Waterfall - Chute de Tambodono

 

Another waterfall! It seems that when I ask people what I should visit in their area, they first think of waterfalls.  So, today, Alain (a Cameroonian who has been showing me some of Garoua Boulai), his brother Gida, a cousin Theodor, and a friend Benjamin went with me to a waterfall about 10 km. from town. 

As is also usual: the first part of the road was good (in this case, paved or being paved –so level and even).  Then we took a dirt road that got progressively rougher until it became a track (used by people and an occasional motorcycle).  We, of course, went in the truck, so it was a challenge.  The dirt part of the road was only 3 km, but it took longer than the other 7 km. 

This was not a big fall, maybe more rapids.  We walked around the area and then had a picnic lunch – but not a typical US picnic, though.  We (well, really, they) cooked meat in a sauce and made manioc (cassava) over a fire.  They do it all the time at home, so why not on a picnic, too?  I also learned more about cleaning manioc and searching for gold.  Here are some pictures.

clothes drying in sun after wash in river

locally made bridge

small butterfly on a fallen leaf

pool dug while looking for gold

sand dug out of looking-for-gold pool- for building construction

emptying pool to look for gold

manioc (cassava) root being harvested

cleaned manioc roots

cleaning manioc roots

cutting manioc to t

preparing manioc to eat

lighting the fire to cook lunch

fire lit

preparing the picnic

food ready to eat!

Descending to picnic rock - I wouldn't go this way!

bathing and swimming after lunch

This month all of Cameroon is celebrating Youth Month.  In particular, Monday, February 11 is Youth Day.  There will be parades of school students and others.  I plan to go to the one here in Garaou Boulai, so I can write about that another time.

Work Update

My primary work at the moment is continuing with language studies – Sango (extending my knowledge through conversation and reading the Bible) and Gbaya (still at a much more basic level, but I can say some sentences and read/write more.  I have decided to go to the Gbaya church service tomorrow.  While my teacher and I have been studying the liturgy in Gbaya, I still expect to be lost for much of the time.  Then, he reminded me that I will have to introduce myself to the congregation!  I have written a few sentences (in Gbaya) that he has helped me perfect and practice.  Now, will I be able to tell when it is time to stand up and use them??? 

Pastor Andrea Walker, the new ELCA West Africa Director, and Anne Langdji, one of the Area Representatives, are coming to Garaou Boulai Tuesday.  We will have some time to meet and they will visit the hospital and Bible School that are here.  I am looking forward to it.

I also hope to soon have meetings with the leadership teams of the Village School Program and Christian Education.  We are still working on when.

Work Day - Distance - Dust

Hello.  Bonjour. Balaala. Mɔ sąą nɛ? Sanu.  Can you tell that I am surrounded by languages?  I continue to study Sango (the 3^rd greeting) and that is going pretty well.  I can write about my day, my family, and carry on a conversation with only some difficulties.  Reading the Sango Bible is harder since there are lots of abstract and/or difficult ideas.

 

I am also studying Gbaya (although to our Western untrained ears that sounds like Baya, it is not the same sound… It’s the 4^th greeting and you can tell that there are different sounds – the a with the funny squiggle is a nasal sound.  It is repeated because it is a longer sound.)  Gbaya is much more musical to my ear since it has many nasal sounds and tones.  I can now read and write simple sentences – and sometimes pronounce them accurately.  Since we are using a textbook designed for people to learn to read their own language (Gbaya) we are able to focus on sounds/spelling relationships and the focus is simple sentences.  Of course, they are not so useful for everyday conversation!  “The sheep climbed the hill.”  “Dad found the hoe beside the fence post.”  “The horse is pregnant.”  Still, I am slowly – at one hour a day of lessons and some homework – training my ear to hear the difference between d and ɗ (nasal d) and other such sounds.  I have to say that ŋ is the hardest for me, especially at the beginnings of words or when combined with other letters as in ŋmaa.  Try to say ŋmaŋa! I have decided that no one and nothing will be “fat” since that is the meaning of this word that I have such trouble pronouncing!

By the way, the final greeting I threw in for fun.  It is from the Fululde language, spoken by the Fulbe people who are mostly Muslem.  There are a lot of them in N’gaoundéré and Garaou Boulai.  I am not studying that language (I have enough already!), but know how to say hello, good (jam), and thank you (osoko – the same as in Gbaya). 

How do you define your work day?  Is it by the number of hours you are in an office?  The number of tasks to be accomplished?  How much say do you have in defining that day?  I have been thinking about these questions as the structure of my work has changed.  In Baboua, I really hadn’t had time to set up a work schedule – not really.  The leadership team at that time wanted to work from 8 or 8:30 through until 3 or 3:30 and then go home to eat.  My body is not set up on that schedule!  Then, too, we had many end of the year activities and reports to work on.   Important work, but not “normal” in that they come only at the end of the year. 

