“When We are Together, We are One” – GHAPE

Salut-oh,

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged here so I should say what’s up to the world. Things here are going well. I’m still in my three months of observing as a Peace Corps Volunteer and will be attending In-Service training (IST) next month (at the beach at the beach at the beach at the beach! Also near the volcano!), where we gather all of the people from our training group and talk about our experiences so far. For now, I’ve been busy with my primary NGO as we’ve launched an intensive training course for four Small Business Consultants. Business consulting is lacking in Cameroon, especially compared to its neighbors Nigeria, Ghana, etc. There seems to be a need since small businesses constitute the majority of the job sector here in Bamenda, as it is the third largest business sector to Douala (the financial capital) and Yaounde (the political capital). People consistently demonstrate an interest in taking business courses as well – especially in an oral culture where records are not kept, it is important to teach people to manage their inventory, cash book, credit, separating business accounts from personal accounts, etc. I’m pretty excited about these trainees – they’ve completed their university studies recently and seem eager to learn. It’s great to be surrounded in an environment where people are genuine and passionate about what they do.

Another NGO I have also begun working with is Global Welfare Association (GLOWA), which specializes in anti-child trafficking. Here in the Northwest region, families living in poverty are pursued by traffickers promising their children money for education if they come into the big city to work for them in their homes. Because these poor, rural families cannot afford tuition, book fees, and food for their kids, they allow for them to leave. What they don’t realize is that the traffickers place them to do various activities, such as manual labor, selling items on the streets, prostitution, etc. The families may never see their child again, or if they’ve found out their children’s jobs or if their children have contracted HIV/AIDS, they are shamed from returning or simply do not have the means to bring them home. Since Bamenda is the regional capital of the Northwest and this region constitutes the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Cameroon, we recognize that child trafficking contributes to the disease. And obviously, exploitation of children is deplorable and GLOWA is fighting to combat this through awareness at all levels. I think I can really assist this organization in bringing resources through international channels, because this is not only a Northwest Cameroon problem – it’s a global human rights issue. They also have a documentary, (insert link), which I will be marketing to the U.S. and European countries, and trying to figure out some income-generating activities with it. This NGO, like many, has a worthy cause but is struggling financially.

A third NGO I am starting to pursue here is called GHAPE. It’s a microfinance NGO that is modeled after one of my hero’s (Muhammad Yunus) organization Grameen Bank. The idea is that banks in third world countries, even microfinance banks now, do not approve loans for those who want to start small businesses because they have no credit history or substantial collateral. So this population of the extremely poor are further marginalized and Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh created the idea of group loans & savings. You can read more on the history of Grameen Bank: (insert website). Here in Bamenda, GHAPE works to bring (mostly) womens’ groups together to request for loans and create savings accounts. Women (there are men’s groups as well but women are more trustworthy, and yes there are studies proving this) from their own cartiers/village/town/city group themselves as five individuals. Each center office has eight groups of the five, which equals forty. GHAPE works with a microfinance bank to provide and approve loans with low interest. So if a woman wants to borrow start-up capital to begin a beignet (fried dough) stand, she discusses first with her four other group members and they approve to ensure it’s not too large of an investment. Once approved, they submit her request to a GHAPE loan officer. Every two weeks, the woman pays back the loan/interest rate to the loan officer. If the woman’s business fails, she will refund the principal amount requested but GHAPE does not charge interest.

