May 20th, 2015 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | 1 Comment »
I don’t wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I’m here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you’re still my friend at least we did intend
Just over a week ago, on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning in Adamawa, a charming region in the northern part of Cameroon, Alex, and I were rowing a boat on a lake and listening to Over the Rainbow and Edelweiss and other music from our iPhones while hundreds of gorgeous white birds flew around us. That Saturday night, I had to take off by train to head back to my post in Bamenda.
Saying good-bye to Alex on the train
I was in Ngaoundere, the capital of Adamawa, for a week to attend an outstanding training on working with people living with HIV/AIDS. I met a number of people living with HIV/AIDS who taught me that they can still live a beautiful life and living with HIV is not a death sentence. I had my HIV/AIDS plan all written out and was ready to get started on implementing it as soon as I return to post.
The following morning, I got off the train in Yaounde and was planning to spend one night there at the Peace Corps Headquarter before heading back to my post as the train ride was 15 hours long and I wanted to rest a little before getting on a seven-hour bus ride. That Sunday early evening before dark, I was assaulted.
I was medevac’ed to the United States on Tuesday night to get my mouth repaired. As soon as the plane landed in Boston, my native hometown, my mother greeted me at the airport and took me right away to the dentist who specializes in trauma.
My teeth damage turned out to be not as bad as I thought. I didn’t look at my mouth until right after I saw the dentist. I still have some parts of all three of my teeth which means no implants needed but I’ll need crowns or bondings and one root canal. I also had a CT scan the following day to check to make sure I had no other damages. I only have a very tiny fracture on my nose that will heal on its own.
I saw the dentist again yesterday for the first time since right after I came home last week. The dentist wanted to wait until then because the swelling in my mouth needed to go down. The swelling has really gone down a lot. The stitches have been removed from my mouth which has healed nicely. I will get one root canal and possibly one bonding or crown done this week. The dentist said she believes that she can get my teeth work done within two weeks, which will be great because I do want to get back to Cameroon as soon as possible.
I really do want to go back to Cameroon.
People have been telling me it is inspiring that I want to go back to Cameroon after having faced a traumatic experience. There’s nothing inspiring about being so determined to get back to work. I have very serious reasons to not want to give up the work and life I love.
Poverty is rampant in Cameroon. According to a number of research studies, poverty is one of the main causes of violence. Choosing not to go back to Cameroon means that I am choosing not to continue to contribute to reducing poverty. If I don’t help reduce poverty, then I am not helping prevent another person from facing the same attack I faced.
My Cameroonian work partners have been working so hard to make me happy and safe at my post because the last thing they want is to lose me. The last thing I want to do to them is let them down. They care about my work and their work. They are the most motivated people with whom I have ever worked. They so badly want to see improvements in the lives of people with disability. I have already been seeing positive results. Just by simply speaking up through my own voice, a water specialist already started working on making water sites more accessible to persons with disability. I saw some improvements on the post-tests at my first malaria workshop. People have come to me to tell me that they heard me on my weekly radio talks. I have exciting work coming up. I will be starting a support group for persons with disability living with HIV. My counterpart, Ruth, is being awarded a big grant from Mobility International USA and USAID, to help women with disability become more empowered to advocate for their rights and she asked me to partner with her on this big project. I need to continue to host malaria workshops and start the HIV/AIDS workshops. Why should I trash all of this incredible upcoming opportunities?
At last, I can’t leave behind the love of my life.
1 Comment
Sharon Crouch
May 22, 2015 at 2:18 pm
After sending you a message asking you what happen I was able to catch up on your page. You are a most awesome young lady who would never give up. We will be leaving that you will get back as After sending you a message asking you what happen I was able to catch up on your page. You are a most awesome young lady who would never give up. We will be leaving that you will get back as Possible. I know how important it can be to be with the love of your life. On that note I want to share with you that God has put a nether love of my life here and we will be getting married in two weeks. I a I know how important it can be to be with the love of your life. On that note I want to share with you that God has put a nether love of my life here and we will be getting married in two weeks m so excited to have loved once and my husband passed away was wonderful being loved like that. But to have that kind of love twice as I am receiving now is more awesome there are not words to say to have loved once and my husband passed away was hard being loved like that. But to have that kind of love twice as I am receiving now is more awesome there are to be given another chance at love is more than I ever deserved I am so happy and so thankful to God. I now am starting on a second life who would have ever thought at this age that could happen.????????