You will have to copy and paste the following links to view my pictures. If you want to know about a picture, I commented on almost all of them on Facebook.
Orphanage II photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=301061&id=708551384&l=2ea854918f
Mount Cameroon & Limbe Beach
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300522&id=708551384&l=deacb5b48b
Douala II
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300543&id=708551384&l=9b968f0425
Clean Water
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300538&id=708551384&l=ab88045b27
My last day at the orphanage:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=301065&id=708551384&l=08704c474c
Dakar Photos
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300578&id=708551384&l=2922674fc1
Salle
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300547&id=708551384&l=b19a9f9766
Goree Island (Slave Island)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300530&id=708551384&l=e725a1fb6f
Safari
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300510&id=708551384&l=d569769d43
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Last of Douala
Forgive my late blog entry, but I have been resting over the past few days. Jet lag just kicked my butt this week!
The Night Club
It was decided that we would all go to a discotheque (aka night club) to celebrate my last weekend in Douala, and we went to George’s V. There were 9 of us, and each of us had to pay 9,000 francs (9000 x 9 = $140) to just “reserve a seat” and for “drinks.” We were seated on the second floor right next to a dance floor. I didn’t understand about the paying for drinks thing until we were actually seated. We had two tables, so both tables received one glass bottle of Coke, one glass bottle of tonic water and one bottle of Glenn Ellis Scottish Whisky-that’s it. Our “drinks” were chosen for us, which was unfortunate since I despise whisky. The music was great because there was a great mix of both African and American music. Guess what was especially nice about the club for me? I wasn’t hit on and called “La Blanche” at all! The club didn’t start getting crowded until 1:30 am, and we left at 4 am. We had a great time and were exhausted by the time we left the club.
The Last Day
I stopped by Deanne’s salon to say goodbye. I had a 50 franc coin in my pocket on the way over to the salon and decided to give it to Enzo. When I got there, I gave the coin to Enzo who then pointed to himself and mouthed, “For me?” Deanne asked for my e-mail address and yahoo instant message name and then proceeded to hunt around the salon. It drove her crazy that I never wore earrings while I lived there, so she gave me 3 pairs of earrings, a matching necklace and ring that went with one pair of earrings, and her leopard print headband. I was surprised she gave me her leopard print headband because she wore it often. I told her that she had given me way too much, but she insisted that it wasn’t enough. She told me that she was going to miss me because she loved that every time I was around her that I made her laugh. I hope that we will stay in touch.
After I went to Deanne’s, I went to see Patrice to say goodbye. Now I have to add that a few days prior to my departure, Patrice had sent me a very sweet e-mail. He wrote that he was proud to be my friend and that I had a big heart that warms the world. He thanked me for being me and told me not to change or forget him. I saved his e-mail because it meant a lot to me. Anyway, Patrice asked if he could go to the airport with me, and I told him it was fine but that I was leaving for the airport at 1:15 am. He had to be up early the next morning, so he came back to the apartment to hang out for a bit since he couldn’t go the airport. He is definitely a friend that I will never forget.
Akobe rode with me to the airport and before we left, she took a few pictures of me prior to my getting in the taxi. When the taxi pulled away from the apartment, we all happened to notice a man passed out in the middle of the road. That was definitely a surprise and a first-lol. We didn’t stop since I needed to get checked in at the airport, so I have no idea what was up with the guy in the road. I guess it’s a good thing that there are speed bumps on the road to slow people down, but I was hoping he wouldn’t become a speed bump either…
At the airport, I had a long wait ahead of me since I was there at 1:45 am and my flight took off at 3:45 am. After checking in, I had to pay a $20 airport tax (ridiculous). I said to the lady, “Why is this really necessary? You and I both know that your corrupt President is only going to pocket this and the other taxes collected.” She looked at me and chuckled, probably thinking that I was rather brave to make such a comment, but she didn’t comment back at all.
Forgotten Mentionable
I realized that I never discussed my first money exchange experience when I arrived in Douala. Put it this way, it happened so quickly that it felt as if I had experienced a drug/money exchange! After Akobe picked me up at the airport, I told her that I needed to exchange money. She called her husband and told him how much I wanted to exchange, and he directed her to meet him downtown at a small bar in Akwa. It was so crowded downtown that I was quickly introduced to Jeromie, Akobe’s husband, through the taxi window and was instructed to follow him. I hurried out of the car, following Jeromie into the corner of a small bar where a man was sitting at a table alone. I was told to sit down, and there were no introductions. Jeromie asked me how much I wanted to exchange, so I told him and pulled out the amount. The man counted out the equivalent of Cameroonian CFAs, and we both slid our money to one another. I didn’t have time to ask questions; not even how much I received or what the exchange rate was or anything. I was just hurried out of the bar as soon as the exchange took place.
The second time I had to exchange money, I was with Model (THEX rep). We were again in downtown Akwa near the same little bar where I exchanged money the first time. It wasn’t until a guy approached us that I knew what was about to happen-another public money exchange. I pulled Model aside and told him that I didn’t feel comfortable doing it in broad daylight with about 20 men sitting close or milling around who most likely knew that money was about to be exchanged; especially since we had just passed a guy with a wad of Cameroonian CFA notes who asked us if we needed to exchange money. I also didn’t feel comfortable carrying so much money on me either after my laptop being stolen underneath my nose without my knowing it. He told me it was the best way and talked with the guy we were going to exchange the money with. This guy happened to have his calculator on him, so I was able to ask questions and find out the exchange rate, etc. It was a more than fair exchange versus if I had exchanged my money at a bank or elsewhere.
With my being unfamiliar with the street money exchange, it was explained to me that I had exchanged money on the black market. If I would have gone to a bank or money exchange business, I would have lost a chunk of my money due to the exchange rates and service fees. By exchanging money on the black market, one doesn’t stand to lose such a large percentage of their money.
The Night Club
It was decided that we would all go to a discotheque (aka night club) to celebrate my last weekend in Douala, and we went to George’s V. There were 9 of us, and each of us had to pay 9,000 francs (9000 x 9 = $140) to just “reserve a seat” and for “drinks.” We were seated on the second floor right next to a dance floor. I didn’t understand about the paying for drinks thing until we were actually seated. We had two tables, so both tables received one glass bottle of Coke, one glass bottle of tonic water and one bottle of Glenn Ellis Scottish Whisky-that’s it. Our “drinks” were chosen for us, which was unfortunate since I despise whisky. The music was great because there was a great mix of both African and American music. Guess what was especially nice about the club for me? I wasn’t hit on and called “La Blanche” at all! The club didn’t start getting crowded until 1:30 am, and we left at 4 am. We had a great time and were exhausted by the time we left the club.
The Last Day
I stopped by Deanne’s salon to say goodbye. I had a 50 franc coin in my pocket on the way over to the salon and decided to give it to Enzo. When I got there, I gave the coin to Enzo who then pointed to himself and mouthed, “For me?” Deanne asked for my e-mail address and yahoo instant message name and then proceeded to hunt around the salon. It drove her crazy that I never wore earrings while I lived there, so she gave me 3 pairs of earrings, a matching necklace and ring that went with one pair of earrings, and her leopard print headband. I was surprised she gave me her leopard print headband because she wore it often. I told her that she had given me way too much, but she insisted that it wasn’t enough. She told me that she was going to miss me because she loved that every time I was around her that I made her laugh. I hope that we will stay in touch.