I joined Peace Corps with the intention to learn more and work with microfinance orgs like GHAPE. I finally attended one of their group meetings yesterday at their office. Talk about poverty alleviation at work. These eight groups met and the rule is to pay all the money owed for the two weeks to your group leader. The group leader gives the money and passbooks to the center leader (elected by the forty borrowers), who places each groups’ money onto the desk of the GHAPE loan officer. The loan officers will not count the money and start the meeting until all eight groups have paid in full. Also, if you’re late to a meeting you are fined 25 francs and if you miss a meeting you must give your money to one of your group members. The issue yesterday was that there was one woman who owed a great sum of money but had an emergency and could not attend the meeting. Now, the loan officer does not care so long as the money is paid. So either her group members pay on her behalf, the money is taken from her savings account, or the center group of forty women have to chip together to pay. The biggest element here is trust. These women trust each other enough in groups of five and support one another. But they are also involved with the other seven groups – if one member struggles, the rest of the center helps. I really agree that this model works because it adapts to the local culture of community and trust (which makes me hippie-ish when I say that this model works all across the globe in other countries in Africa, South America, Asia, etc. and that we are all together). Anyway, I can go on and an on about how awesome the Grameen model is, as manifested through GHAPE (also funded by www.kiva.org – check them out), but I am just happy to have finally observed a meeting. I used to intern at Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA International) in DC, but it was too administrative and it’s great to watch microfinance in action. One more note: it’s great also that GHAPE teaches business classes to these women to manage their money as well as encourage savings because that’s just as important as earning money. You must prioritize your savings, like your children’s school fees, and not squander it on things like alcohol and cigarettes (that’s another conversation for another time).

So that’s my life right now. I’m still hungry to begin a fair trade project and I am assisting with our Peace Corps regional project on HIV/AIDS, so I am keeping myself busy with my time here. Thanksgiving is coming up and I’m super excited to celebrate, but the President is coming to visit on the 29th so I’m cautious of all the security measures (like curfews) that are taking place this month. Could be very interesting.

Next time-oh…

P.S. Some food for thought. I heard this yesterday in a lecture: “What does ‘poor’ stand for? Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly.”

Worky Work

Hey everyone,


Sorry for not blogging sooner. I’ve been spending the past month or so settling into my city Bamenda. Things have been going well…just getting to know my way around town. I am finally settled into my apartment for the most part (just need to put up decorations on my walls). So far, I have decided not to invest in a TV and fridge…I already stay home too much because of my internet key. Who knows if I’ll change my mind.

I have also hit the ground running with work. I am an NGO consultant with a nonprofit called Microenterprise Development Consultants (MICROEDEC), which is my host institution I am paired to work with. It serves as a business resource center for current and aspiring entrepreneurs. My main role is to provide organizational development to ensure operations and programs run smoothly. We have just finished teaching business classes to 11 students, who are managers, workers, teachers in the agriculture, electronics, technology, education fields. Our next set of classes will begin in two weeks and we’re currently working on hiring and training business consultants to add to the staff here. Talk about putting my MPA to use. =)

I also participated as a guest speaker last week on a radio show (my very first time on the air), called “100% Jeune,” devoted to promoting life skills to Cameroonian youth to prevent and raise awareness on the spread of HIV/AIDS. My topic that night was on general etiquette…totally fun and nerve-wracking. I grew up wanting to be a journalist, so this was a pretty cool experience.

There are a slew of NGOs in town that I would also like to greet and potentially consult, and I am spending these first few months getting to know everyone and assimilating. I’m thinking about projects related to agrobusiness, fair trade, ecotourism, environmental education, etc. but that’s just me being all over the place.

I must note that this was probably not the Peace Corps experience I had imagined. As a Small Enterprise Development volunteer, I did not think I would constantly lack electricity and be placed in a completely rural village – but I have been surprised at my amenities and opportunity to network with volunteers from around the world (VSOs). I really do believe this is the best place to live and work in Cameroon and I’m not saying this with a biased viewpoint. Oh, and the nightlife here is pretty awesome.

Countdown to my 26th birthday in Africa…in two weeks!

Post!

Hi all,

Sorry it has taken a while for me to blog. So many things have happened here, particularly my arrival at post in Bamenda, the regional capital of the Northwest. We as trainees finished our stage in the town of Bafia and swore in on August 18, 2010 to become U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers. It was an amazing feeling to be done with three months of French, Pidgin English, business, and health classes every day. Now we are on our own and can finally begin working. I will not go into it, but let’s just say that my three months in Bafia were extremely rough and I am glad to be able to finally decompress here. I am still amazed at how modern my apartment is here – running water, electricity, tiles, shower, balcony (with a waterfall in view), etc. Even though the water and current goes out every now and again, I am definitely not complaining. Just weird because this was not the Peace Corps experience I imagined. In fact, as modern as my host family’s house was, it is a drastic change comparing life in a large village to a city like Bamenda.

