October 23rd, 2016 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | No Comments »
On the day I closed my service, this past Thursday, I received an award at the U.S. Embassy from U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon Michael Hoza for my work with persons with disabilities during my Peace Corps service. The Peace Corps Cameroon Deputy Director told me that for a PCV to receive an award from a U.S. Ambassador has been unheard of during her career.
Thank you to all of my outstanding work partners in Bamenda who were great team players and made our work successful. Thank you also to Peace Corps Cameroon staff members for their incredible support during my service.
The group picture is of me and the U.S. Ambassador with my Community Health Education program manager, Peace Corps Cameroon Director of Operations, Peace Corps Cameroon Deputy Director and Community Health Education Assistant Program Manager.
Me shaking U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon Michael Hoza’s hand. Photo Credit: U.S. Embassy Yaounde
Photo Credit: U.S. Embassy Yaounde
October 23rd, 2016 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | No Comments »
“Wandering into the heart of the mountains, we find a new world,” – John Muir
Two years ago, I was on a bus heading into the heart of the mountains of Cameroon. Even though I had already been living in Cameroon for two and half months prior to moving to my permanent post for two years, little did I know that I would be entering a new world. I still remember as if it was yesterday when I first arrived in Bamenda on the bus. As I was coming down the mountains with other volunteers, it was dark, but I could see so many lights lit up. It looked like a traditional big city. Because I saw so many lights lit up, I thought I would be living in a modern world that would not be too different from where I came from in America. However, on the very following day, I unexpectedly faced major cultural shocks.
View of Bamenda from Upstation
Bamenda was truly a new world. It was a place that was so different from what I imagined in my mind and from the places I had lived all my life in America. During the first week, I cried. I cried on my first day in the office of my host organization in front of my counterpart. I cried in front of my counterpart again when she came to my home a week after I arrived to check on me. I felt so lost. But I quickly accepted that Bamenda would be my home and I would learn to love it.
Bamenda did become my home. I made new friends. I found my favorite spots. I picked up lingo that had Cameroonians calling me “Bamenda girl.”
In spite of my coming from a very different world, I was still able to find commonality with Ruth, Samuel, Hilda and Veronica that allowed us to form great friendships. We all shared the common bond of growing up with barriers because we live with disabilities. We exchanged stories about our experiences of being bullied by other children, being rejected because of our disability, and advocating to improve the lives of person with disabilities. Because we all shared similar life experiences in spite of growing up in different cultures, we were able to come together to become driving forces in working together as team players to change the lives of persons with disabilities in our communities.
Ruth was so determined to ensure that I would stay throughout my two years in Bamenda that she held my hand from day one. Because she had already been to the US once prior to my coming to Bamenda, she was already familiar with my own culture. Therefore, she showed me local spots where I would visit regularly and I would be reminded of home during the course of two years. She showed me PresCafe, a restaurant owned by a foreigner from Switzerland that had tuna melts, salads, carrot soups, and pizza, and Handicraft, a restaurant overlooking the view of Bamenda that served excellent chicken and fries. She also showed me Imagine Bakery, a bakery that sold a wide variety of bread and baked goods. Ruth also introduced me to tailors where I could have beautiful Cameroonian clothing handmade. She showed me where I could buy kitchen supplies and furniture. Bamenda had no street signs. I couldn’t find a map of Bamenda. Ruth taught me the street names and how to reach each destination.
My landlord, Elvis, and I formed a friendship through his great interest in U.S. politics. When he would hear me entering or exiting the house, he would come outside and sit and talk with me about what he was hearing on television about the U.S. election and ask me questions about the electoral process and each candidate.
While Hilda and I formed a friendship through our passion for advocating for disability rights, we also shared each others’ cuisine. I taught her and her family and friends how to make Americans’ beloved dishes, pizza, brownies and chocolate chip cookies. She taught me how to make groundnut soup.
Throughout the two years, I continued to forge many more new friendships. Antonia, who is a mom of a child with Down Syndrome, generously invited me to her home a couple of times to teach me how to make my two favorite Cameroonian dishes, Koke and Deijei. She was at Hilda Bih’s home to learn how to make pizza and brownies.
While we taught each other how to make dishes, we discussed other cultural and lifestyle differences. We talked about why the infrastructure in Cameroon is poor compared to the US, how Cameroonians feel about colonialism, and how Cameroonians and Americans socialize differently.