Now, we have a lot of planning to do – to start a new year, and for the Village School Program because 2 of 3 people are new to the leadership team (not counting me who is sort of new).  Also, I am working at a distance.  Teams from the Village School Program and Christian Education come to Garoua Boulai to meet with me and we have had very productive meetings, but they cannot come every day – other work to do, expense of fuel, time involved, etc.  So, we set up some tasks for each team member to do between meetings (very American – wonder how well it will work).  Then we talk on the telephone.  I am, actually, very glad there are cell phones – 10 years ago there wouldn’t have been and the road then was horrible, making the 50 km. much more difficult to cross.  Still, there is usually a delay on the line and the connections between phone lines across the border make it a challenge.  We are, however, moving slowly forward in our work.

I am also practicing Sango and learning some Gbaya (which is definitely work!).  But how do I organize my work day?  On days where there are team meetings, it is more “normal” according to my past experiences in the US.  Other days, like today, it is much more flexible – especially since just when my computer battery told me it must be recharged, I realized that there was no electricity.  I am fortunate that it came back after a couple of hours, and that I have language studies to switch to.  Well, everyone told me that I would have to be flexible.  I am practicing. 

The other thought on my mind is dust – and weather.  It is the dry season which means – surprise, surprise – everything dries out and there is lots of dust.  I am cooking and cleaning for myself, but could be doing the latter much more often.  This picture shows the amount of dust that accumulated in the kitchen in 24 hours.  The floors of this house (and mine in Baboua) are cement which make them easy to sweep and clean.  Tables and other surfaces have a film of dust after a very short time.  I can’t see it in the air, but I am sure it is everywhere.  I am not complaining though.  I like this weather.  It gets hot during the day (most often between 75 and 85) and cools off at night (60s, I’d guess).  As I sat in the living room this morning – with the windows all wide open – feeling cold (65 or so), I couldn’t help but think about those of you currently in cold climes!  I went and put on pants and long sleeves (which are now, a couple of hours later, too warm) and thought that the 

temperature is about what it would be in my Pittsburgh house at this time of year.  Can’t say that I miss it… 

Now you get to practice being flexible.  As I tried to transfer pictures of the leadership teams and my language teachers from the camera to the computer, they all disappeared!  I was able to retake a couple of pictures but will have to redo the others later when the people are here again.  How sad.  Technology is great when it works…

I leave you with some pictures of a mango tree just outside my guest house.  There are blooms and beginning fruit.  It is almost their season!  Yeah!

May you all stay warm enough, but not too hot!  May you be able to accomplish the tasks you need and want to – no matter how you organize your work day.  Stay flexible!  (Good advice for us all.)

Rain!

It rained last night.  That doesn’t sound like anything unusual, but here it is!  This is the dry season.  It’s not supposed to rain until April, yet in the middle of the night we had a monster of a storm – torrential rain, thunder, lightning, wind, the whole nine yards.

 

It had been cloudy all day and not nearly as hot as the day before.  In fact, the wind in the evening and the gray sky made me think of rain – by Pennsylvania standards – and, I guess, by those here as well. 

This morning is fresh and cool.  I wonder…  I had heard that several days ago it had rained in Yaoundé, but that is much further south so I thought it was a special case.  Then I heard it rained “en brousse” in a small town not too far south of here.  The man who told me about it was amazed and said it must be global warming.  Now, it has rained in Garoua Boulai!  Maybe he is right.  What will the rest of the “dry” season be like??

We've Been Workin' on the Planning

Something a little different to start this blog entry! 

Please sing this next part to the tune of 

“I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”

We’ve been workin’ on the planning                                                  Here are some of the reasons we work and plan!

All the live-long day.We've been workin' on the planning,
Just to help us find a way.
Can’t you hear the brains a turning?
Rise up so early in the morn.
Don't you hear the leaders shouting
"People, know your way?"

People, won't you help,
People, won't you help,
People, won't you help us plan?
People, won't you help,
People, won't you help,
People, won't you help us plan?

Someone's got the best ideas.
Someone's got the way, I know.
Someone's got the best ideas
Talkin’ up a storm, they’ll flow.

Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o.
Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o-o-o-o.
Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o.
Talkin’ up a storm, they’ll flow.

I am happy to be back at the work for which I was called!  Now that I am in Garoua Boulai (the Cameroonian town on the border with CAR), the leadership teams of the Village School Program and Christian Education have been willing to come the 50 km. from Baboua to meet with me here.  We have had two very productive planning days with more scheduled this next week.

The church leaders (ELCA as a supporting partner and EEL-RCA as a developing organization) have been training pastors and program leaders to analyze the internal and external factors affecting programs and to use that knowledge to plan.  Planning – taking more time and effort to create detailed steps that can be put into effect and evaluated according to criteria selected in advance.

