February 1, 2011

Tuesday. More VLBDR including many miles of detours along the under-construction route of the Trans-Africa Highway. We passed through beautiful forest, villages with houses that have been bisected by the new roadway, we waited for dynamiting, and we saw several Chinese workers and heavy equipment with their brand displayed in Chinese characters. This highway project is heavily funded by the Chinese government.

Forest along the new highway

House cut apart by new highway

Chinese worker and Chinese characters on truck

Blasting area ready to shoot!

--Early in the afternoon we arrived at Batibo, a small village west of Bamenda where we met with a group who practice traditional medicine and are supported by NGOs and a Peace Corps volunteer.  We passed women working in their garden, and they invited me to join them - to their amusement I tried the Cameroonian-style short-handled hoe with a sharply curved neck, and found it works so well that I may adopt one in my own garden! We toured the herb gardens and met several of the healers in the group.  Juliette, a lifelong herbal healer, was our guide through the garden, and later she joined us at the Fon's Palace.  Walking through the forest we came on boys collecting household water from a stream, and then a man who climbed a homemade ladder to the top of a palm tree to gather palm wine.

Barbara and Cameroonian women working in the garden

Traditional Healers, Peace Corps Volunteer, herb gardens

Collecting household water

Man gathering palm wine from top of tree

The Fon's Pharmacy

--Then we met with the Fon who is a traditional healer who specializes in stroke management.  We became partners in healing when I told him I practice medicine in America.  He led me around, holding my hand and telling me about his stroke treatment methods and successes. He explained the herbs he uses, and I saw them applied to paralyzed limbs, etc.  I’m not so sure about making cuts on the patient’s body and inserting pieces of herbs to assure that they are in the body to do their work.  I don’t know the purpose or the material for the black smudges on the woman who looked like she is in end stage kidney failure – he said she has diabetes and hypertension, and I’m sure she does . He introduced me to his patients, showed me the wards in dark adobe rooms, and talked about patients who are a few months post-stroke and recovering very well in about the same timeframe and apparently with about the same success rate as in the US where our treatments are very, very different.

Hospital bed in ward

Fon demonstrating herbal applications for leg paralysis

Fon Discucssing Diabetic Patient with Barbara

Traditional African Drum used in Healing Ceremonies

--Then we went into the Fon's palace where we were seated and taught how to clap correctly to announce ourselves to the Fon.  He entered, gave a welcoming talk, and invited us to take photos with him at his throne.  We were served a traditional Cameroonian meal of beans seasoned with dried fish, coco yams, and rice.  We drank a tea made from the herb garden and sweetened with local honey - yum.The Fon’s pretty queen offered me water for hand-washing, and served me.  Since I was identified as the honored guest, I was instructed to eat first. 
--The Fon talked about the significance of this visit between a traditional African healer and a modern American healer, and he urged that we continue working together.  We exchanged e-mail addresses.  I said how impressed I am with his methods and the parallels that I see between his traditional African healing and my western methods.  I told him  much I value traditional medicine and that I often incorporate nonpharmaceutical interventions in my care.

Gift of Western Medicinals

After dinner I excused myself, and returned with a bag of antibiotic ointment, antifungal creme, bandaids, topical analgesic, and vitamins as our gift to the Fon, his family, and his healers.  They were very interested in learning about the uses of these products - the queen immediately used one of them!





The Fon excused himself and returned with a gift for me - a live chicken in a basket! I was encouraged to take it home to America, but the Fon good-naturedly agreed that the chicken would probably not like the plane ride so I’d better eat it before I leave Cameroon.
--Later Njoke said the chicken was a very important symbol of welcome and approval, he'd never seen this done for a foreign visitor before. The chicken will be dinner soon, and we will remember the Fon very fondly for a very, very long time.

We tied the chicken basket on the back of the truck, on top of all the luggage, and drove away into the darkness toward Bamenda where we'll headquarter for the next 5 days.