If I could describe Bamenda in one word, it would be: lively. Oh, and scenic. The savannah and hills are gorgeous. In fact, if I am only looking at the scenery from a distance the view reminds me of Costa Rica. Most roads are paved but there are still dirt roads in the neighborhoods and small shops. The main streets, such as Commercial Avenue, are filled with shop after shop after shop after shop. Think Chinatown. With that, there are also bars after bars after bars. Cameroonians, especially in the Northwest, are very social people. There are “white man” stores which sell a gamut of items I thought I had left behind in the States: Snickers bars, ice cream, cranberry juice, yogurt, soy products, whole wheat bread, maple syrup, etc. For transportation, people get around by taking bikes/motos and taxis.

Let me elaborate on transportation. When taking a taxi, first you need to show with your fingers how many people in his taxi. You tell him where you want to go and if he agrees, he honks once. Then you make sure you negotiate the price before you get in. Because I’m “white,” sometimes the driver doubles the price so you just need to tell him directly. Another note is that you do not always have a seat to yourself. The driver will seat as many people as he can into the taxi, which can be between 8-9 people. Sometimes in the front, you sit in the middle between the driver and the passenger, and sometimes you sit on the left side of the driver – that’s when you’re called the “petite chauffeur.” Because I’m small, I do this. At first it was overwhelming and sometimes you get elbowed in the thigh when the driver shifts to first gear...like today (yeah, bruises for days). But c’est la vie – as long as you get from Point A to Point B, I suppose.

Next: Motos. Short for motorcycles. You hop on and hop off. You can seat 2-3 customers and their children, who sit in front/on the driver. Normally, people don’t wear helmets but because there are instances of moto crashes, but Peace Corps Volunteers are required to wear PC-issued helmets. I'm too scared to ride them in Bamenda.

Let me write about two other points, which I have found to be quite interesting. I have mentioned before the split between Anglophones and Francophones (see previous post). I noticed this when meeting with local officials in Bamenda. When I sat down with the governor of the Northwest region to introduce myself as a PCV, he was very cordial and spoke English. We also did not wait very long for this meeting. However, I noticed a very different attitude towards us when meeting with the police and gendarmes. We had to wait much longer and they were not as respectful. They also only spoke French, even though we are in an Anglophone region. Because Anglophones are the minority in a Francophone-dominated country, the police and gendarmes represent the national government.

The last point I’ll discuss today is my experiences here as a Chinese-American. There is no doubt that people already stare at me and other “whites” whether we’re in a town like Bafia or a big city like Bamenda. I have lived in different places like Richmond, VA and Omaha, NE, and even the DC metropolitan area where diversity is not at the same level as in LA or New York. But being here is a whole other ballgame. People stare at me and wonder aloud if I’m Chinese or Japanese. Kids greet me with "hee haw" (which annoys me)or some of those more aware say "Ni hao" (still wrong but no biggie). When I tell them I’m an American, many times they will not believe me. Now, this would not normally bother me as much because I have dealt with this in the past. However, we know that Chinese contractors work in many African countries, Cameroon being one of them. There are also many Chinese products sold - on the street as well as in a few Chinese owned stores. Yet many products are cheap and of bad quality. Many items will break after only a few uses. Because these products are driving out competition from Cameroonian stores, some locals are anti-Chinese. Thus, when I’m walking down the shops and stores, a few people have made rude/ignorant comments to me. I can understand their frustrations, but I don't appreciate them thinking that I'm here to exploit anyone.