After I went to Deanne’s, I went to see Patrice to say goodbye. Now I have to add that a few days prior to my departure, Patrice had sent me a very sweet e-mail. He wrote that he was proud to be my friend and that I had a big heart that warms the world. He thanked me for being me and told me not to change or forget him. I saved his e-mail because it meant a lot to me. Anyway, Patrice asked if he could go to the airport with me, and I told him it was fine but that I was leaving for the airport at 1:15 am. He had to be up early the next morning, so he came back to the apartment to hang out for a bit since he couldn’t go the airport. He is definitely a friend that I will never forget.
Akobe rode with me to the airport and before we left, she took a few pictures of me prior to my getting in the taxi. When the taxi pulled away from the apartment, we all happened to notice a man passed out in the middle of the road. That was definitely a surprise and a first-lol. We didn’t stop since I needed to get checked in at the airport, so I have no idea what was up with the guy in the road. I guess it’s a good thing that there are speed bumps on the road to slow people down, but I was hoping he wouldn’t become a speed bump either…
At the airport, I had a long wait ahead of me since I was there at 1:45 am and my flight took off at 3:45 am. After checking in, I had to pay a $20 airport tax (ridiculous). I said to the lady, “Why is this really necessary? You and I both know that your corrupt President is only going to pocket this and the other taxes collected.” She looked at me and chuckled, probably thinking that I was rather brave to make such a comment, but she didn’t comment back at all.
Forgotten Mentionable
I realized that I never discussed my first money exchange experience when I arrived in Douala. Put it this way, it happened so quickly that it felt as if I had experienced a drug/money exchange! After Akobe picked me up at the airport, I told her that I needed to exchange money. She called her husband and told him how much I wanted to exchange, and he directed her to meet him downtown at a small bar in Akwa. It was so crowded downtown that I was quickly introduced to Jeromie, Akobe’s husband, through the taxi window and was instructed to follow him. I hurried out of the car, following Jeromie into the corner of a small bar where a man was sitting at a table alone. I was told to sit down, and there were no introductions. Jeromie asked me how much I wanted to exchange, so I told him and pulled out the amount. The man counted out the equivalent of Cameroonian CFAs, and we both slid our money to one another. I didn’t have time to ask questions; not even how much I received or what the exchange rate was or anything. I was just hurried out of the bar as soon as the exchange took place.
The second time I had to exchange money, I was with Model (THEX rep). We were again in downtown Akwa near the same little bar where I exchanged money the first time. It wasn’t until a guy approached us that I knew what was about to happen-another public money exchange. I pulled Model aside and told him that I didn’t feel comfortable doing it in broad daylight with about 20 men sitting close or milling around who most likely knew that money was about to be exchanged; especially since we had just passed a guy with a wad of Cameroonian CFA notes who asked us if we needed to exchange money. I also didn’t feel comfortable carrying so much money on me either after my laptop being stolen underneath my nose without my knowing it. He told me it was the best way and talked with the guy we were going to exchange the money with. This guy happened to have his calculator on him, so I was able to ask questions and find out the exchange rate, etc. It was a more than fair exchange versus if I had exchanged my money at a bank or elsewhere.
With my being unfamiliar with the street money exchange, it was explained to me that I had exchanged money on the black market. If I would have gone to a bank or money exchange business, I would have lost a chunk of my money due to the exchange rates and service fees. By exchanging money on the black market, one doesn’t stand to lose such a large percentage of their money.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
SUCCESS & SURPRISES
I cannot express my gratitude to those of you who donated to my orphanage efforts. In a week and a half, I received a total of $1340 in donations. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to receive so much in donations in so little time. With this money, I was able to purchase six 30 liter water filter containers, 6 new mattresses, and a new double bunkbed (it can sleep 4 kids, 2 on each level) for the orphanage. I have 30,000 francs leftover (=$60), which will go to buy the boys new underwear (I was told that they are in bad need); if any money is left over, it will go toward food costs.
When I return to the states, I will continue my fundraising efforts, as the orphanage and/or children are still in dire need of certain items or things that need to be fixed.
- The kids' toilet with the giant hole in it needs replacing.
- Neither the kids or Solange's toilet have a seat on them.
- The leaky pipe in the bathroom needs to be replaced or fixed.
- Dry erase boards or chalkboards are needed for the kids' tutors.
- Food is always needed.
- Etc.
Before I received donations, I was worried that I would not be able to accomplish much at all for the orphanage since my laptop was stolen and I had lost all my orphanage work. But I kept my head up and prayed hard for God to help and guide me so that I could help the orphans and orphanage as much as I could in what little time I had left here.
This past Thursday, Solange asked me to accompany her to the Department of Cadaste because she needed me for an ''important matter'' (no idea what Cadaste is because I can't find it defined anywhere). Apparently, Solange was having a lot of trouble obtaining the certificate and sign off of the land documents (land survey, etc.) where the future orphanage will be built. Now here I was wearing shorts, a gray t-shirt, sandals and NC State baseball cap when she asked me to go, but I couldn't say no.
We arrived at the department at 11:30 and waited for 4 hours for the documents to be reviewed, last minute drawings to be added, recordings, signatures, stamps, etc. Now keep in mind that like the Dept of Social Affairs, nothing is kept electronically and everything is kept in a folder. The guy we were working with told us that we owed the department 5000 francs, and I said I would pay it. Then I got to thinking, ''Wait a minute, this is for an orphanage, it shouldn't have to pay.'' We went outside to a small window, and the guy helping us drops four 10,000 franc notes on the ground. I said, ''The orphanage shouldn't have to pay. Since you apparently have enough money, why don't YOU pay for the orphanage!'' Needless to say, the fee was waived. :)
I will admit that after we met with the ''big whig,'' I was a ROYAL pain in the butt and all over the employees like white on rice to get the paperwork flowing and finished. It went through at least 5 people, then there was a problem found by the next ''big whig,'' who I particularly did not care for because of his unfriendliness and his giving the impression that he had more important matters to address. So the paperwork went back downstairs, then back upstairs for corrections and another review, then back downstairs for a last minute sketch (no idea of what) and finally every single page of the document was stamped (with many stamps) by the secretary. Near the end, the guy helping us asked me if he could take me to his village-lol. I think he was old enough to be my Dad, but I thanked him and declined, as well as told him that I was leaving this weekend.
Solange repeatedly thanked me when we left the department Thurs. and said that it only happened because I am white. She also said that she had already paid 2000 francs to the department and had been waiting for the documents to be completed and signed off for 2 years. 2 YEARS! According to her, things only get done for the rich and powerful at the department(shocker, right?). Since she does not fall into that category, her business with the department was set aside and ignored. It's sad that it took the color of a white person just to get things done for Solange. Even though I guess you could say that I was ''throwing my color around'', I am glad I was able to be of assistance to Solange so she wouldn't have to wait another 2 years for the documents to be finished and signed. There is just no excuse for an orphanage director's business to go ignored since she is not rich or powerful, but then again, we all know how the government is run here.
When the documents were signed off, we were told to pick up the certificate on Friday. Solange went back to the department on Friday and guess what? No certificate. I told her that if I had been there, I would've made sure that they did it right then, and if they couldn't for a good reason, then I would've told them that they owed me taxi money. I can see how frustrating it has got to be when you are treated as if you are a second rate citizen here.
Surprises
It is a good thing that no one found an architect in the U.S. to design the new orphanage because Solange surprised me on Friday with an architect's proposal and drawings for the new orphanage. This is why the land documents were so important to have completed and approved. She had found someone in Yaounde who volunteered to do the design and proposal a few weeks back and was hoping to surprise me with them before I left. I was quite surprised and very glad that she found someone to do it. God Bless the person who dedicated their free time to do both! Wahoo!
When I return to the states, I will continue my fundraising efforts, as the orphanage and/or children are still in dire need of certain items or things that need to be fixed.
