Peace Corps Goals 1, 2, and 3

Greetings to everyone,

Hope you are all swell. My apologies for not writing sooner – I have been both busy and lazy with updating my blog. These past few months have flown very quickly. I organized my PC project, the NGO fair, in February. I went home in March for three weeks…it was wonderful to see people and catch up. Now I’ve been back in Bamenda wrapping up my work here. I am finishing my Peace Corps service and returning home July 6, 2012! Can’t believe it’s over so soon.

Lately I’ve been doing some reflecting on my two years of service. Why we’re here and how we as volunteers have contributed to the community. There have been setbacks and sometimes I’m not quite sure if the work we do here is worthwhile. There are high turnover rates within some of the organizations I have worked with in these past 1-2 years, indications of people stealing money from projects, friends and colleagues who assume that you’ll do all the work as a white person. Male colleagues who don’t respect you because you’re female, because you’re younger, because Peace Corps doesn’t give out money. On top of that, I still get irritated when people call me “white man” or “Chinese” or make kung-fu noises on the street (I’ve never been able to get past this). There are days when I just sit inside the house and watch TV all day because I don’t want to deal with the outside world. Why am I here? Am I making any kind of difference? Are people even following my work advice? Are people just seeing me with $$$ on my forehead?! In many cases, yes.

But in other cases, no. During my time here, I have managed to make genuine Cameroonian friends. People who work hard, people who don’t ask you for anything, people who want to make a difference in their community but face all kinds of obstacles. People who view you as an equal; not as a white person, but someone they can learn from. And from that, true cross-cultural exchange.

One of my very good Peace Corps friends lives in a village about 45 minutes away from Bamenda. I remember when I visited his post, he introduced me to his best friend who’s a respected teacher in the village. We hiked the waterfall that day and I remember this man was genuine and warm. I just found out he died two weeks ago. He got sick a few months ago and did not inform my PC friend. When his legs were swelling up, my PC friend went into Bamenda to buy some fruit. When he returned to village that day, his best friend had passed. At the funeral, my friend gave a eulogy and told everyone that this man had never asked him for money. Even when he fell ill, he refused to ask my friend for help. When my friend gave me the news, we wondered why bad things happen to such good people. “He never asked me for anything, and he was probably the one person out of everyone who needed help the most,” my friend lamented.

At the same time, I’m happy that this Cameroonian man was blessed to meet a Peace Corps volunteer as they shared conversations, adventures, and American and Cameroonian meals together. It touches me to know that he was friendly not because he wanted something out of a white man, but because they were genuine friends.

And this is what keeps me going. I’m so grateful for Cameroonians who appreciate me being here to bring not only technical assistance, skills that will transfer to shape the next generation of women and men into future leaders of Cameroon, but also to build friendships and learn from one another. The Peace Corps slogan, “the toughest job you’ll ever love” truly encapsulate my experiences here as a volunteer. 

(Disclaimer: This post sounds pretty cheesy. It's not Peace Corps propaganda, I promise!)

Carmen is in LA!

Greetings,

Hope everyone and everything is going well. It’s been a good while since I’ve blogged…I had been so busy with my work project. I’m currently in LA for three weeks vacation!  

My Peace Corps Partnership Project, NGO fair, kicked into high gear. The event took place on February 23-24, 2012 at Congress Hall in Bamenda. The main goals of the fair were to bring NGOs together through networking, recruit young people to apply for volunteer work and internships, and participate in an updated NGO directory. The fair was pretty successful – 76 NGO and donor stands, nearly 500 participants, and over 100 potential volunteers attended the two-day event. There’s still work to be done upon my return to Cameroon – engaging in the monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure networking was done, volunteers recruited, and the directory developed. Hopefully people will remain connected as a result of this project.