Those working in Christian Education have been headed in the direction of thorough planning, so it has been a pleasure to provide some tools and suggestions to move the work along. 

The Village School Program has a new Director and Curriculum Coach as of the first of 2013.  What better way to get to know the program as it has been and to develop what we want it to be?  Of course, much more time and effort is needed.  Although the Community Developer has been in his position for several years, there are two brand-new team members and me – who has only really be on the job for about six weeks!  Nevertheless, we all seem to have a common vision of what the program can be, so we are all pulling in the same direction.

Because there is so much to examine and plan for, the Village School Program leadership team has agreed to come to Garoua Boulai for a retreat Monday (tomorrow) through Wednesday.  This way, we can spend our time working without having to worry about their getting back to Baboua while it is still light.  Also we save time and gas money by staying in the same town.  Eva, who helps me out at the house in Baboua (and who has been working in an empty house since Dec. 24!) is coming along to help prepare meals.  (I could do it, but not if I am to participate in discussions...)  We should be able to have an in-depth plan ready for 2013 by the end of our time together this week.  And, we hope that a shared understanding of what has happened in the past and the next steps we propose will get us to future that will help more young Central Africans learn.

Note:  The situation in CAR is definitely better.  President Bozizé has named Nicolas Tiangaye as the new Prime Minister; he is from the opposition.  These two will now form a new coalition government.  A fragile peace reigns.  Let us pray that it will soon become permanent and that displaced Central Africans can return home safely.  Then it will be time for me to go back to Baboua, too!  Soon and very soon…

Peace Accord and Plans

So, did you hear the good news?  The Central African government officials and the rebels signed an agreement Friday.  There is a cease-fire and a plan to form a coalition government.  The Prime Minister and cabinet were decommissioned (fired) Saturday and as early as today the opposition will name the new Prime Minister!  All good news. 

I will not be going back to CAR until some time has passed to be sure that the agreement holds and peace has truly returned to the country, but I am encouraged and hopeful.  Meanwhile, I will be moving to Garoua Boulai Wednesday.  This is a Cameroonian town just on the border with CAR.  The directors of the programs I work with will be able to travel (by motorcycle) the 50 km. between the two towns so we can have planning meetings and advance our work.  We will work that way until the national Lutheran churches in CAR and the US agree that it is safe for us to return to Baboua.

In the meantime, I am still in N’gaoundéré.  I have had 3 lessons in the Gbaya language.  Although Sango (that I am already studying) is the national African language in CAR, the ethnic group in the area around Baboua is the Gbaya and I want to be able to understand some of what they say.  I will only get a start here, but am glad for that because Gbaya is a tonal and often nasal language and my ear doesn’t easily hear the difference among the vowel sounds!  This will take time.

I am also collecting and reading materials that have been developed for Sunday school lessons.  CAR pastors have expressed a need to have lessons in Sango that suit different age levels instead of 1 size fits all (that they now have).  I have been talking to the man in charge of Christian education in Cameroon and a Norwegian missionary who has some materials we may be able to adapt.  The Christian Education program director, some pastors, and I will look at these materials (and others they have collected) to develop a plan for the Lutheran Church in CAR.

baboon

Even with these activities, I have a lot of free time!  I had a tailor make me a dress with material I bought at the market here.

Sunday, I went with June and Phil Nelson to visit the Bénoué National Game Park.  It is about 1 hr. 45 min. from N’gaoundéré – 110 km.  We left at 5 a.m. and were back at 7:30 p.m.  Once we got to the park, we drove several km. to the reception, cabins, and restaurant area.  Visitor must pay an entry fee there (3,000 cfa per person) and a fee to take pictures (2,000 cfa per camera) for a total that is about $10 each.  We also picked up a guide who went with us.  Workers are currently grading and improving the roads, so some where level and smooth.  Others haven’t been touched yet.  Of those, some are rough, but passable, and others cars can’t yet use. 

male kob

We drove to an area where the hippopotamuses live and saw about 20 sunning themselves on the sand as it was relatively early and cool.  On the road to and from that site we saw baboons, some other monkeys, warthogs (at a distance), birds, lots of kob antelope, a few hartebeests, and a few other small animals.  Notice in the picture, the female kob are in a field that was burned recently – you can see the black ash, but you can also see the green grass that quickly begins to grow again.  (Did you know?  The antelopes belong to the Bovidae, the same horned family as the cow, the sheep, and the goat. The Bovidae are a family of ruminants, those cud chewing animals which swallow their food in haste into a storage stomach, from which it is returned later to the mouth a little at a time to be thoroughly chewed.  Info from http://jerileewei.hubpages.com/hub/Antelopes-Giraffes-And-Okapis)

female kob

Eland

Although they live in the park, we saw no lions, leopards, or buffalo.  Maybe next time or when I visit, Bouba-Ndjida, a larger game park further north in Cameroon.