- The kids' toilet with the giant hole in it needs replacing.
- Neither the kids or Solange's toilet have a seat on them.
- The leaky pipe in the bathroom needs to be replaced or fixed.
- Dry erase boards or chalkboards are needed for the kids' tutors.
- Food is always needed.
- Etc.
Before I received donations, I was worried that I would not be able to accomplish much at all for the orphanage since my laptop was stolen and I had lost all my orphanage work. But I kept my head up and prayed hard for God to help and guide me so that I could help the orphans and orphanage as much as I could in what little time I had left here.
This past Thursday, Solange asked me to accompany her to the Department of Cadaste because she needed me for an ''important matter'' (no idea what Cadaste is because I can't find it defined anywhere). Apparently, Solange was having a lot of trouble obtaining the certificate and sign off of the land documents (land survey, etc.) where the future orphanage will be built. Now here I was wearing shorts, a gray t-shirt, sandals and NC State baseball cap when she asked me to go, but I couldn't say no.
We arrived at the department at 11:30 and waited for 4 hours for the documents to be reviewed, last minute drawings to be added, recordings, signatures, stamps, etc. Now keep in mind that like the Dept of Social Affairs, nothing is kept electronically and everything is kept in a folder. The guy we were working with told us that we owed the department 5000 francs, and I said I would pay it. Then I got to thinking, ''Wait a minute, this is for an orphanage, it shouldn't have to pay.'' We went outside to a small window, and the guy helping us drops four 10,000 franc notes on the ground. I said, ''The orphanage shouldn't have to pay. Since you apparently have enough money, why don't YOU pay for the orphanage!'' Needless to say, the fee was waived. :)
I will admit that after we met with the ''big whig,'' I was a ROYAL pain in the butt and all over the employees like white on rice to get the paperwork flowing and finished. It went through at least 5 people, then there was a problem found by the next ''big whig,'' who I particularly did not care for because of his unfriendliness and his giving the impression that he had more important matters to address. So the paperwork went back downstairs, then back upstairs for corrections and another review, then back downstairs for a last minute sketch (no idea of what) and finally every single page of the document was stamped (with many stamps) by the secretary. Near the end, the guy helping us asked me if he could take me to his village-lol. I think he was old enough to be my Dad, but I thanked him and declined, as well as told him that I was leaving this weekend.
Solange repeatedly thanked me when we left the department Thurs. and said that it only happened because I am white. She also said that she had already paid 2000 francs to the department and had been waiting for the documents to be completed and signed off for 2 years. 2 YEARS! According to her, things only get done for the rich and powerful at the department(shocker, right?). Since she does not fall into that category, her business with the department was set aside and ignored. It's sad that it took the color of a white person just to get things done for Solange. Even though I guess you could say that I was ''throwing my color around'', I am glad I was able to be of assistance to Solange so she wouldn't have to wait another 2 years for the documents to be finished and signed. There is just no excuse for an orphanage director's business to go ignored since she is not rich or powerful, but then again, we all know how the government is run here.
When the documents were signed off, we were told to pick up the certificate on Friday. Solange went back to the department on Friday and guess what? No certificate. I told her that if I had been there, I would've made sure that they did it right then, and if they couldn't for a good reason, then I would've told them that they owed me taxi money. I can see how frustrating it has got to be when you are treated as if you are a second rate citizen here.
Surprises
It is a good thing that no one found an architect in the U.S. to design the new orphanage because Solange surprised me on Friday with an architect's proposal and drawings for the new orphanage. This is why the land documents were so important to have completed and approved. She had found someone in Yaounde who volunteered to do the design and proposal a few weeks back and was hoping to surprise me with them before I left. I was quite surprised and very glad that she found someone to do it. God Bless the person who dedicated their free time to do both! Wahoo!
Accidents, Food & drink, Humans, Jeromie and Random stuff
Accidents
While here, I have witnessed 2 accidents involving motorbikes. In a taxi, we passed one where the bike was in the middle of the road where I am assuming the driver was hit or hit someone. The other day I was walking to the apartment when a man with a woman on the back of his motorbike made a right and the motorbike turned over after losing traction on the loose sand and gravel on the road. Thankfully the man wasn’t going very fast, so both got up, brushed themselves off and seemed to be fine.
Speaking of accidents, Myjolie burned a pan full of peppers the other morning. I was watching cartoons and had Boo Boo on my lap when it happened, so I got him out as soon as I started to be overwhelmed with the smell. The stink was so strong that it burned my throat and made me cough uncontrollably and sneeze. We had the overhead and floor fan on full blast, as well as both doors wide open trying to air out the apartment. I’d say it took a good 30 minutes before the smell settled in the apartment.
Food & drink
Solange bought a bag of sugar cane while we were out shopping for orphanage items the other day. If you’ve never tried sugar cane before, you put a piece of what looks like a thick stem in your mouth and basically suck the sugar water out of it. When you finish, you spit out the stem. It wasn’t bad, it just isn’t very fulfilling.
The other day, I went with Solange to a fish market. The stink was terrible since the market consisted of about 10 freezers wide open with signs above them identifying each section of fish and their cost. I don’t know what she ended up getting, but she got 2 boxes full of frozen fish.
Since the 3rd week I’ve been here, I have discovered a very satisfying treat on hot days. I’ll put a Pepsi can or Orange Fanta in the freezer for 2 hours, and it comes out perfectly iced. You have no idea how much I look forward to those hot days when I make myself a frozen treat after sweating all morning and afternoon…
Humans
All the volunteers and I, plus Akobe, Mary Claire, and Deanne, met for drinks at the outdoor bar right outside of Deanne’s place. I had a photographer, who I am assuming was the bar photographer, want to take my picture. He didn’t want Jessica’s or Daniel’s or anybody else’s picture, just mine. I politely declined because I just didn’t want my picture taken. He was rather persistent and wouldn’t leave the table, and so I finally had to be rude and tell him to bug off. After that, I had a guy tap me on the shoulder, wink at me, give me the thumbs up sign, then shape his lips to blow me a kiss. At that point, I was finished with his making a fool of himself and turned around. He did the exact same thing to Jessica who had been proposed to by a woman about an hour before-lol.
I have had many guys just automatically demand my phone number here without even striking up a conversation or introducing themselves-nothing. When they do this, I think, “It’s no wonder you’re single with that attitude. I wouldn’t look your way if I lived here either.” When walking through the Ndekoti market with Model (you’ll read about him below) on Friday, I felt as if I were up for auction because I had so many men shouting at me trying to get my attention while walking by a row of motorbike drivers. While there, I had one guy stick whatever product he was selling right in my face. Not to my right or to my left, but right IN my face. My reaction? I was so ticked off that I lifted my left arm up and shoved him right over to the side. Needless to say, his buddies were laughing at my reaction and his getting put into his place by “La Blanche.”
This past Monday, Marie was asking me about the new baby. I was like, “What new baby?’’ Marie took me into Solange’s room where Solange’s sister-in-law (forgot her name) was asleep on her bed with a teeny, tiny baby on a pillow beside of her. Solange’s sister-in-law had had a baby that morning! Apparently, Solange’s brother (Francois), his wife, son (Riquette) and new baby boy (Claude-they let the son name the kid) are staying at the orphanage for a month. This apparently is a culltural thing.