While I came to disability group meetings to primarily give workshops, I also sat with members to discuss cultural differences. Dr. Alfred and Richard, who both ran the Helping Each Other group in Bamenda, and I discussed the differences of university education in the US verses in Cameroon and in the electoral processes.
By building rapports with new friends, we open our eyes to new worlds. This is the beauty of the Peace Corps. When we live in a new world, we become better educated about the unfamiliarity through communicating with strangers who would then become our friends. This creates peace. We create peace when we are willing to travel outside of our comfort zones and form bonds with strangers in strange places.
When I arrived in Bamenda two years ago, I knew so few people. Three days ago, I left Bamenda with many friends with whom I’ll remain in touch for years to come.
Me with all of my work partners at the Send Off party for me.
October 18th, 2016 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | No Comments »
Take a tour of my home in Bamenda where I lived for two years for Peace Corps.
October 18th, 2016 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps | No Comments »
Come along with me for a moto bike ride through Bamenda to see the place where I lived for two years and how different the environment is from cities in the US.
October 17th, 2016 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corprs | No Comments »
When I watched part of the Olympics opening ceremony in Rio, I was moved to see that the Cameroonians were wearing outfits that were specific from the region, Northwest, where I have called my home for two years in Cameroon. When I was having my traditional Northwest wear made, I interviewed two embroiders who explained the history and culture of wearing the traditional Northwest wear, Marcelline Foncham and Lilian Fri Befu.
Before I share the interview, I would like to explain the process of making it, which is a long and team effort process.
The first step is to go to a fabric shop to purchase a black fabric. There are a variety of types of black fabric but the most commonly used type of black fabric for Northwest traditional wear is velvet.
Then you have to request a certain number of meters you need and it’s based on what you want to make and your size. Because I wanted a full outfit that included a shirt and skirt, and I am of a small size, I requested 2.5 meters.
I then took the black fabric to the tailor who then cut out the pieces and stitched the pieces together into a shirt and skirt. I had to wait for a week for the tailor to put the shirt and skirt together.
Once the tailor completed creating a shirt and skirt, I took them to embroiders. We can choose any design we would like. We can find sample designs by googling “Traditional Bamenda Wear.” I found the design I liked the best through a Cameroonian friend who found the picture on Facebook and showed it to me. We can also certainly sketch the design too, but embroiders often prefer actual pictures so that they can see how the design should exactly look.
The embroiders then sketch out the pattern with a chalk on the fabric.
The embroiders then embroider directly onto the clothing. The most commonly used colors are red, green, yellow and white, which are the colors of Cameroon. Any colors can be used as one wishes. The process of embroidering an outfit can take about two weeks.
The work is very labor intensive as all the work is truly done by hand. No sewing machine is involved in the embroidering process.
This is the finished result of my shirt, which came out very beautiful.
These are examples of other finished traditional Northwest clothing.
Here is my interview with two embroiders who worked on my traditional Northwest wear.
Why did you decide to do embroidery?
Lilian: I like it.
Marcelline: I learned it from my mother. The dress gives me employment.
Did you receive training?
Lilian: Yes.
Marcelline: I received training from my mother.
How long was the training? Where did you do training?
Lilian: One year. In Bamenda. At food market from an embroider.
Marcelline: I grew up learning it from my mother. My father was a police officer. I grew up moving from one place to another. My family is from Bali-Nyounga.
What is the story behind Bamenda traditional dresses of Northwest?
Marcelline: We are from the grass hills. All of Northwest is grass hills. It’s the dress of the grass people. This dress can only be found in Cameroon. It’s a tradition that has been passed down from our parents and grandparents and generation to generation. It’s something we inherited from our parents. It has been around for more than 100 years. My children are learning embroidery in school.
Who came up with the design idea?
Marcelline: It was the grandparents. When I was born, my grandparents were embroiders. The traditional colors come from Cameroon flag but we use many different colors.
Why do they exist?
Marcelline: It’s our traditional wear. It identifies us. If I go to America wearing the dress, people know I am from Cameroon. It has physical attract to the tourists.
When are they worn?
Marcelline: During our annual festivals and marriages. Dresses have been modified. They were just tops. We now have skirts and gowns. We have trousers.