After a delicious lunch prepared at the restaurant and a walk down to nearby (small) waterfalls and stream, we (including the guide) drove back to the place where the hippos live.  They were all submerged in the water because it was hot! Interesting to see them with only nostrils visible.  (The picture some with heads showing because just noses with lots of water are not an interesting picture!)  Also, on the same strip of sand, we saw a couple of crocodiles.

It was a long, but wonderful day.  Now I am back to studying Gbaya, talking about Sunday school materials, and packing to move to Garoua Boulai.

More Adventures in N'gaoundere

The rebels are still active in the Central African Republic – in fact they took two more towns yesterday.  The rebels are no closer to Bangui, the capital, were last week, but they now occupy two more towns close to Bambari – a town they already held to the east of the capital.  I still don’t hear reports of much fighting between them and the government troops, but people in the area are afraid and many have gone into hiding in forests nearby.  So, I am still in N’gaoundéré.  As you can see from the picture, I am doing well! 

On New Year’s Eve, a bunch of us (from the US and Cameroon) went to Les Falaises.  The word in French means cliffs.  It is an area about an hour from town where there are hills, forests, and, of course, cliffs!  The area makes me think of some parts of Pennsylvania in Aug.  (You have to add the month since it is dry here and warm/hot.)  The forests have different trees and plants, but I enjoyed walking around pretending I was an hour from Pittsburgh!

The main reason we went was because there are ruins of a village where people lived a long time ago.  None of us are archeologists or historians so we didn’t know what things were.  In particular, there were lots of rings of stones – some with one circle of standing stones and others with 2 or 3 concentric circles.  Think Stonehenge, but much smaller – only about 6-12 inches out of the ground.  There were also a lot of grinding stones. 

In that area some people are now building a guest house to encourage tourists to come.  The buildings are round, as are some local houses, but larger so that they make 2 rooms which have in-door plumbing (certainly not the norm for local houses).  Also, local houses have thatched roofs – these had metal roofs which they then covered with thatch.  This makes the roofs last longer and also makes the houses a little cooler (and less noisy in the rain) than they would be with only the metal.

New Year’s Eve all of the missionaries from CAR got together to eat, talk, and drink toasts.  It was enjoyable and has enabled us to get to know each other even better. 

I greatly appreciate that Jackie has organized the short trips and has been willing to introduce me/us to her friends here.  She lived in N’gaoundéré for a year while studying French so she knows the area well and has lots of Cameroonian friends.

Mamoum's Chief

Yesterday, Jackie, 3 Cameroonian friends, and I went to visit the town of Momoum, about 35 km. from N’gaoundéré.  A traditional chief that she knows invited us to see his compound and to share a meal together.  It was a wonderful experience.  A compound is an area with various buildings that are surrounded by a fence of woven straw.  There are sleeping spaces, a kitchen, an office space, a well, and a paillote.  The last is made from poles that support a thatched roof.  We went into the paillote first.  There were rugs on the ground.  The chief has a small platform on which he can sit for official meetings.  While we were there, he leaned upon it.  We all sat on the ground.  Some of us sat with our back against the supporting poles.  When the chief saw Jackie and I doing that, he went into the house and brought out two pillows for us to lean against – to be more comfortable.  We were the only women among about six men.  The women in the household don’t seem to come into the paillote except to bring food and clear the area.

All of the men are Moslem (as are the rest of the chief’s family, of course.)  After we were there for a while (about 1 p.m.), it was time for prayer.  Moslems must make ablutions (wash) before praying.  Then they used the paillote rugs to pray.  We were invited to stay and say our own prayers.  Just before we left, it was again time for the Moslems to pray.  After their prayers, they all sat and said some extra prayers – for peace in CAR and other countries, for our safe travels, etc.  We were asked to add our prayers to those of the group.  The chief explained that we all pray to God and there is only one God. 

As we walked around the compound, we met many of the women who live there.  This is a picture of one with traditional scaring.  She explained that it was usual for young women in her day to make the marks by adding ashes to cuts in the skin.  They considered it a way to become more beautiful.  It was also a sign that the young woman could stand the pain of having it done.  Peers would hound young women who had not had it done.  It seems to be less common today and she told us that she would like to have it undone.  (She asked us if we knew a way to remove the scarring.)  During this conversation, I couldn’t help but think about the popularity of tattooing in the west.  Yes, ours have color, but some of the reasons for getting tattoos seem to be the same as this traditional scarring. 

I was impressed and pleased to see how we were welcomed to the compound.  We thanked the chief and others there as we were leaving.  He said something like, “It is a gift for us to receive you and offer you food.  It is your gift to accept the hospitality and friendship.”  We could use a lot more of this sentiment in the world today!