It was raining this past Friday morning, and my taxi stopped to pick up a fairly young woman with a shower cap on her head. She was wearing a v-neck dress and folks, I am not kidding you when I write this, but she had chest hair. Yes, you read that correctly. I did a double take when she walked up to the taxi door. I am finding that a lot of women here have chin hair, even Deanne has it. I find it rather interesting since most women (especially young) in the U.S. wouldn’t dare be caught in public with chin hair. Now I really can’t help but wonder what really is in the water here…
Model, a representative for THEX, has been nicknamed my “bodyguard and protector’’ since he accompanies me whenever I need to pick up donations or when I need help buying orphanage items. Anyway, we went to the market on Friday, and he ran inside a stand to do something so I stayed outside. The stand to the right of me had a man sitting outside of it. I saw a little boy who was about 2 years old wander out of it, who didn’t see me right away. As soon as the child spotted me, he started to panic, then cry, and couldn’t get away fast enough (I have named this behavior CSS, Caucasian Shock Syndrome-lol). He tripped over the stuff on the ground in front of him and immediately went straight into the arms of the man sitting outside the stand for comfort who was laughing at the child’s reaction. Another man standing outside the store watched the whole thing occur and was laughing too. I hate when I run into CSS because I hate the fact that I frighten children, so I was doing my usual reaction (as I am getting used to shocking kids!), which is both hands up to my mouth with a shocked, sorrowful look on my face.
Jeromie
I don’t think I have mentioned this before, but Jeromie and Akobe are originally from Cote d’Ivoire. Jeromie left here the week before last to go to Cote d’Ivoire in order to visit his family and renew his passport for 2 weeks. He took 2 bags with him and only received one bag when he arrived in Cote d’Ivoire (Yes, the stealing here in Africa is bad). With the political unrest there due to the presidential conflict and the rebel militia (another corrupt situation), the UN has stepped in. Since this has occurred, the rebel militia has been on a killing rampage and businesses have been closed. Jeromie couldn’t renew his passport at first, but once he was able to, he had to pay triple the cost because of the circumstances and no banks being open. As a result of the UN stepping in, there is no telling when Jeromie will return to Cameroon. I ask you to please keep him in your prayers and that he returns home safely.
Random Stuff
- The Mediterranean Restaurant has a black and white cat. I like any restaurant that feeds and cares for a cat. :)
- Any flat dirt surface is used for a soccer field no matter what size it may be.
- I have come to the conclusion that the only thing you need to know about driving here is that the understanding amongst drivers is that the road is one great big yield sign…
- There is a club called ''The Blade’’ here; I can’t help but wonder if it is a successful club or not…
While here, I have witnessed 2 accidents involving motorbikes. In a taxi, we passed one where the bike was in the middle of the road where I am assuming the driver was hit or hit someone. The other day I was walking to the apartment when a man with a woman on the back of his motorbike made a right and the motorbike turned over after losing traction on the loose sand and gravel on the road. Thankfully the man wasn’t going very fast, so both got up, brushed themselves off and seemed to be fine.
Speaking of accidents, Myjolie burned a pan full of peppers the other morning. I was watching cartoons and had Boo Boo on my lap when it happened, so I got him out as soon as I started to be overwhelmed with the smell. The stink was so strong that it burned my throat and made me cough uncontrollably and sneeze. We had the overhead and floor fan on full blast, as well as both doors wide open trying to air out the apartment. I’d say it took a good 30 minutes before the smell settled in the apartment.
Food & drink
Solange bought a bag of sugar cane while we were out shopping for orphanage items the other day. If you’ve never tried sugar cane before, you put a piece of what looks like a thick stem in your mouth and basically suck the sugar water out of it. When you finish, you spit out the stem. It wasn’t bad, it just isn’t very fulfilling.
The other day, I went with Solange to a fish market. The stink was terrible since the market consisted of about 10 freezers wide open with signs above them identifying each section of fish and their cost. I don’t know what she ended up getting, but she got 2 boxes full of frozen fish.
Since the 3rd week I’ve been here, I have discovered a very satisfying treat on hot days. I’ll put a Pepsi can or Orange Fanta in the freezer for 2 hours, and it comes out perfectly iced. You have no idea how much I look forward to those hot days when I make myself a frozen treat after sweating all morning and afternoon…
Humans
All the volunteers and I, plus Akobe, Mary Claire, and Deanne, met for drinks at the outdoor bar right outside of Deanne’s place. I had a photographer, who I am assuming was the bar photographer, want to take my picture. He didn’t want Jessica’s or Daniel’s or anybody else’s picture, just mine. I politely declined because I just didn’t want my picture taken. He was rather persistent and wouldn’t leave the table, and so I finally had to be rude and tell him to bug off. After that, I had a guy tap me on the shoulder, wink at me, give me the thumbs up sign, then shape his lips to blow me a kiss. At that point, I was finished with his making a fool of himself and turned around. He did the exact same thing to Jessica who had been proposed to by a woman about an hour before-lol.
I have had many guys just automatically demand my phone number here without even striking up a conversation or introducing themselves-nothing. When they do this, I think, “It’s no wonder you’re single with that attitude. I wouldn’t look your way if I lived here either.” When walking through the Ndekoti market with Model (you’ll read about him below) on Friday, I felt as if I were up for auction because I had so many men shouting at me trying to get my attention while walking by a row of motorbike drivers. While there, I had one guy stick whatever product he was selling right in my face. Not to my right or to my left, but right IN my face. My reaction? I was so ticked off that I lifted my left arm up and shoved him right over to the side. Needless to say, his buddies were laughing at my reaction and his getting put into his place by “La Blanche.”
This past Monday, Marie was asking me about the new baby. I was like, “What new baby?’’ Marie took me into Solange’s room where Solange’s sister-in-law (forgot her name) was asleep on her bed with a teeny, tiny baby on a pillow beside of her. Solange’s sister-in-law had had a baby that morning! Apparently, Solange’s brother (Francois), his wife, son (Riquette) and new baby boy (Claude-they let the son name the kid) are staying at the orphanage for a month. This apparently is a culltural thing.
It was raining this past Friday morning, and my taxi stopped to pick up a fairly young woman with a shower cap on her head. She was wearing a v-neck dress and folks, I am not kidding you when I write this, but she had chest hair. Yes, you read that correctly. I did a double take when she walked up to the taxi door. I am finding that a lot of women here have chin hair, even Deanne has it. I find it rather interesting since most women (especially young) in the U.S. wouldn’t dare be caught in public with chin hair. Now I really can’t help but wonder what really is in the water here…
Model, a representative for THEX, has been nicknamed my “bodyguard and protector’’ since he accompanies me whenever I need to pick up donations or when I need help buying orphanage items. Anyway, we went to the market on Friday, and he ran inside a stand to do something so I stayed outside. The stand to the right of me had a man sitting outside of it. I saw a little boy who was about 2 years old wander out of it, who didn’t see me right away. As soon as the child spotted me, he started to panic, then cry, and couldn’t get away fast enough (I have named this behavior CSS, Caucasian Shock Syndrome-lol). He tripped over the stuff on the ground in front of him and immediately went straight into the arms of the man sitting outside the stand for comfort who was laughing at the child’s reaction. Another man standing outside the store watched the whole thing occur and was laughing too. I hate when I run into CSS because I hate the fact that I frighten children, so I was doing my usual reaction (as I am getting used to shocking kids!), which is both hands up to my mouth with a shocked, sorrowful look on my face.
Jeromie
I don’t think I have mentioned this before, but Jeromie and Akobe are originally from Cote d’Ivoire. Jeromie left here the week before last to go to Cote d’Ivoire in order to visit his family and renew his passport for 2 weeks. He took 2 bags with him and only received one bag when he arrived in Cote d’Ivoire (Yes, the stealing here in Africa is bad). With the political unrest there due to the presidential conflict and the rebel militia (another corrupt situation), the UN has stepped in. Since this has occurred, the rebel militia has been on a killing rampage and businesses have been closed. Jeromie couldn’t renew his passport at first, but once he was able to, he had to pay triple the cost because of the circumstances and no banks being open. As a result of the UN stepping in, there is no telling when Jeromie will return to Cameroon. I ask you to please keep him in your prayers and that he returns home safely.