But I'll end this post on a good note. I see Obama-gear everywhere...t-shirts, notebooks, wallets, stickers on taxis, names of restaurant/bars, etc. I am currently in search of an Obama market bag. How interesting it would have been to be in Africa on Election Day '08.

Waka fine!

Diseased.

I have typhoid. TYPHOID. Think Oregon Trail diseases: cholera, dysentery...and TYPHOID. Think preventable disease. It's disgusting and ridiculously funny at the same time. I'll blog more about this later...but I'm retching in pain right now (no, not really. Just laugh).

Halfway Mark

Friends, I promise I will post pictures soon on Facebook. I have not taken many pictures yet because I have been cautious not to flash my electronics around. But I will make sure you get to see the life I am living as a trainee. We are halfway through with training and will finish August 18. Only one more month and we swear in as official volunteers!

Last week we went on our site visits to see our posts and to get a glimpse of my life over the next two years. Bamenda is wonderful. It’s the regional capital of the Northwest Province and the largest Anglophone city in Cameroon with a population of 235,000. According to my tour book, this province is what you would consider “African” with secret societies, traditional chiefdoms (called fons), carved masks, etc. The road from Yaounde (and Bafia) to Bamenda is a direct, paved road (you Americans had better appreciate the ease and efficiency of paved roads…I’ll go into detail about the Ring Road later, which is the path from Bamenda to the town Kumbo) and is about 5-6 hours away. The weather is dry and slightly cooler than Los Angeles…60s to upper 70s with sun that kisses your skin but does not make you perspire. No more humidity for me! The lush is savannah and abundant eucalyptus trees…AND I can see a petite waterfall from my apartment balcony.
The city is definitely bustling with activity with stores, markets, internet cafes – you name it and Bamenda has it (relative to towns in third world nations, of course). Oh, it even has beautiful hotels (international quality) with swimming pools! You can even find gourmet pizza, cheeseburgers, and Dr. Pepper. I definitely did not expect this when I signed up for the Peace Corps, but obviously the world has changed in today’s ubiquitous world of technology and globalization. Did I mention I’ll also be getting wifi? Once I arrive at post, I’ll be able to Skype and gchat with you guys.

It is also a very interesting time to live in Bamenda. Let me first provide a (very) brief background of Cameroon. The country is divided into ten provinces: The Extreme North (desert, Muslim/Christian/animist), North (Muslim-ish), South (rainforest), East (rainforest), Centre (the capital Yaounde and Bafia are here), Littoral (the country’s largest and economic city Douala is here), West, Southwest (the beach and volcano are here), and Northwest (Bamenda). After Germany gave up Cameroon after WWI, France and England divided up land. Cameroon gained independence in 1960 with a democratic form of government. Today, the majority of Cameroon is Francophone with Anglophones as the minority in the Northwest and Southwest provinces. There exists a divide between the Francophones and Anglophones, as the latter feel marginalized and do not believe the president represents their best interests. This sentiment is very strong to the point where the Anglophones want independence from Francophone. When President Paul Biya, who has been ruling since 1982, was forced to legalize opposition parties in 1991, the Social Democratic Front (SDF) formed in Bamenda. The 1992 election renewed Biya’s presidency, denying the SDF an Anglophone president amid claims of voter rigging and intimidation. In conversing with Anglophones in Bamenda and my Francophone host family here in Bafia, it seems both sides are passionate about their politics. We will see how these sentiments will pan out in next year’s elections, with Biya running for another seven-year presidential term. I hope for peaceful results, especially in a hotbed city like Bamenda.

To provide you with a sense of Cameroon’s standard of living, the currency here is the Central African franc (CFA). While the exchange rates vary daily, 500 CFA is approximately $1. A cup of coffee costs between 150-200 CFA, three bananas cost 50 CFA, a meal costs 500-1,000 CFA, and a beer costs 500-600 CFA (the size of drinks here are about half a liter, which is double the size of the beer in the United States). While these prices are more expensive in larger cities, everything is pretty affordable to say the least. I hope this helpsh put things into perspective.
Even though I have only been living in Cameroon for a short period of time, I already see the potential this country has to provide its people with an enjoyable standard of living. However, corruption is real and blatant in Africa. I believe that problems can only be solved with good leadership and good governance – starting from the very top, n’est pas?