Check out an on-line article on the NGO fair (it’s in French):

http://africa-info.org/societe/3596-afrique-cameroun-nwado-vso-peace-corps-etats-unis-promeut-les-ong-camerounaises.html

Planning this project was a 15-month endeavor that started in November 2010. The time it took to garner initial support from the community (local NGOs), writing the Peace Corps proposal and getting it approved, raising the money from family & friends back home, raising the money from local Cameroonian businesses, then planning of the event itself was a crazy journey. Event planning is generally stressful. Put this and apply it in the Cameroonian context – organizing meetings where people consistently don’t show up or people are late; Cameroonian male colleagues engaging in chauvinistic and egotistic behavior towards you; dealing with politics within local government; trying to encourage collaboration with others and the others not quite on the same page as you…I’d have to say it was quite an experience that has made me that much stronger. I really have to thank all of my donors, advisors, volunteers, and well-wishers that supported me. I’m so lucky to have amazing people in my life, regardless of where I (or you) am in the world.

Now I am thoroughly enjoying my time at home – spending time with family, catching up with friends, TAKING HOT SHOWERS EVERY DAY, eating so many different kinds of food I’ve missed, drinking beer on tap, sitting on my couch, sleeping on a comfortable mattress, watching the Lakers beat the Celtics, filling out my March Madness bracket, observing everyone use features on their touch-screen iPhone, deciding if I want to watch The Hunger Games when it comes out, plans to beach/museum/club, etc., etc., etc. I’ve REALLY missed LA. It’s made me realize that I can’t be stay out of the country for too long at a time.

Anyway, people have been thinking that I’m back for good. Not quite yet…I fly back to Cameroon on the 28^th. Upon my return, I will stay in the capital Yaounde for one week for my Close-of-Service (COS) conference before I head back to my post in Bamenda. There I will learn my official COS date to return to the United States! It should be between July and August 2012. I’ll spend the last few months wrapping up my work and preparing for the next Peace Corps volunteer that will replace me. So crazy how fast time flies!

Will keep everyone posted on my COS date in the upcoming weeks…

xoxo

Happy Holidays!

Hope all is well. Things have been swell over here. I haven’t been doing too much traveling lately, except for going up to Buea/Limbe (beach) for Halloween and Kumbo (Northwest mountains) for a pretty delicious American Thanksgiving. 

Work in Bamenda has been pretty busy lately. The money for my Peace Corps Partnership project, the NGO Fair, has been raised!  THANK YOU again to all those who donated. The two-day event will be February 24-25, 2012 in the center of Bamenda.

At this point, I have been organizing planning meetings, drafting and sending out invitations, doing protocol (very important here to meet the authorities and get their approval), ordering publicity documents, fundraising, etc. I have been trying to raise money from businesses and local councils (as community contribution) but they are telling me to return next year (month). People are beginning to get into the Christmas spirit these next few weeks, meaning taking their mind off of work. I’ll have to try again in January.

I’m pretty excited for Christmastime. In Bamenda, there are already Christmas lights being strung in town and neighbors’ backyard trees. There is even a dancing Santa across from one of my offices. There will also be traditional festivals in the villages this time around. I will try to visit some of them, as chiefs (fons) will be around, everyone will be dancing, shotguns will be fired, Cameroonian food and drink will be heavily consumed, etc. I just went to a tailor and ordered my Northwest traditional dress...stoked!

In other news, I’m coming home for vacation! March 7-27, 2012, immediately after the NGO fair. Thanks Mom! Can’t wait to have a break and spend some time at home!

I’ll make this post short and sweet. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!

Melange of Updates and Observations

Life has been eventful in Bamenda lately. We just had a presidential election (see previous post) with the incumbent re-elected and the swearing-in ceremony today (30 years in power and counting). No Arab Spring here, but a lot of police in town wearing riot gear. Last Wednesday, the main opposition leader, John Fru Ndi, returned from the capital city to his hometown (here, Bamenda). When he arrived with his entourage, the police stopped him and said his car could only pass through a certain street (behind the main city road) to get back to his house. He refused to do so, publicly stating that as a citizen he should be free to walk on any street he chooses in Bamenda. The police continued to refuse him access, so Fru Ndi stepped out of his car and walked to his home (which is on the other side of town). By now, a large gathering came to the streets and accompanied him on his walk. As they were passing a certain junction, City Chemist, a man in his new car shouted, “Na who Fru Ndi dis (who is Fru Ndi)” in a mocking manner. He drove through the junction and hit a motorcycle driver. This upset the crowd and people yanked him out of the car and beat him up. They flipped his car over and burned it. If the guy did not escape, he would have been killed by mob justice. But after that incident, the crowd at Fru Ndi’s compound was peaceful upon return.

