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. :)