One Month Mark!

Wow. I cannot believe I have been with the Peace Corps for one whole month. There is beaucoup de chose to talk about and I apologize for not blogging sooner. As trainees, or stagaires, we live by this rigid schedule where we attend French language, business, cross-cultural, and health classes Monday to Saturday. Yes, that’s six days a week. We are free on Sundays, but that’s the day for church and washing my clothes (which consists of bleaching the well water in my bucket before actually washing – it takes hours). Donc, I am chronically exhausted (pardon the habitual francanglais I’m starting to utilize).

I don’t believe I have mentioned much about Bafia. It’s a village of approximately 70,000 people and 1.5 hours from the capital Yaounde. The people here are super friendly – lots and lots of “bonjour” and “bonsoir” and “wy-em-bae” (the local Bassa phrase equivalent of bonjour) when walking down the roads. Many garcons will try to hit on the female stagaires and me by calling us “la blanche” (white) or making hissing and/or kissing noises. As a female, you quickly adapt by completely ignoring them. Bafia is famous for its DELICIOUS pineapples (in French “anana”), watermelon, papaya, coconut, and this super yummy fruit “coeur de col” (sp?). It’s a large fruit that tastes somewhat like lychee. I am in fruit heaven. My room and bathroom consist of screens on the windows as well as a mosquito net around my bed (almost looks like a canopy). I am realizing just how girly I am because of all the bugs I am scared of. For example, the cockroaches here are humongous and gross. I have seen a mouse run around the living room and small frogs jumping around the backyard. I don’t know why I have this unexplainable fear of cafas (cockroaches) but they really freak me out. I really wish I had Raid. I’ve decided to buy a kitten once I get to post so it can eat all the potential cafas and mice in my apartment.

Speaking of post, I learned on Thursday that my Peace Corps post will be in Bamenda, the regional capital of the Northwest Anglophone province! I will be consulting microfinance NGOs, teaching business classes, working with women and youth, promoting HIV/AIDS awareness, etc. I will be replacing another volunteer who is finishing her service in a few weeks. I am actually going on a site visit tomorrow for a week to check out Bamenda. So far, I hear it is extremely pretty with lots of greenery, waterfalls, carved masks, fon society(chief), great weather, etc. I will have my own apartment with *fingers crossed* electricity, cable, internet, running water, etc. I am super excited. This post is in the minority Anglophone area, so I will learn Pidgin English. While I don’t anticipate speaking much French, I will continue to study the language to become fluent. I think my French is slowly progressing with all of our training.

Cameroon itself is the most diverse country in Africa. In fact, it is frequently called “Africa in Miniature.” There are mountains, volcano (Mt. Cameroon), the beach in the West, rainforest in the East, and desert in the Extreme North. I feel super lucky to be here and cannot wait to travel. I just bought a Samuel Eto’o jersey, so I’ll be sporting that around soon (Cameroonians love their football even though we're out now).

As I mentioned before, I have had a couple of “I’m in Africa” moments. While Cameroon is blessed with abundant food, beautiful landscapes, and relative peace compared to its African neighbors, the country is plagued by corruption and disease. The rates of HIV/AIDS are rocket high (60% are positive in some provinces like mine) and the majority affected are the youth, ages 20-30. Also, my host sister just contracted malaria. She has high fevers, bad headaches, and chills. When she told me last night, I had to go into my room and meditate. It is mind-blowing knowing that these diseases are preventable but people like my sister are still suffering in the year 2010. These are monumental problems that prevent poverty alleviation. It is hard for an aspiring entrepreneur to create income-generating projects when he or she has to spend money to take care of ailing family members from disease.

Corruption is apparently a huge problem here and it will be interesting to follow the presidential election results next year. These matters are a grave reminder of the work that needs to be done as future Peace Corps volunteers.