I was actually on my side of town and Peace Corps warned me not to enter the main street. The media reported that the bike guy died, but he was actually not injured. People also learned that the riot was incited by convicts recently released from prison. After the burning of the car, these convicts smashed windows at the gas stations and looted for items. People here say that the media is painting Bamenda as a radical opposition city ready to protest and fight the presidential results – when in fact, the return of Fru Ndi to his home was peaceful and everything returned to normal the next day. Americans, be grateful for your democracy and your freedoms. At least you have a right to protest and complain about your government in peace. And at least you have a right to carry a gun. Other parts of the world are not as fortunate.

In other news, my NGO fair has been fully funded on-line! A great big THANK YOU to all of your support. If you made a donation, please send me your mailing address and I’ll send you a fun postcard. Now I just have to wait for the funding to trickle in and we can begin planning…more updates soon.

Also, my fair trade work with the Bamenda Handicraft Cooperative is moving along – my good friend and RPCV Gabe Albin designed the logo. Check out the website: www.bamendahandicraft.wordpress.com. If you know of any fair trade retail stores (besides Ten Thousand Villages), please inform me and I’ll contact them to order beautiful handicrafts from the Grassfields region!

I’ve started working more with GHAPE, a Kiva-supported microfinance institution here in Bamenda. They do awesome work (www.ghape.org and www.kiva.org) and I’m helping them build capacity within the staff. I taught a Microsoft Powerpoint class with them yesterday and will teach Excel next week. Strategic planning this month.

I don’t remember if I’ve already discussed this, but I enjoy my work and I love living in Bamenda. I know that I had a romantic vision of Peace Corps and envisaged two years of living in the bush, in a mud hut, using a latrine, etc. I wanted to see if I could challenge myself to live in ascetic conditions. But for me, this is not entirely the case. While there are obviously still many rural places that lack running water and electricity, not all of Africa is poor. Bamenda is considered by some as the intellectual capital of Cameroon, with people studying abroad and the Cameroonian Diaspora contributing to their families back home. Erase those stereotypical images of lions and elephants roaming around the savannah. Last night I had conversations about the iPhone 4, Blackberry phones, and listened to Bob Dylan and the Arctic Monkeys with Cameroonians at a wine bar. I remember someone mentioned once at a seminar, “Africa missed the Industrial Revolution. Let’s not let the IT Revolution pass us by.”

All the while, the electricity went out and we had to use candles until it returned. I’ll discuss this more as I get closer to the end of my service, but I believe that infrastructure and human capital are the two crucial elements to international development (I’ve been reading Jeffrey Sachs). If Cameroon can invest in their resources and their people and crack down on corruption, it can compete in the globalized world.

That is, if they choose to do so. 

Last update: I've been eating like a madman lately and I think I've slimmed down. Either I have a tapeworm or Cameroonian food does not make me fat. Score!

Experiencing a Presidential Election in Africa

This past Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, Cameroon held its presidential election. 23 candidates were in the running, including the incumbent President Paul Biya of the CPDM party and the chairman of the main political opposition party, the Social Democratic Front’s (SDF) John Fru Ndi. The current president has been ruling Cameroon for 29 years, the fourth longest-serving ruler in Africa, and is highly expected to win another seven-year term.

Tension was in the air in the weeks leading up to Sunday, including a shootout on the main bridge of Cameroon’s economic capital, Douala, to protest Biya’s rule; undetonated bombs found in an electoral office in the beach town Limbe (both incidents on the same day) to threaten against corruption and election fraud; and arrests of over 200 demonstrators who participated in the 50^th anniversary of the October 1 “secession day” of Anglophone regions from the country. All of these events leading up to Election Day have kept Cameroonians vigilant.

