Dire au revoir

Well, we are almost done. After the boutique’s opening ceremony, things were a blur. I couldn’t believe where the time had gone! Now, I am off to tour a medical center in Chad, and Yoko is heading to Japan, before we will meet back at our university in September. We can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. As Yoko and I are wrapping up, we both want to share some reflections on our experience in Cameroon.

First, I want to say that though our time working on this project IN Cameroon is coming to an end, we will be in contact with the store until it becomes profitable and the Parent’s Council feels comfortable dealing with all operations. We will be receiving monthly documents on the inventory and finances, and are available to answer questions. We hope that the Parent’s Council will soon feel more at ease in its new role managing the store.

As I am about to leave, I can’t help but think about what I’ll remember. I am a list-maker, so here’s my list:

-       The extreme importance of having a companion
o   Thanks, Yoko, for working with me and living with me. When things didn’t go quite as expected (AKA almost all the time), we could laugh about it together. It made it so much easier.

-       Water. Water, water, water.
o   We are so spoiled in the US, to have clean, HOT, running water
Cleaning vegetables with limited water

-       The formal welcomes and ceremonies
o   So nice of so many people to make such a big deal out of us being there
-       All the little things:
o   The things people carry on their heads-- shoes, towels, buckets, trays , bags, basically anything

o   The signs at stores exclaiming "ready to wear clothing"- a novel concept, where clothes are often made at a tailor specifically for the person, or bought second-hand at the market (especially in smaller towns)
o   The tire shops that change tires, not with a new tire, but with a used one
o   The many shops in Yaoundé (clothing, laundry services, etc) called "seduction" (why is this such a popular store name? I have no idea)


o   Cabs picking people up, then stopping along the way to pick up more people than the car can officially hold
o   The crazy roads—many unpaved or with many potholes
o   Toilets with no toilet seats being so common
o   All the entrepreneurship—shops and roadside stands are literally everywhere

o   The fun, upbeat music blaring from bars throughout the day
o   The great food—farm fresh vegetables every day, peanut sauce, special beans
-       The people I met
o   Amirah's family
o   Neighbor kids
o   Our neighbors
§  Especially Pasima, a spirited woman who cooked for our camps and always spoke her mind. She always told us to close our windows (which were broken and didn’t close)

o   Town hall liaisons in Foumban
o   Town hall communications specialist who did a radio show with us


o   Retired army vet who opened a small clinic to help the people in his hometown-- Mandetkene
o   The Parent’s Council in Mandetkene

-       The beautiful scenery

o   Red earth, thick forest of Yaoundé, mountains, avocado trees, more grassy and mountainous Foumban


We have worked hard, laughed plenty, and will remember our time here fondly. It was truly a rewarding experience. 

I will leave with this quote, that I feel captures the every-day problems and joys we encountered. It's from my favorite book, The Little Prince, by Antione de Saint-Exupéry:

" I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies"- The Little Prince


Road to Mandetkene
Foumban

Road to Mandetkene
Foumban
Avocado grove outside of Foumban

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