February 5, 2011

February 5, 2011 – Saturday

--Today started quite pleasantly.  We shared breakfast with a rest house guest from Canada - Sam is here in Bamenda for a month as a volunteer community services accountant and business development consultant.  We visited with a Cameroonian woman who moved to Virginia 7 years ago – she is here now to bury a sister who died of AIDS.  I’m wearing one of my new African dresses today – it feels so-o good.

--We visited Cameroon Alternative Technology (CAT) where we saw and learned about some fascinating demonstration models made from found materials:  equipment for solar cooking, water heating, environmentally-friendly outdoor toilets for urban dwellers with no indoor plumbing, recycled vegetation for fertilizer production, etc.  I think Joe is ready to convert our house, and say good-bye to the grid!

Center for Appropriate Technology Headquarters

Solar Cooker Made from a Satellite Dish

Solar Cooker, Outdoor Odorless Toilet, Solar Food Dehydrator, Solar Water

Learning About Alternative Energy Products and Projects - Barbara is holding her new "grandchildren"

 --In this building I peeked in a doorway with a sign, “Women Income Generating Solution” and lo! a small doll-making project.  I talked at length with the director, admired the dolls, and could not resist buying two African children dressed in Cameroonian costumes.  I hope to keep contact here and arrange to offer some for sale at the annual Christmas gift sale at Our Saviour.  The proceeds are divided in 1/3s among the women who make the dolls, support to sustain the project, supplies for doll-making, and 10% is saved toward program growth and/or emergency loans to the participating women.  The director’s passion is AIDS orphans – I’m putting her and Ruth in touch with each other.

Amazing Handmade African Dolls Inside!

--Then we went to Njoke’s office in downtown Bamenda.  With his colleague, we talked at length about their work as conservationists in Cameroon and efforts to promote and develop tourism.

Street Entrance to Njoke's Downstairs Office

Njoke at his desk in the Nature Concerns Office

The tourism concept isn’t well understood and does not yet have strong governmental support.  The hotel and souvenir industries seem to have a better grasp of the potential benefits for the country from tourism.  Nonetheless, word of Cameroon’s beauty and charms is spreading, and increasingly more people want to see and learn more about it.  Our tour has an ecological conservation theme, thus our focus to see the natural world and seeing human life and activity is a splendid bonus that ties our impressions together well.

--Remember the chicken that the Fon gave me a few days ago? Njoke’s wife Aggie prepared a magnificent feast for us – fufu, njama-njama, and the chicken.  Njoke brought Aggie, his youngest daughter, and his colleague.  They, Npho, Joe and I enjoyed this meal  – Aggie cooks very well, and we were all full and quite content.  We spent an hour talking, and everyone helped to name the dolls.

On the porch at our rest house enjoying the Fon's Chicken, Njama-njama, and fufu with Njoke's Family

Niassa holding Fatima Precious, Barbara, Aggie  holding Ali Haj Moosh