Kicking it in Kribi

Another week has flown by, and I am finally in Kribi, South Cameroon! We arrived late on the first night to our incredibly large (is a 2 bedroom apartment really necessary for each volunteer?), and in my case, already populated apartments. After battling with the previous tenants (a family of spiders, a couple cockroaches, and my new “pet” gecko since I can’t manage to catch the speedster), I have begun to settle in. I’m lucky to have running water and electricity that works roughly 30% of the time (the first time I plugged my fridge in, my lights went out). A few pictures of my new digs are attached below! (not pictured: second bedroom, bathroom and main living area)
   

Since arriving, I have spent the past few days indoors for another B-ADAPT workshop, this time with CAMAMF (Campo-Ma’an Model Forest, as opposed to FOMOD in Lomie last week). During these past two weeks, I noticed a few things about workshop etiquette in Cameroon.

·        Cell phone usage: It is perfectly acceptable to answer your phone in the middle of a workshop in Cameroon. In fact, I have even seen people who are facilitating a session, stop, answer their phone, and then proceed to talk for 10 minutes while everyone else waits. Everyone also has their phone ring on the loudest setting possible, and about 80% of Cameroonians have the same cellphone ringtone. Fantastic.

·        Siestas: It is not unusual to see someone doze off during a session. I’m not sure whether this might still be perceived as rude… but, no one seems too concerned as far as I can tell…

·        “Start” times: If you set a 9am start time for your workshop, expect participants to arrive for 10/10:30. Although you can count on everyone else to be late, it’s still necessary for facilitators to arrive on time. It’s always good to bring a book for the wait… sometimes two….

·        Hanger (hunger + anger): By far the hardest adjustment for me during the workshops, was the food! And by food, I really mean how long you have to wait before you are fed. I found the 11am coffee break and 3pm LUNCH difficult in Lomie, but Kribi was far more challenging. Our average food schedule was as follows: coffee break around 11/12, and again at 3pm, then finally a MEAL at 7PM! (I say meal since I’m not sure I consider it “lunch” at 7pm). The amount of hanger I experienced over the past few days is not even funny. 
 

Above: Using the "Socratic Wheel" exercise to evaluate products grown in the "grande saison" (the first growing season lasting from jan-june(ish). The "petite (and second) saison" will begin in August).  

Our workshop took place at the Palm Beach Hotel- pictured above. It was hard to be indoors with this landscape just steps away.....

After three days indoors, we headed out to the field to visit some nearby Moringa nurseries. Moringa is a type of tree which originated in India, and is harvested for a variety of purposes including medicine, and consumption. You can even apparently get moringa yogurt! (I say apparently because I am never 100% if I am hearing things correctly in French haha).

 

Above: teeny, tiny Moringa trees!

 

Above: Fellow CUSO volunteer, Abwe, explains some of the local uses for Moringa.

 

 Above: One happy tree hugger!

 

 

Left to RIght: Fellow CUSO volunteer, Luc, checking out the Moringa roots and tuber; Preparing Moringa trees in the Nusery; and the Bageyli village we visited to see one of the nurseries. Bageyli is minority tribe in the area, while Bantu is the dominant.

Looking forward to my first weekend exploring Kribi!
- Peace, plants and much love!