The Speeches Come to Cameroon

For the past two weeks, I have been lucky enough to share my Cameroonian home with Mom, Dad, and Cate.  It was a whirlwind trip all over the country, but it was wonderful to spend two whole weeks with my family and show them all of the things I've been trying to explain over the phone for the past 15 months.  They dealt with all the frustrations like pros and I was so proud to have them here.  Here are just several of our thousand photos (photo cred to the whole family).

Yaounde

First stop was Yaounde for several days.  We visited Doudou and her whole family.  It was a great, but very busy welcome to Cameroon.  They even got to try Cameroonian cuisine right off the bat!

Almost the whole gang

My sisters together

Ngaoundere

Next we headed up to Ngaoundere on the train.  We did a lot of shopping, climbed Mount Ngaoundere, and celebrated the new year.

The top of Mount Ngaoundere from the base.  Look for the little kid in the red shirt to see how huge the boulders are.

Climbing back down Mount Ngaoundere

Shopping at the Ngaoundere market

Ngaoundaba Ranch

For a break from big city noise, we headed to Ngaoundaba Ranch south of Ngaoundere.  It also happens to be a huge birding spot!

Walking around the lake

The picture isn't great,  but at dusk we saw these beautiful iridescent starlings.  Purple glossy starlings, we think.

Speckled Mousebird

Ngaoundaba Ranch from the other side of the lake.  One morning, Dad and I got up early to go bird watching down at the lake.

Danfili

After our relaxing two days, we went down to Danfili.  Everyone wanted to welcome my family and feed them.  It was wonderful to have my two families together.  

Mom, Dad, and Cate with Asta and Hamza (my parents in Danfili)

A surreal experience: sitting with my family at Asta and Hamza's compound

My sister with Hamza's children and a ton of neighbor kids.  Oh yeah, and a newborn baby.

Bamanga and my Dad.  Bamanga sewed and embroidered this traditional outfit for my Dad.

Kribi

After being troopers for three days en brousse, the family was rewarded with a trip to Kribi.  We relaxed on the beach for our last few days together until next winter.

See the huge fish?  That's the one we ate.  Along with shrimp, french fries, avocadoes, veggies, and warm 33 beer (Cameroonian beer).

The whole family at Lobe Falls

December Photo Update

Vaccinations en brousse

Beautifully painted Mbororo homes in their family encampment in the bush

My friend, David, and two other men where they make traditional beehives.  They then place these in trees en brousse to cultivate honey.

David and I en route to the small town of Mbiyoka

Three yellow billed oxpeckers hanging out on cattle

Danfili Family

My girls

Hawa on our way back from the health center

Mountain Climbing

In December, I finally got to climb the mountains outside of Danfili.  After doing polio vaccinations in the tiny town of Manyaki with my friends, Fadi and Abdul Aziz, we headed up the mountains.  We went with Abdul Aziz's friend who climbs the mountains every day to take care of his cattle or check on his beehives.  While the three of us were out of shape and struggled the whole way, he ran up the last part.  It was exhausting, but one of my most fun days in Danfili.

My friend Fadi and I almost at the top of the mountain

The whole crew at the top

View from the top.  We could see Danfili way in the distance and up in the right hand corner,  Lake Mbella (the magic lake).

A photo of the mountain from the town of Manyaki (where we left from)

My 24th Birthday

For my birthday, I decided to throw a small party so that I could spend the day with my Danfili friends. I prepared American food and a friend prepared Cameroonian food.  Missira and Charifa helped me clean the whole house up to Cameroonian standards and it was a wonderful day spent with great friends.

Myself with the high school teachers

From left: Abdul Aziz, Hamza, Alhadji Bachirou, and Bamanga.  All friends and work partners in Danfili.

Me with some of my kiddos

My girls and I in our best outfits

Sodelco Ceremony

Recently, a new NGO came to Danfili that works in agriculture.  To install the bureau, representatives from Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Bamenda came out to Danfili.  It was the biggest celebration in Danfili since I've been there and many of my friends are members of the board.

Members of the Sodelco Danfili board.

Representatives of the women's branch of Sodelco.  My counterpart is in the center.

Preschool End of Semester Celebration

This year, our primary school opened a preschool class.  It is a new idea to many people here so it has taken a while to catch on.  Luckily, the teacher is enthusiastic and decided to throw a holiday party to show everyone what the kids have learned.  It included dancing, skits, and reciting what they had learned.  The kids did a great job and it was adorable!  It was also pretty funny how similar it was to a holiday recital in the states.  There were a couple kids who stole the show and others who spent the whole ceremony next to their dad, refusing to go on stage.

The kids waiting for the celebration to start.

Fadi's little guy, Soudaisi.  He was one of the stars.

Another friend, Aissatou's, little girl dancing

The kids after receiving their presents

Work

I've been working with a microfinance agency and a group of very motivated people in Danfili to open a microfinance office in Danfili.  This is part of the team and some of my best friends waiting for our car to head to Ngaoundal.  The work has been full of challenges, but these guys just keep pushing forward slowly and surely.  From left: Bamanga, Alhadji Bachirou, David, and Fadi.