Random Stuff
- The Mediterranean Restaurant has a black and white cat. I like any restaurant that feeds and cares for a cat. :)
- Any flat dirt surface is used for a soccer field no matter what size it may be.
- I have come to the conclusion that the only thing you need to know about driving here is that the understanding amongst drivers is that the road is one great big yield sign…
- There is a club called ''The Blade’’ here; I can’t help but wonder if it is a successful club or not…
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Toilet paper rolls, the apartment, clothing, shopping & forgotten blog mentionables
Some things are apparently universal…
The time I have stayed here in Douala, it seems just the same as at home bathroom-wise. Gawd forbid somebody replace the empty toilet paper roll with a new one. Maybe that’s a universal thing rather than a cultural thing-lol.
At the apartment…
At the beginning of February, the house help returned to the apartment. Apparently she had been absent for quite a while due to a broken leg. Her name is Myjolie, which means “my pretty” in French. She’s looks to be in her early 20s, and she works 8-5 Monday-Saturdays. She does the laundry, helps prepare meals, cleans the apartment and helps with the baby when needed. The work ethic here is rather odd because I’ll sometimes come home to her Myjolie on the floor or watching TV (with Georgette around and sometimes even Akobe), and this seems to be acceptable. I can only imagine how much that behavior would be rejected in the U.S.
Akobe doesn’t have a vacuum, so a “balet” is used for sweeping dirt off the carpets and on the floor. A balet is a bunch of palm tree stems that have been tied together. They are only about a foot and a half long, so anyone using it has to constantly bend over to sweep/brush. Myjolie mops the floor with a rag, bending over. I can’t tell you how much I’d love to introduce these people to a mop and small vacuum…
Speaking of floors, decorative, sticky flooring is very popular to use here. If the previous owner had an ugly plastic floor or it was damaged, sticky flooring is the way to cover it up. It’s a real pain when Boo Boo zooms around in his walker because he always gets caught on it and pulls it up. I guess it beats having to pay to have flooring replaced and is much cheaper I’m sure!
Clothing
I have noticed that gender and what people wear here really doesn’t matter. For instance, Boo Boo will wear pajamas with pink flowers on them or wear Hello Kitty underpants. At the orphanage, I’ve noticed both the boys and girls wearing something of the opposite gender whether it’s pants or a t-shirt. Same thing goes for people out in public. I’ve seen men wearing pink helmets or powder blue helmets. Now you know that if that were back in the states, a man would catch hell for wearing a pink helmet…
Another popular thing that motorbike drivers like to wear are toboggans or some type of fuzzy, winter hat. This is hard for me to comprehend since they live in tropical weather year round, and it’s just hot here! Why you would want to wear a hot, winter hat in 80-90 degree weather is beyond me. Sometimes you even see motorbike drivers wearing a coat too. As the saying goes, to each his own…
I’ve seen Michael Jordan wear here everywhere. I have seen a Texas A&M sticker on a 4Runner, a Texas A&M hat, a Rutgers t-shirt and an Ohio State t-shirt. I’m thinking I may leave my NC State t-shirt to Larissa at the orphanage in order to introduce a North Carolina University to Cameroon-lol.
Forgotten Mentionables
I forget to include the following in my blog about Limbe and Mt. Cameroon. On the way to Mt. Cameroon and coming back, we saw a few men herding oxen on the main road! I got some good pics of the one we passed coming back to Douala. Also, when we reached the edge of Douala, the rental car died. The driver let it run out of gas, so Daniel and the driver push the car up a hill to the nearest gas station. Now at this point I’m irritated because I’ve been crowded in the back of the car with 3 people for an hour and a half, ready to get back to the apartment. No gas? Really?! I did manage to get a pic of the guys pushing the car to the gas station though.
In case you are wondering, it looks like I may have to wait until I return to Raleigh to download the rest of my pics. Oh how I miss my laptop…
This Week & Shopping
The usual occurred this week, taxi drivers and various people wanting my phone number (shocker). I had one taxi driver whose finger nails were so long that I wanted to ask if he ever got manicures-ugh.
Solange and Marie asked me to go with them to shop for orphanage items on Thursday. The previous volunteer, Vanessa, had raised $3000 for the orphanage and sent it to Solange. $3000 is equal to
$1.5 million francs, so they had quite a list of things to buy. I managed to get the guy at the electronics store to knock of 15,000 francs on the TV cost and 10,000 francs for the office chair (and yes, the broken office chair is gone!). The Arno store reminded me of a Big Lots/Walmart store, as it had everything from office supplies to perfume. Arno gives the orphanage a discount, so we wanted to be sure to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, we were unable to buy a discounted TV there because the TVs were not owned by Arno (outside vendor), which I thought was rather weird. They did buy the first full broom, dust pan and blender for the orphanage. We went to the hardware store and bought light bulbs and new netting to cover the current netting with holes on the orphanage windows (gotta keep those pesky mosquitoes out!).
The kids were so excited when we returned to the orphanage with a new TV. Parfait set it up immediately, but sadly, we couldn’t get a picture to come through. But when I showed up the next day, there was a picture and sound thankfully! The old TV had been without sound for over a year!
Yesterday, Solange, Marie, Jessica (another new volunteer named Jessica) and I went shopping again. We bought these adorable little plastic chairs of various colors for the kids to sit on, new pots for cooking (big ones!), a meat grinder, and various foods. Solange wanted to buy some new glasses for guests and decided to get 2 boxes. The guy wanted more money after what he had quoted her, so I took the 5000 note back, handed the glasses back to him and walked away. He immediately said ok and handed the glasses to me while taking the 5000 note back. My bargaining trick works every time-lol. We also bought curtain material to replace the curtains in the sitting room area. I got the guy to come off the cost by $2000 francs, but no more since it was his brother’s business. Oh well!
I had a guy come up to me and start talking to me at the market after I corrected his friend (and calling him ‘’Le noir’’) when he referred to me as ‘’La Blanche.’’ Then ALL of his friends gathered around me to talk to me. This guy called me the ‘’American Princess’’, and all Solange and Marie could do was laugh at the male audience I was surrounded by and my comments to the guys. I asked if they worked at all since they were all standing around having nothing better to do than harass me. I told the guy who called me ‘’La Blanche’’ that he talked too much and his friends laughed at my comment.
The new volunteer, Jessica, is Korean and was adopted as a baby by an American caucasian family. She grew up in Seattle and just finished a year and a half working as an au pere in Paris. When we walked through the market, I would hear sounds like ‘’Ching chong chung’’ as males commented rudely assuming that she is chinese. I was so ticked off yesterday, that I’d turn around, look at anybody who made those types of noises and inform them that we were American, where race and color do not matter. Let’s just say that my comments shut anybody up who had something to say about Jessica or this ‘’La Blanche’’…
Water Treatment Update
In case you were wondering why a water filter or water treatment system was not purchased when we were shopping this week, it is because we were not in the area where they can be purchased (Douala is a huge city divided up into various sections). Plus, I am waiting to receive a lump sum donation from my parents this coming week that will pay for it, which I will give to the orphanage as a gift, hopefully along with other items they need (mattresses, clothes, underwear, crayons, etc.). I cannot wait to go shopping for the orphanage with the donations that I receive!
The time I have stayed here in Douala, it seems just the same as at home bathroom-wise. Gawd forbid somebody replace the empty toilet paper roll with a new one. Maybe that’s a universal thing rather than a cultural thing-lol.
