was pretty beat up as well, but the toilet worked. It was just what we needed, CHEAP!

After settling into our rooms, we strolled to the waterfront. Limbe is definitely a tourist area. The waterfront even has a boardwalk of sorts for a short distance. The only eyesore was the large oil rig under construction in the bay. It’s another sign of “progress” here I guess. I couldn’t believe it was so close to the shore. We had a delectable dinner of goat meat pepe soup with roasted plantains and roasted fish with cassava. Nothing beats a traditional Cameroonian meal. The six of us ate dinner for less than $10.

For the nightcap we headed out to the bars. The first bar recommended to us was nice, but it was too white for our tastes. In addition, the beers cost twice the normal price. We found a nice place called Las Vegas that had much more style and local flavor. Next, we took ocada to the nightclub called Mooove. It was a very modern club. Like all Cameroonian clubs, the walls were covered in mirrors. We had a great time dancing the night away. It was another late night in Cameroon.