Election Day itself was pretty quiet. Taxis did not run and business establishments were closed. People walked to their destinations. In Bamenda, the headquarters of the SDF, there were rallies the night before as people awaited their beloved leader Fru Ndi to return from campaigning throughout all ten regions of Cameroon. E-day went smoothly for the most part, but there were two reports of voting irregularities in Bamenda. In one, a woman was giving money to people to vote for a certain party. In the other, a boy stole 21 voter registration cards and tried using them all to vote for a certain party (vote early, vote often?). Both were caught and beaten up. I was having dinner last night and chatting with the restaurant worker. I asked him if he voted, and he said, “Why yes. My father is a member of the ---- party and he gave us all 5,000 francs each for voting for his candidate.”

I hung out with a good friend on E-Day and asked him if he was voting. He said, “Nope. My vote won’t count and the president will win anyway. I prefer to stay out of politics.” Now, having worked on a presidential campaign in the U.S., an apathetic response like that would have jolted me into Get-Out-the-Vote mode and I would have tried all sorts of arguments to change his mind. But here in Cameroon, it’s different. Things here can get violent quickly. In 2008, riots arose over soaring food and oil prices and the abolishment of presidential term limits. With the spirit of the Arab Spring, some Cameroonians are inspired to become like Egypt or Libya, while most want peace over change. “We have food and thus we are content. We don’t want to end up in civil war like our African neighbors” is a typical sentiment. But the tension is there. There’s rampant, blatant corruption that permeates in every fabric of society here. While I doubt there will be large-scale violence (crossing fingers), it can only take one leader to incite protests.

The election results are supposed to be counted and posted within 15 days after E-Day. Many Cameroonians are anxious to learn the results and complain that it shouldn’t take two weeks to count votes. Out of 20 million citizens, only 7 million are registered to vote. 7 million people did not turn out to vote on Sunday.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I’m not allowed to discuss my views on Cameroonian politics. Thus, rather than expressing my own words I’ll use President Obama’s. In a speech delivered to the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra, Ghana on July 11, 2009, these words still seem relevant in today's climate.

“We must first recognize the fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends on good governance,” Obama stated. “That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That’s the change that can unlock Africa’s potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.”

“Yes you can – because in this moment, history is on the move.”

All I’ll say is that I think most Americans take their democracy and liberties for granted. People all over the world wish their elected officials could represent their interests without having to resort to (potential) violence. We will see what happens during these next 15 days (side note: my birthday is in 11 days!). Praying for peace, freedom, and justice.

Carmen

P.S. Like what you’re reading? Please support my Peace Corps work by donating to my NGO fair! Visit here:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=694-190

P.P.S.

Read the full text of Obama’s speech here:

http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2009/07/20090711110050abretnuh0.1079783.html#axzz1aUEWXB92

Being Called "White Man" in Cameroon – Thinking About Race

I know I have posted about being a Chinese-American in Cameroon in the past. Today, I will delve deeper into my thought process and reflections on race.


I just finished reading Malcolm X’s autobiography, my all-time favorite book, for the sixth time. Since age 19, I have read this book periodically to gauge my opinions on race relations to see if they have changed or progressed. Growing up in LA, I am conscious of race because Los Angeles is commonly referred to as the “melting pot” of America, where the largest immigrant populations settle when they move to the U.S. Movies like “American History X” and “Crash” took place in LA. Yet even while I am aware of racial stereotypes and the jokes that revolve around them, I have never been directly discriminated against in my home city.

However, when I stayed in other states, particularly Richmond, VA, working on a political campaign, the year 2008 was the first time I had been taken aback by overt comments made by both whites and blacks. “What are you doing from Hong Kong trying to elect a black man president?” “I will not vote for a black man because…”,etc. I will not list other comments that were WAY worse. Needless to say, I became even more aware that people judge others by skin color in predominantly homogenized areas, regardless of whether the remarks made are intentional or out of ignorance.