At the apartment…
At the beginning of February, the house help returned to the apartment. Apparently she had been absent for quite a while due to a broken leg. Her name is Myjolie, which means “my pretty” in French. She’s looks to be in her early 20s, and she works 8-5 Monday-Saturdays. She does the laundry, helps prepare meals, cleans the apartment and helps with the baby when needed. The work ethic here is rather odd because I’ll sometimes come home to her Myjolie on the floor or watching TV (with Georgette around and sometimes even Akobe), and this seems to be acceptable. I can only imagine how much that behavior would be rejected in the U.S.
Akobe doesn’t have a vacuum, so a “balet” is used for sweeping dirt off the carpets and on the floor. A balet is a bunch of palm tree stems that have been tied together. They are only about a foot and a half long, so anyone using it has to constantly bend over to sweep/brush. Myjolie mops the floor with a rag, bending over. I can’t tell you how much I’d love to introduce these people to a mop and small vacuum…
Speaking of floors, decorative, sticky flooring is very popular to use here. If the previous owner had an ugly plastic floor or it was damaged, sticky flooring is the way to cover it up. It’s a real pain when Boo Boo zooms around in his walker because he always gets caught on it and pulls it up. I guess it beats having to pay to have flooring replaced and is much cheaper I’m sure!
Clothing
I have noticed that gender and what people wear here really doesn’t matter. For instance, Boo Boo will wear pajamas with pink flowers on them or wear Hello Kitty underpants. At the orphanage, I’ve noticed both the boys and girls wearing something of the opposite gender whether it’s pants or a t-shirt. Same thing goes for people out in public. I’ve seen men wearing pink helmets or powder blue helmets. Now you know that if that were back in the states, a man would catch hell for wearing a pink helmet…
Another popular thing that motorbike drivers like to wear are toboggans or some type of fuzzy, winter hat. This is hard for me to comprehend since they live in tropical weather year round, and it’s just hot here! Why you would want to wear a hot, winter hat in 80-90 degree weather is beyond me. Sometimes you even see motorbike drivers wearing a coat too. As the saying goes, to each his own…
I’ve seen Michael Jordan wear here everywhere. I have seen a Texas A&M sticker on a 4Runner, a Texas A&M hat, a Rutgers t-shirt and an Ohio State t-shirt. I’m thinking I may leave my NC State t-shirt to Larissa at the orphanage in order to introduce a North Carolina University to Cameroon-lol.
Forgotten Mentionables
I forget to include the following in my blog about Limbe and Mt. Cameroon. On the way to Mt. Cameroon and coming back, we saw a few men herding oxen on the main road! I got some good pics of the one we passed coming back to Douala. Also, when we reached the edge of Douala, the rental car died. The driver let it run out of gas, so Daniel and the driver push the car up a hill to the nearest gas station. Now at this point I’m irritated because I’ve been crowded in the back of the car with 3 people for an hour and a half, ready to get back to the apartment. No gas? Really?! I did manage to get a pic of the guys pushing the car to the gas station though.
In case you are wondering, it looks like I may have to wait until I return to Raleigh to download the rest of my pics. Oh how I miss my laptop…
This Week & Shopping
The usual occurred this week, taxi drivers and various people wanting my phone number (shocker). I had one taxi driver whose finger nails were so long that I wanted to ask if he ever got manicures-ugh.
Solange and Marie asked me to go with them to shop for orphanage items on Thursday. The previous volunteer, Vanessa, had raised $3000 for the orphanage and sent it to Solange. $3000 is equal to
$1.5 million francs, so they had quite a list of things to buy. I managed to get the guy at the electronics store to knock of 15,000 francs on the TV cost and 10,000 francs for the office chair (and yes, the broken office chair is gone!). The Arno store reminded me of a Big Lots/Walmart store, as it had everything from office supplies to perfume. Arno gives the orphanage a discount, so we wanted to be sure to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, we were unable to buy a discounted TV there because the TVs were not owned by Arno (outside vendor), which I thought was rather weird. They did buy the first full broom, dust pan and blender for the orphanage. We went to the hardware store and bought light bulbs and new netting to cover the current netting with holes on the orphanage windows (gotta keep those pesky mosquitoes out!).
The kids were so excited when we returned to the orphanage with a new TV. Parfait set it up immediately, but sadly, we couldn’t get a picture to come through. But when I showed up the next day, there was a picture and sound thankfully! The old TV had been without sound for over a year!
Yesterday, Solange, Marie, Jessica (another new volunteer named Jessica) and I went shopping again. We bought these adorable little plastic chairs of various colors for the kids to sit on, new pots for cooking (big ones!), a meat grinder, and various foods. Solange wanted to buy some new glasses for guests and decided to get 2 boxes. The guy wanted more money after what he had quoted her, so I took the 5000 note back, handed the glasses back to him and walked away. He immediately said ok and handed the glasses to me while taking the 5000 note back. My bargaining trick works every time-lol. We also bought curtain material to replace the curtains in the sitting room area. I got the guy to come off the cost by $2000 francs, but no more since it was his brother’s business. Oh well!
I had a guy come up to me and start talking to me at the market after I corrected his friend (and calling him ‘’Le noir’’) when he referred to me as ‘’La Blanche.’’ Then ALL of his friends gathered around me to talk to me. This guy called me the ‘’American Princess’’, and all Solange and Marie could do was laugh at the male audience I was surrounded by and my comments to the guys. I asked if they worked at all since they were all standing around having nothing better to do than harass me. I told the guy who called me ‘’La Blanche’’ that he talked too much and his friends laughed at my comment.
The new volunteer, Jessica, is Korean and was adopted as a baby by an American caucasian family. She grew up in Seattle and just finished a year and a half working as an au pere in Paris. When we walked through the market, I would hear sounds like ‘’Ching chong chung’’ as males commented rudely assuming that she is chinese. I was so ticked off yesterday, that I’d turn around, look at anybody who made those types of noises and inform them that we were American, where race and color do not matter. Let’s just say that my comments shut anybody up who had something to say about Jessica or this ‘’La Blanche’’…
Water Treatment Update
In case you were wondering why a water filter or water treatment system was not purchased when we were shopping this week, it is because we were not in the area where they can be purchased (Douala is a huge city divided up into various sections). Plus, I am waiting to receive a lump sum donation from my parents this coming week that will pay for it, which I will give to the orphanage as a gift, hopefully along with other items they need (mattresses, clothes, underwear, crayons, etc.). I cannot wait to go shopping for the orphanage with the donations that I receive!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Monetary Donations for Clean Drinking Water & Shipping of Items
The number one item I am determined to buy for the children while I am here in Douala is a water filtration system. I recently found out that the orphanage is not using tap water for drinking, but is collecting drinking water from the river. The water is not filtered nor treated, so the staff and children are drinking filthy, polluted water. After passing several water sources on the way to the orphanage, there is no telling what the river water has been exposed to chemically, garbage-wise, as well as human waste-wise. The children are often sick due to the untreated water, and all of them have a skin rash on their bodies that is in the form of numerous bumps on their skin.
I am in the midst of searching for a water filter system, so I cannot tell you as to how much money I need in order to buy one yet. It has been quite difficult to find someone who knows of a business who sells water filtration systems, so I have Jeromie and another friend asking around. I can find water filtration systems online with no problem, but have not found where to purchase here in Cameroon as of yet. Even so, I am not giving up my goal of clean drinking water for the children and am determined that they have access to clean drinking water prior to my parting at the end of this month!
