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Working in CameroonMar 24, 2009
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Our Brilliant Guide - One of the Queens
Group Shot
Bafut Palace
Wow I now have wireless internet connection in the Baptist Centre where I am staying!!! Woohoo, actually I am not that excited but I didn't think it would happen as for two weeks it has been it will be fixed tomorrow...it does mean that I can update my blog more often and not feel guilty about doing it at work.
Working in Cameroon
So I am working at YOP – Youth Outreach Programme. This is my third week there. They run lots of excellent programmes for youths on HIV/AIDS, Leadership, Volunteering. They also work in Schools. In my first week I was able to go along to watch one of their lessons that they do with a class of about 8 and 9 year olds. It was great to go to a Primary school. It was out in the village, along un-tarred roads. When we arrived we were asked to wait as the class was working in the field. Many of the smaller children were playing in front of the school and came to stare at the 'white man' (you get called that whatever sex you are). I asked whether I could take some pictures which caused great excitement. Firstly they queued to be photographed and I had to explain to them I needed them in a group. They loved looking at themselves, but got a little over excited and began to push each other to see so I stopped.
The lesson it self was great. It was on puberty, menstruation and teenage pregnancy. It was explicit with pictures of a girl with pool of blood below her and a girl not being able to go to school because she was pregnant. It was good to see the facts being taught to children so young and the boys and girls together and for the issues not to be skirted over. They found it difficult to concentrate in places but I didn't blame them there were forty of them, it was hot and they hadn't really had a break.
While planning my main area of work, to work with NWFMA (female mayor network) and women's groups and female councillors – organising a workshop to look at increasing female participation in the elections in 2011 I - have also been working with YOP on a bid for funding to set up Human Rights Clubs in schools, designing a human rights module for Youth Volunteers, talking on their youth radio programme about gender equality and what it might look like in practice! and helping facilitate their Footsteps programme. Footsteps is a leadership programme they run for young women. On Saturday I helped facilitate a session on emotions and sexuality. I am not sure we covered everything on such a topic! but we had a really good discussion, once they opened up. I was amazed and in ore of their insightfulness and ability to reflect – they were basically tackling emotional intelligence at 16, something some of us never do.
The day before I was a judge in a inter-school debate that YOP and another organisation COPAP had arranged as part of their campaign to increase awareness of HIV and AIDS. I was one of three judges (made up of other volunteers) and the debate was on whether a woman's place was in the kitchen!! It was an interesting experience and the students were very enthusiastic and passionate if not always sticking to facts. Unfortunately we had no option but to award the school arguing that a woman's place is in the kitchen the winners as the other team conceded and on two occasions agreed with the other side although they had better arguments!! Gutted!
My usual working day consists of getting a yellow, 'beep beep' taxi from just outside where I am staying. Taxis here pile in as many people they can fit (sometime 8 – I have shared one with a sheep as well) and take and drop people in all different places. This makes a lot of sense and makes me think our taxi system is a bit decadent and a waste of fuel – if people are going the same way it makes sense to share a taxi, it is just a social norm that they are private things, unlike buses. Beep beep because that is there way of communicating – a beep for do you want a ride, a beep for yes I will take you to where you want to go, a beep for get out of the way, a beep for I am overtaking you, a beep for hurry up....again this all makes sense but makes the roads noisy and it can be confusing for a new comer – you try to get out of the way when actually they are saying do you want a ride. So the journey is only about 10mins if that, depending on the diversions to drop others off. We climb up above Bamenda and the views are spectacular, when it is not too hazy/dusty or smoky to see. It is beautiful and clear once it has rained (the rainy season is only just starting – mangos soon!!). Many of the hillside is being burnt so that new grass will grow. A fire came worryingly close to the office yesterday and ash and smoke filled the air.
My colleagues at YOP are lovely, friendly and supportive. They are mostly graduates working their to gain work experience. The office is an old house, complete with a butlers buzzer!! There are not enough computers for everyone but the internet access is good and quick and only interrupted by power cuts which are not very frequent.
The photos are of the trip to Bafut Palace I described last post. A walk we went on to Bambilli lake and other bits and bobs mentioned above.