In Cameroon and other countries around the world, the color of my skin is more obvious than even in Richmond, VA. “WHITE MAN” or “LA BLANCHE” or “NASARA” is constantly called at to Peace Corps Volunteers and expatriates walking down the street. I have friends who say they don’t mind being called “white man.” But that makes sense because some of them are Caucasian and male. Well, Carmen is neither white nor male. So with less than a year of my time here, I’m still very irritated when people shout this to me. I understand that this is a common term (in Pidgin it’s “white man woman”), or a calling out of admiration, curiosity, etc., but because of my race consciousness I still can’t let it go.

It’s like a knee-jerk reaction when someone calls me “white man.” Because I’m light, I must have money. “White man, give me money.” It’s difficult with some people to explain that I’m just a volunteer and I really don’t have money. But people look at my features and bronze-yellow skin color, and others flip to think that I’m Chinese. Lately, taxi drivers have tried to rip me off by doubling my taxi fare price when I know the correct amount. I got into an argument with a taxi driver on my way to the office because he tried to double my price, I told him I’ve been here for over one year and know the price, he made a nasty remark, then I said I’d rather walk, and he uttered a hateful comment and glared at me. I got out and found another taxi. What made him think that way towards me? Was he disrespectful because I’m “white”? Does he hate Chinese people? Was he just pissed off that day? I didn’t have time to explain my story, that I’m a volunteer trying to engage the community and not some businessperson trying to exploit Africa. He probably judged me on the color of my skin and/or my Asian features. I am still fuming. One hurtful comment a Cameroonian made to me when I first arrived in Bamenda one year ago as I walked by, “You Chinese people should get out of Cameroon and go back to China.” I certainly did not deserve THAT, seeing as how I am a representative of peace and friendship from the United States of America. It makes me believe that human nature, regardless of one’s race, can be inherently ignorant by judging appearances.

I don’t mean to generalize this opinion about everybody, of course. There are awesome white people and awesome Cameroonians and awesome Cameroonian taxi drivers (I’ve had some of the best conversations with them here) that are completely respectful to me as a Chinese-American. But I do also believe that white volunteers’ treatment and experiences are far different than minority volunteers’. Generally, Cameroonians admire the Chinese so they are usually nice to me (just like white people – look up Stuff White People Like: Asian Girls). But I have also seen how Cameroonians act towards black Americans (particularly black American women), and they definitely would not treat a white man that way.

As Malcolm X broke with the radical Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad, he traveled to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He made the pilgrimage to Mecca and learned that there are light-skinned peoples in the world that are peace-loving and celebrate brotherhood and sisterhood. I wish more Cameroonians (and Americans) would have the opportunity to travel out of their home country and meet peoples and cultures from all walks of life. Or at least tune in to BBC news. It’s a good thing PCVs serve worldwide to promote Goal 2…

Scattered Rainy Days Encourage Scattered Thoughts

Hi everybody,

How are things? Hope the beginning of the fall season is treating you well. Right now it’s pouring rain, reminiscent of weather in DC (minus the humidity). Now that I’m in my second and last year of Peace Corps, I’ve really obtained a sense of my role here in Bamenda. I know which projects I’d like to work on, when to say no and not feel the need to appease others (I did that a lot in the beginning of my service), what foods I like, and the people I choose to surround myself with. Not too shabby, except all PCVs tell me the second year flies so fast I’ll be back home before I know it.

Goals for my second year: see this NGO fair through, continue organizational development with local NGOs in Bamenda, and creating linkages between the fair-trade certified Bamenda Handicraft store and U.S. and Western markets (will give more detail soon) and retaking French classes (my French skills have slacked. I need to be fluent in French speaking and writing).

And finally telling you all about what I do. Goals 1, 2, and 3 of Peace Corps. Bam.

I’ve been meaning to give a special shoutout to my friends who have served or are currently serving in Peace Corps worldwide. Most of them are UCLA alumni. Cheers to:

  

• Returned PCV Zach Williams – Niger: Zach worked in the health field and taught people how to eat nutritionally in the desert region. Zach, hope you’re well. You were the one who inspired me to join Peace Corps in college when I sat down with you for the Phi Alpha Delta interview. I was very sorry to hear when the Niger program pulled out a while ago.