Many people have been stoked to ship things to the orphanage; however, I have found that shipping here from the U.S. is extremely expensive. A 21”x21”x13” box was quoted as being $929.61, and a 17”x13”x11” box was quoted to be $355.47-that doesn’t even cover the weight of the box shipped. The other problem with shipping is that when a box arrives, the orphanage must pay taxes on the box(es) and taxes are very expensive here even for a not-for-profit orphanage.
I have tried my darndest to set up a Paypal account for donations, but unfortunately Paypal has blacklisted Cameroon. This is why I am posting donation requests so late, as well as my laptop being stolen has not helped! A lot of people have asked about sending donations to the orphanage website; however, it is not working. I have found that the link does not work in the U.S. because there are no banks that have any direct business links to Cameroon banks.
Due to my limited time here, I am asking people to send me their donations by MoneyGram (cheaper) or Western Union, and then e-mailing me the transaction number at superswade@gmail.com. Be sure to enter my full name: Susan Charles Wade, and you should only need to enter that I am in Douala, Cameroon. I can pick donations up anywhere at a MoneyGram or Western Union location in Cameroon (they are everywhere), so you wouldn’t need a specific address for me here. If you would prefer to not pay to send donations to me, my parents are collecting money in order to send me a lump sum donation. If you decide to do this instead, please contact my parents at my Dad’s office at 336-882-4131 or at my parents’ house after 6 pm at 336-476-4670 in order to make arrangements to get money to them. Just please keep in mind that I am only here in Douala until Feb. 28 and need all donations to be sent to me no later than Feb. 25.
Here in Cameroon, the government has no such system for donations to be tax deductible; therefore, the orphanage must depend on donations locally and abroad in order to continue to stay open. Someone asked me a very good question and asked, “Why does the orphanage not get help from local churches, companies or the government?” The Cameroonian government is so corrupt that it only cares about continuing to be corrupt. Companies will not donate due to donations not benefitting them (no tax write off). Also, many companies have run into problems where people who have requested donations have falsely posed as volunteers from an organization only to keep the financial donation or selling donated material items at the market. The majority of people in Cameroon are poor, so the churches do not collect many donations and as a result, the churches do not have money to spend on needy families or orphanages.
As you know now, all orphanage donations will not be a tax write off. I truly hope that this will not prevent my friends, family members, schools and churches from opening their hearts and donating to these wonderful children in need of not only clean water, but food and other necessities. I promise you that all money collected will only be spent on the children. Money leftover after my purchasing a water filtration system will be invested in the following requested items by the orphanage director, Solange: food, children’s underwear, children’s clothes, a table where the children can sit to eat, a radio (have none), TV (current one has no sound), chairs, mattresses, pots/pans, screen material to cover up screens with holes, and a new computer. I will continue to collect money after I leave Cameroon, so if I receive late donations, it will be fine. I will send a lump sum to Solange a few weeks after I return to the U.S.
I am in the midst of searching for a water filter system, so I cannot tell you as to how much money I need in order to buy one yet. It has been quite difficult to find someone who knows of a business who sells water filtration systems, so I have Jeromie and another friend asking around. I can find water filtration systems online with no problem, but have not found where to purchase here in Cameroon as of yet. Even so, I am not giving up my goal of clean drinking water for the children and am determined that they have access to clean drinking water prior to my parting at the end of this month!
Many people have been stoked to ship things to the orphanage; however, I have found that shipping here from the U.S. is extremely expensive. A 21”x21”x13” box was quoted as being $929.61, and a 17”x13”x11” box was quoted to be $355.47-that doesn’t even cover the weight of the box shipped. The other problem with shipping is that when a box arrives, the orphanage must pay taxes on the box(es) and taxes are very expensive here even for a not-for-profit orphanage.
I have tried my darndest to set up a Paypal account for donations, but unfortunately Paypal has blacklisted Cameroon. This is why I am posting donation requests so late, as well as my laptop being stolen has not helped! A lot of people have asked about sending donations to the orphanage website; however, it is not working. I have found that the link does not work in the U.S. because there are no banks that have any direct business links to Cameroon banks.
Due to my limited time here, I am asking people to send me their donations by MoneyGram (cheaper) or Western Union, and then e-mailing me the transaction number at superswade@gmail.com. Be sure to enter my full name: Susan Charles Wade, and you should only need to enter that I am in Douala, Cameroon. I can pick donations up anywhere at a MoneyGram or Western Union location in Cameroon (they are everywhere), so you wouldn’t need a specific address for me here. If you would prefer to not pay to send donations to me, my parents are collecting money in order to send me a lump sum donation. If you decide to do this instead, please contact my parents at my Dad’s office at 336-882-4131 or at my parents’ house after 6 pm at 336-476-4670 in order to make arrangements to get money to them. Just please keep in mind that I am only here in Douala until Feb. 28 and need all donations to be sent to me no later than Feb. 25.
Here in Cameroon, the government has no such system for donations to be tax deductible; therefore, the orphanage must depend on donations locally and abroad in order to continue to stay open. Someone asked me a very good question and asked, “Why does the orphanage not get help from local churches, companies or the government?” The Cameroonian government is so corrupt that it only cares about continuing to be corrupt. Companies will not donate due to donations not benefitting them (no tax write off). Also, many companies have run into problems where people who have requested donations have falsely posed as volunteers from an organization only to keep the financial donation or selling donated material items at the market. The majority of people in Cameroon are poor, so the churches do not collect many donations and as a result, the churches do not have money to spend on needy families or orphanages.
As you know now, all orphanage donations will not be a tax write off. I truly hope that this will not prevent my friends, family members, schools and churches from opening their hearts and donating to these wonderful children in need of not only clean water, but food and other necessities. I promise you that all money collected will only be spent on the children. Money leftover after my purchasing a water filtration system will be invested in the following requested items by the orphanage director, Solange: food, children’s underwear, children’s clothes, a table where the children can sit to eat, a radio (have none), TV (current one has no sound), chairs, mattresses, pots/pans, screen material to cover up screens with holes, and a new computer. I will continue to collect money after I leave Cameroon, so if I receive late donations, it will be fine. I will send a lump sum to Solange a few weeks after I return to the U.S.
The week of Feb. 7 -11, and random thoughts/wishes
Solange asked me to accompany her to the Department of Social Affairs (DSA) this week, which oversees the orphanage. We were walking through the parking lot and to both the left and right there were copy machines set up. If you needed a copy of something, you just walked up and asked the person behind the machine to make you a copy or copies of whatever it was that you needed. Of course, the copy machines all looked as if they were from the 80s and probably were that old.
When Solange and I walked into the DSA building, the first thing I saw was an old bookshelf with piles of documents on them. I couldn’t help but wonder what the documents were and if there was such a thing as archiving or even filing at the department. When we walked into the waiting area, a lady was sitting at a clear desk with her cell phone in front of her and nothing else. No computer, no phone, no fax machine, no nothing! When we were asked to go back to Mercie’s office, she also did not have a computer and had piles of documents on her desk. How in the world do those people function without computers, archives or any type of organization whatsoever?!
Mercie was super nice and spoke both French and English. She was very interested in me and asked all sorts of questions. She even offered to show me the town where she was from just so that I could get a different perspective on the culture that she grew up in. I was extremely pleased to be able to speak with someone in fluent English and ask her questions about where I could find school supplies for the children, water filtration systems, etc.
Afterward, Solange and I returned to the orphanage where Marie was working, and she had a male friend visiting her. His name was Antoine, and we spoke in both French and English. We talked for a long time, and I learned that he is very interested in green energy and finding a way to create computers to run on solar energy. With my masters focus on sustainable development, we instantly became friends. He told me that it is his dream to come to the U.S. and compete against the computer engineers in Silicon Valley. One of the funniest things that I learned from Antoine is that he assumed that all Americans had guns. I burst out laughing when he told me this and proceeded to tell him that if every American had a gun, then I’d probably never leave my house-lol.
