One Year Anniversary in Peace Corps

September 9th, 2015 by | Tags: | No Comments »

“Don’t tell me the sky’s limit when there are footprints on the moon.”

– Paul Brandt

Shortly before I departed for Cameroon a year ago, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer said to me, “Let your Peace Corps service surprise you. Don’t set up any expectations.” I spent many hours reading blogs written by Peace Corps Volunteers, especially the ones written by those who were serving in Cameroon so that I could be well prepared for my service and know what to expect. I went to Peace Corps events in my hometown so that I could meet Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, ask them questions and learn more about their experiences. I asked many questions in the group on Facebook for those who were departing to Cameroon at the same time as I was. While one could spend so many hours trying to digest so many information to be well prepared for integrating into a culture that is so different from our own culture and living in a new environment, cultural shocks and unexpected events are still bound to happen.

When I applied to join the Peace Corps, I was aware that becoming ill, facing security risks and harassments, and killing unwanted pests, were all going to be part of my service, little did I know that I would land in the hospital for six nights due to typhoid fever and salmonella, become a victim of an assault, and be busy picking up turds in my home. Being medevaced to the United States was never in my planning book. I knew that I would face harassments due to being a foreigner and receive many proposals, but I underestimated how exhausted and worn out I would become from facing these moments repeatedly. When I was interviewed during my application process, I was asked “You will experience boredom and loneliness. How will you handle them?” My response was that I do not mind having downtime as it gives me time to enjoy reading, doing art and relax. However, little did I know that I would experience more down time than I could handle due to work progress moving slowly. The boredom killed me to the point where I experienced feeling depressed and having meltdowns. While I expected to experience teary moments, I believe I also underestimated the how low the down moments could go.

In spite of falling down the mountain a number of times, my service has also brought in so many great joys that has helped me keep on running the long marathon to reach the finish line. When I submitted my application for Peace Corps I knew that the service would provide me with invaluable experiences that would put me on my desired career path which is to be working abroad and solving issues. I have been building up invaluable knowledge in public health, international development, and disability advocacy. I built great partnerships with Cameroonians who are so motivated to see positive changes in their community.  I completed the Community Needs Assessment which greatly helped me identify which issues to solve.  I successfully organized and hosted four malaria workshops. I have been talking on the radio weekly with a recipient of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders on health and disability issues. I collaborated with two of my work partners to put on a photo exhibit displaying women with disability to educate the public about their lives and challenges.

In the next year, I will have many exciting projects to which I can look forward. One of my work partners received a grant from USAID and Mobility International USA. Thanks to this grant, we are in process of organizing and planning a three-day workshop that will happen in October for women with disability to teach them about legal rights, education and health. I’m in process of collaborating with a local organization to set up a support group for persons with disability living with HIV/AIDS as they’re often denied access to healthcare due to stigma and lack of financial means. I will organize workshops on nutrition and HIV/AIDS and hopefully do an HIV testing drive. I will also hopefully be able to collaborate with Alex to set up a disability support group in his area as most of them lack access to healthcare.

At last, I did not join the service expecting to spontaneously fall in love. Okay. Alright. Sure, I did join with a tiny hope that I would find the perfect match, but I’m still pinching myself! Alex and I both have been discovering many charms of the country together including Twin Crater Lakes, Ekom Waterfall, and Ranch De Ngaoundaba. While one could say that relationships can be distracting to our jobs, but having him in my life has been helping me continue to push myself through the challenges and do better at my job. Alex and I talk on the phone every night sharing our highs and lows, advice on how we can overcome the down moments and how we can do better on our ongoing projects, and of course, big ideas on how we can work with our communities. We look up to the couples who change the world together such as Bill and Melinda Gates, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Paul and Didi Farmer, and Carrie Radelet-Hesler and Steve Radelet.

As we await to see what the next year will bring to me in Cameroon, in the meantime, watch this video above the post that I created and see all the treasures I have discovered in Cameroon in the past year.

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