• RPCV Jesse Lee – Romania; Jesse worked in the environmental protection field with local NGOs. I dig his activism. From student government to Peace Corps to the future...we've come a long way!

• RPCV Ankit Patel – Senegal; Ankit was a Small Business Development volunteer and worked in ecotourism to promote sustainable tourism right on the beach in his village. I remember guiding you through the PC process and was secretly anxious about my own application back in LA. I’m still sad I didn’t get to visit you while you were in Dakar during your six-month extension. I was in awe of your work. Africa reunion in the future?

• PCV Camille Aragon – St. Vincent & The Grenadines; Camille is currently working as a Youth Development volunteer in the education sector to create and manage educational programs. I hope you’re still teaching yoga at your lovely post and I’m so proud of you, old roomie!

• PCV Monique Green – Costa Rica; Monique is a Community Development volunteer working with the Children, Family, and Youth program. We need to have more Skype dates! I love hearing about your work.

• PCV Chris Latino – Mexico; Chris’s first post was in an insecure area earlier this year because of Mexican drug cartel violence. He had to switch posts for safety reasons and is now in another post. Chris, I think you are so courageous for staying in country and proud of you.

It’s good to know that we all go through the same ups and downs as Peace Corps volunteers no matter where we are in the world. Keep doing good work!

Sometimes I don’t know if I have topics to write about because things that may seem totally bizarre to people who have never spent time in Africa (at least West Africa) seem completely normal to me nowadays. It’s funny to see PCVs’ family and friends come into the country and gauge their reactions to certain things. For example, trash is everywhere on the streets. While the Bamenda Council does regular clean-up days each month, there is still trash out in public. When I asked a PCV friend’s mother about her impressions about Cameroon, her first response, “There’s SO much trash everywhere!” I think I’ve gotten used to flurries of activities here that something like trash doesn’t faze me…I just step over it.

I remember when I traveled to Peru with my friends Kat and Debby back in 2007. When we landed in Lima and took our first taxi ride, the three of us kept screaming at the top of our lungs at how drivers don’t follow the roads. It was SO scary. Then when we flew up to Iquitos to visit the Amazon River, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and stray dogs were traversing on the dirt roads in a chaotic manner. I remember yelling out, “How can people survive a road here? Why aren’t there accidents every other second?!”

That was my initial reaction again when I landed in Cameroon. Especially in Bamenda, cars, taxis, buses, and motorcycles are constantly driving around and honking to get your attention. I must admit, I still jump when I hear the horns and when the motorcycles get too close to me and it takes me a while to cross the street (trust me, there are no crosswalks and stop lights). But there is a certain organization to this chaos. Like people say here, they are “just managing” the roads. Drivers look at all directions and use hand signals and yell to get to their destination. They also drive slowly (except for the young "okada" bike boys...even Cameroonians exclaim, “Those okada boys – i dey craze!”) to make sure that no one gets hits. It’s still amazing to me how things work out in a synergistic fashion. One of my Cameroonian friends asked me about traffic here in Bamenda compared to traffic in the States. I had to stop and think for a second.

I said, “Well, since I’m from LA, the capital of traffic and congestion in the U.S., there are probably higher rates of accidents in LA than in Bamenda. Drivers drive like maniacs because they love to speed and curve in and out from cars.” At least in Bamenda, people here drive slowly and for the most part drive defensively to manage the traffic. But we must also be careful – now that certain roads are tarred (paved), drivers feel the “need for speed” like they do back in LA/NYC. It’s weird to see the disparities as a developing nation adapts to developed nations’ practices. Tourists may think this is all crazy chaos, but it works.

Those are my scattered thoughts for today. Please support my work in Cameroon by donating to my NGO Fair project! I have raised $1,030 now…only $2,811.03 to go!

Visit here:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=694-190

People have been asking about the deadline to donate. I am hoping to raise the full $3,841.03 by September or October, so please visit the link as soon as you can. The sooner I can raise the funds, the sooner I can assemble the planning committee to organize and market the fair.

Thanks for continuing to read my blog and I really appreciate your comments. We are together.

Carmen