I suppose
the best place to start, would be by saying thanks: thank you to everyone who
followed along in my adventures; thank you to everyone who sent me messages
(including some of you I hadn't talked to in years); and thank you to those of
you who battled the phone and internet difficulties to connect with me. Honestly, you all
have no idea how much it meant to me to have such a supportive network from a
far - You are all amazing. Seriously.
Secondly,
the publishing of this blog was prompted by an upcoming session I am presenting
at my work on my time in Cameroon. In preparation for this, I have been doing a
LOT of reflecting back on my time in the 'Roon.
I don't know that experienced much of a culture shock coming home
(I allowed myself roughly a one day transition between arriving home and
starting work). However, I have my moments when I am trying to remedy my
current reality with my experience in Cameroon... For example, there was that time I
was trying to explain to a colleague that I could not understand why anyone in
our work unit would pay money to use the water cooler when we have such amazing
tap water in BC, only to realize they were a member of the "water cooler
club"... oops? #Howtonotmakefriendsatwork?
Since returning home, there have been a number of protests which have occurred (including
one today at the legislature!). The largest such protest, was a series of
coordinated rallies across Canada related to the proposed Enbridge pipeline.
Pipelines and resource projects are not uncommon in Cameroon. There is an
incredible Chinese presence in Cameroon (and, I am told, across the continent) that is busy paving roads for hydroelectric projects (one the best roads we drove
whilst in the country) and displacing nomadic tribes to further development of
a massive port project in the South. Once completed, this port project will dramatically and irreversibly
change the coastline which of course, is important sea turtle and whale
habitat.
As
frustrated as I know so many are about resource projects in BC, I think of how
lucky we are to protest them freely, without fear of repercussion. And that we
have a pretty comprehensive environmental assessment process in BC. And while we have Federal government
which at times, seems intent on dismantling all of Canada's environmental
protections, our prime minister has not been in power for 30+ years... (note: Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, has been in power since 1982).
However, the
intent of this blog is not to paint the picture that we here, in Canada, are so
much more developed than our neighbours in the "global south". That is not my intent at all.
There are multiple ways of doing things, and ours is not the "only"
way to do so. I guess I just want to point out that we, as Canadians or
British Columbians, enjoy a number of freedoms not always common to other
countries. Consider the following examples from Cameroon:
·
In Cameroon,
polygamy is legal. But, only for men.... not so fast, ladies!
·
Homosexuality
is illegal in Cameroon. In June, 2013, prominent gay rights activist, Eric
Ohena Lembembe, was tortured and murdered in Yaounde.
·
If the
husband of a married woman dies, the property will belong to the husband's
family.
·
While
amazing coffee is grown in Cameroon, all the good stuff is essentially
exported. For Cameroonians, it's usually all Nescafe- "Hello, powdered
caffeine!"
Please note
that I am not trying to sound like that person who goes abroad in a
"developing" country (oh how, I
loathe that term...) and comes back enlightened. Because, well, I think
we've all heard that story before. My struggles while in Cameroon were a
reality to many, but not for others... because there is a lower, upper, and middle
class in Cameroon; there are businessmen and women; there are international
organizations; there are fast food restaurants- essentially there is so much
more than kids with swollen bellies that you might see in World Vision commercials. Most of all, there was an amazing resilience I encountered in so many of
the Cameroonians I met. This diversity is what I think makes Cameroon so special, and perhaps so deserving of the nickname "Africa in miniature".
So thanks again, folks, for following my adventures and rambling thoughts. You're the best.
Enjoy some photos from my last few weeks in the 'Roon, including a few favourite memories below.
Peace and love,
- C
My brother used to joke that I was Cat-a-roon because of my love affair with felines. Top left: Fun fact- in Cameroon, cats eat coconut!; Top right: This little guy was at the restaurant Chez Fadil, which somehow messed up my order everytime. I used to go back just for the cat; and Centre:
Milo, my neighbour's cat who spent roughly 90% of his time in my apartment and T's lovely portrait of him.
Milo, my neighbour's cat who spent roughly 90% of his time in my apartment and T's lovely portrait of him.