Anyway, congrats on my friends affiliated with Peace Corps - Monique already in Costa Rica, Camille going to St. Vincent/Grenadines, and Chris going to Mexico! Love you all and hope all is well!

In Country

So after almost a week I have decided to blog. Today is the first day where I want a day of American normalcy, so here I am at the internet cafe with an ice cold Fanta and air conditioning (even though the letters on the keyboard is a scramble just like any foreign country). Down the road is a suburb of the mid-sized town of Bafia, which is about 1.5 hours from the capital Yaoundé. I don't have much to comment on our staging in Philly or our few days of orientation in Yaoundé, our first arrival in Cameroon, except that I am very happy with my Peace Corps stagaires (or trainees, our first three months together in Bafia to learn French and other local languages like Pidgin English in the West or Fafuldé in the North depending on our post). There is something about explaining to your family and friends about what you're trying to do for 27 months, but anyone who has completed PC service or is a current stagaire/volunteer "gets it". Just about everyone of us has gone through many, many obstacles to get where we are. There are 43 of us, 16 in Small Enterprise Development (my group in which I will be working with NGOs) and the rest in Education (teaching English, computer literacy, science). September is the month when Cameroon will receive Agriculture and Health vols.

Being in Africa for the first time has hit me two times - first when we landed in country and seeing the red earth, and second when we drove from Yaoundè to Bafia and again seeing this beautiful, rich, red earth. I am enjoying life in Bafia...I'm living with a host family consisting of the mom, dad, 2 sisters (ages 15 and 21), a brother (age 19), a girl cousin (age 11), and a cat. They are very, very sweet. The children laugh at my American accent when I attempt to speak francais and the girls love to touch and braid my hair. They also love to sing and dance at spontaneous moments...it's a lively household with neighbors always visiting. I definitely have been taking bucket baths because there is no running water in the house. The house has a well in the backyard so we draw water from there to use. There is electricity but when it rains the power goes out and the 15 year old yells O Mon Dieu! This happened on the first day I arrived to their home...and I also learned that it is rainy season right now. Some autre "firsts" - I washed my laundry with a bucket and it is currently hanging on a clothesline. I also drew water from a forage today - which is a spring for drinking water. It is unsafe to drink regular water here and PC trainees even have a water filter to use for forage water. Gabby, the 15 yr old girl, carried the water on her head. I headed straight for the internet cafe because carrying all that water just with my hands was super heavy. And, of course, everyone laughed at my expression when I arrived back at the house.

There is so much more to write about but I will leave it here. Our classes are Monday through Saturday and have already become somewhat overwhelming with studying, spending time with my homestay family, speaking in francais, and getting used to this humid weather. I just found out that Luc Richard Mbah Moute is actually from Bafia and may be here now, so I will see if I can find a way to meet him (I think one of our trainers knows him).

Also, I think this weekend or the next is Father's Day so I definitely have him in mind these past few weeks. Love you, Dad!

Bonne Nuit!

Contact Information

I want to make sure I have this written down, so here is my mailing address from June 2010-August 2010 (will update address later):

Carmen Chang
U.S. Peace Corps Trainee
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 215
Yaounde, Cameroon

Feel free to mail me letters. If you send me (care) packages, let me know in advance. I'll have to send you some guidelines.

Skype: carmchang
gchat:carmchang
AIM: lakrgurly8

Skype me if you can! xoxo

Final Days in the USA

Sooooo...the grand adventure is about to begin. In a few days, I will be heading to Philly to begin the staging process (pre-orientation) with the Peace Corps. After that, we fly over to Yaounde, Cameroon and begin a rigorous three-month training process in Bafia (central province). I imagine I will have much more to blog about when I arrive in country, so I'll leave you here. For now, I'll enjoy the rest of my time in LA with my family and friends. I am so blessed.

Happy Memorial Day weekend and WHOOOOOOOOO THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS ARE IN THE NBA FINALS! BRING IT, CELTICS!