Antoine told me that he had never felt a white woman’s hair and asked if he could touch my hair. Afterward, I was told that it felt like a lion’s mane and a zebra’s tail-ouch! I told him that normally my hair is soft, but due to the hard water here in Africa and it being blown in the wind that my hair stays quite frizzy and coarse here. I’m not sure if he believed me or not though-lol.
After Antoine left, some of the kids asked to see my pictures on Facebook. They liked my house and particularly liked my skydiving pictures. They were amazed that I jumped out of an airplane at 17,000 feet.
The other day I stopped by Patrice’s house to check my e-mail. Patrice is a good friend of Jeromie’s, and he has a small room in his mother’s home set up for public internet use. I’d say that he is doing rather well with his business because he just had a window air conditioning unit installed in his room-lol. Patrice cracks me up when he laughs because he laughs EXACTLY like Eddy Murphy. He is supposedly working on getting a loaner laptop for me to work on, but that has not yet happened (it was requested over a week ago). Almost daily I am over at his business harassing him to hurry it up.
Random Things
One of the most random things I see almost daily during the week are these three white goats. When riding in a taxi, there is a particular patch of land that these goats graze on in a very busy area and they are almost always there. No idea who they belong to (shocker), but I do feel sorry for them as I wish I could buy a bale of hay for them to get some proper nutrition.
Speaking of random animals, the goats made me think of a horse that I saw grazing on the side of the road last weekend on the way to Mt. Cameroon. It was not fenced in or tied up-nothing. I wondered if it had escaped from a pasture or if it was another one of the many roaming animals of another irresponsible animal owner…
I have seen a few people here in wheelchairs that one would see in the U.S., but I have seen a few people in wheelchairs with 3 wheels. They are very low to the ground and the front has a bicycle chain with handles on the sides to rotate the bicycle chain. It is very interesting to see, and one must be pretty physically fit in the upper half of their body to be able to maintain the rotating. Sometimes I see another person behind those in a 3 wheeled wheelchair, but I haven’t been able to see exactly what the person is doing. My guess is that they might be helping to steer.
I’ve had 3 taxi drivers ask me for my phone number this week, one claiming that he loved me repeatedly, and another driver asking if he could be my Cameroonian boyfriend. While standing at a very busy intersection with Solange, I had a guy on a motorbike chatting a way at me, but I was ignoring him. As I crossed the street, he yelled out, “I love you.” I cracked up laughing when I heard it, and I think he was rather pleased that he got some sort of reaction out of me.
Random Wishes
- I wish for my friends and family members to donate enough money for me to be able to buy a water treatment system for the orphanage..
- I wish to find affordable water treatment systems.
- If I never saw an ant again, I would be fine with it. I get so tired of sitting somewhere and feeling a tiny ant crawling on my arm or seeing them crawl on my plate, etc. They are everywhere, and I live on the third floor!
- I wish Akobe would not breast feed at the kitchen table!
- I wish to never sit and sweat ever again!
- I wish Paypal could be set up here in Cameroon.
- I wish I had my laptop back.
- I wish I didn’t have such a noisy roommate!
When Solange and I walked into the DSA building, the first thing I saw was an old bookshelf with piles of documents on them. I couldn’t help but wonder what the documents were and if there was such a thing as archiving or even filing at the department. When we walked into the waiting area, a lady was sitting at a clear desk with her cell phone in front of her and nothing else. No computer, no phone, no fax machine, no nothing! When we were asked to go back to Mercie’s office, she also did not have a computer and had piles of documents on her desk. How in the world do those people function without computers, archives or any type of organization whatsoever?!
Mercie was super nice and spoke both French and English. She was very interested in me and asked all sorts of questions. She even offered to show me the town where she was from just so that I could get a different perspective on the culture that she grew up in. I was extremely pleased to be able to speak with someone in fluent English and ask her questions about where I could find school supplies for the children, water filtration systems, etc.
Afterward, Solange and I returned to the orphanage where Marie was working, and she had a male friend visiting her. His name was Antoine, and we spoke in both French and English. We talked for a long time, and I learned that he is very interested in green energy and finding a way to create computers to run on solar energy. With my masters focus on sustainable development, we instantly became friends. He told me that it is his dream to come to the U.S. and compete against the computer engineers in Silicon Valley. One of the funniest things that I learned from Antoine is that he assumed that all Americans had guns. I burst out laughing when he told me this and proceeded to tell him that if every American had a gun, then I’d probably never leave my house-lol.
Antoine told me that he had never felt a white woman’s hair and asked if he could touch my hair. Afterward, I was told that it felt like a lion’s mane and a zebra’s tail-ouch! I told him that normally my hair is soft, but due to the hard water here in Africa and it being blown in the wind that my hair stays quite frizzy and coarse here. I’m not sure if he believed me or not though-lol.
After Antoine left, some of the kids asked to see my pictures on Facebook. They liked my house and particularly liked my skydiving pictures. They were amazed that I jumped out of an airplane at 17,000 feet.
The other day I stopped by Patrice’s house to check my e-mail. Patrice is a good friend of Jeromie’s, and he has a small room in his mother’s home set up for public internet use. I’d say that he is doing rather well with his business because he just had a window air conditioning unit installed in his room-lol. Patrice cracks me up when he laughs because he laughs EXACTLY like Eddy Murphy. He is supposedly working on getting a loaner laptop for me to work on, but that has not yet happened (it was requested over a week ago). Almost daily I am over at his business harassing him to hurry it up.
Random Things
One of the most random things I see almost daily during the week are these three white goats. When riding in a taxi, there is a particular patch of land that these goats graze on in a very busy area and they are almost always there. No idea who they belong to (shocker), but I do feel sorry for them as I wish I could buy a bale of hay for them to get some proper nutrition.
Speaking of random animals, the goats made me think of a horse that I saw grazing on the side of the road last weekend on the way to Mt. Cameroon. It was not fenced in or tied up-nothing. I wondered if it had escaped from a pasture or if it was another one of the many roaming animals of another irresponsible animal owner…
I have seen a few people here in wheelchairs that one would see in the U.S., but I have seen a few people in wheelchairs with 3 wheels. They are very low to the ground and the front has a bicycle chain with handles on the sides to rotate the bicycle chain. It is very interesting to see, and one must be pretty physically fit in the upper half of their body to be able to maintain the rotating. Sometimes I see another person behind those in a 3 wheeled wheelchair, but I haven’t been able to see exactly what the person is doing. My guess is that they might be helping to steer.
I’ve had 3 taxi drivers ask me for my phone number this week, one claiming that he loved me repeatedly, and another driver asking if he could be my Cameroonian boyfriend. While standing at a very busy intersection with Solange, I had a guy on a motorbike chatting a way at me, but I was ignoring him. As I crossed the street, he yelled out, “I love you.” I cracked up laughing when I heard it, and I think he was rather pleased that he got some sort of reaction out of me.
Random Wishes
- I wish for my friends and family members to donate enough money for me to be able to buy a water treatment system for the orphanage..
- I wish to find affordable water treatment systems.
- If I never saw an ant again, I would be fine with it. I get so tired of sitting somewhere and feeling a tiny ant crawling on my arm or seeing them crawl on my plate, etc. They are everywhere, and I live on the third floor!
- I wish Akobe would not breast feed at the kitchen table!
- I wish to never sit and sweat ever again!
- I wish Paypal could be set up here in Cameroon.
- I wish I had my laptop back.
- I wish I didn’t have such a noisy roommate!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)