I thought it was appropriate to post this at the one year anniversary of my spinal TB diagnosis (remember this: 10 things I learned from a hospital bed in Paris). This last weekend also marked the last day of my treatment, well - at least the pills I've been taking for the last year. I'm sure the 'treatment' will be for the rest of my life :P
This
post marks the end of several chapters. The (roughly) last year in
Senegal, the end of graduate school, and the completion of my thesis.
I
left Senegal on August 5th and for the next three weeks I slept in 7
states, boarded 5 flights, and met up with some amazing friends and
family, many of whom I hadnt seen in 1-2 years. For the time being, I'm living in Idaho Falls with my loving
sister Hanna and her wonderful family (thanks!). My final months in Senegal went by way too fast, as they always do. I've noticed that for some reason, even when
I know my time is running out, I am never see and do everything I want before I go. I guess that's another reason why I'm never terribly sad when I leave, because I have faith that I will be back.
The last few months, outside of
my research, were scattered with music concerts, a bit of travel
outside of Dakar, and more exploring inside Dakar city limits.
Îles de la Madeleine - Islands right off the coast of Dakar
Ship wreck at Îles de la Madeleine
Part of the beaches at Popenguine and hour and a half outside of Dakar
In May there was an amazing several week long event called Dak'Art. This
event was the 12th biannual event. It started in 1992 as a platform for
contemporary art with cultural roots in Africa and aims at being a
space of of different prejudice-free visions on approaches and
inspirations to analyze in relation to a plurality of influences from
both immediate and farther sources. There were light shows, tons of
exhibits, and some concerts. In my subjective opinion, the best part of the entire month long extravaganza was the
Cheikh Lô and special guest concert.
Literally the best of the best!
Here is a short clip of some of the performances throughout night:
As
exciting as it was, May was also a sad month as so many of my dear
friends left Dakar, including my lovely roommate. This meant I had to leave our beautiful apartment in Liberté 6.
Claire, Brenda, and I soaking up some sun on one of their last days.
The beginning of June was marked by the start Ramadan. As the holy month came to an end, we celebrated Korité (aka Eid al-Fitr) and suddenly it was mid July and I had only a couple of weeks left in Senegal.
Praying during Ramadan
Attaaya (tea) for sale at Marché Sandaga!
I
went with a friend on a day trip to Lac Rose. The guides claimed that it was the
saltiest lake in the world but I'm not sure. When I visted the Dead Sea I was told that it was the second-saltiest body of water on earth, after Lake Aral in Djibouti. Either way, it was a beautiful day!
Going for a ride on the dunes checking out the beach
The lake wasnt particularly pink on this day because it wasnt windy enough.
Apparently its pink when its windy.
For my
birthday in June I took a quick trip to Amman, Jordan with a day lay over in
Istanbul, Turkey. While waiting in the airport for my flight out of
Dakar I saw a very familiar looking man.
I met Cheikh Ndiguel Lô!!! If you dont know who he is - look him up on youtube!
One of the most famous, world renowned Senegalese musicians!
I cant think or talk about my last few months in Senegal with out talking about sama kër Seck (my Seck family):
Finishing
my M.A. and my research in Senegal was such an epic event. To date,
it's definitely my biggest accomplishment. Which obviously wouldn't have
been been possibly without my family and friends (and doctors!). I've
written extensively on my blog about my research so I wont go into too
much detail. I deviated slightly form the original research proposal
and during the data collection I wrote three posts detailing the life
histories of the six social mobilizers I worked with during the research
process (one, two, three).
The star marks the end!
Briefly,
this research explores how and why Tostan’s Social Mobilization Agents
(SMA) do their work in rural Senegal. Using a grounded theory approach
rooted in feminist epistemology, I participated in field observations
and conducted several in-depth interviews with six SMAs, two men and
four women. By creating individual portraits of their lives, we see them
as whole persons made up of unique experiences. After having a close up
look at their lives, we take a step back to look at the larger picture
and see several reoccurring themes. I saught to answer one major
research question: "Why and how do social mobilizers do their work?" and
two sub questions: "What are the elements that motivated them?" and
"What are the strategies they use in the field?". From this research,
academics, practitioners, and a larger global
audience will better understand the motives and methods of social
mobilizers in rural Senegal today. With these findings, one can continue
the quest for more knowledge and/or attempt to replicate the methods of
social mobilization elsewhere.
While the world is dealing with circumstances fueled by extremist religious and militant organizations, the Senegalese have managed to maintain a constitutional democracy and pluralistic society that demonstrates political stability and an absence of extremist groups. This blend of circumstances is rare, especially in Africa, and has been labeled by scholars for years as Senegalese exceptionalism. Moreover, a gender parity law that was adopted in 2010 has paved the way for women in the formal governance sector, as it requires that half of political parties’ candidates are women in local and national elections. The first time this law was put into action in 2012, 44% of national assembly seats elected were women – an unprecedented amount in the country and region.
Meanwhile, amidst these intertwined factors, Tostan, a regional NGO focusing on community empowerment through nonformal education, has been working for 25 years in Senegal bringing change on a local level. The name of their organization means "breakthrough" in the West African language of Wolof and was inspired by Cheikh Anta Diop, a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician who was a mentor figure to the founder, Molly Melching. Through Tostan’s original Community Empowerment Program (CEP) in conjunction with their Community Management Committee (CMC), Tostan communities have selected more than 19,000 women into leadership positions and have expanded the dialogue of democracy and human rights to over 100,000 people regionally. They have reached, in total, more than three million people.
As part of Tostan’s theory of change, participants are encouraged to disseminate the knowledge to others in their village and surrounding communities. This has created of group of dynamic, motivated, and educated Social Mobilization Agents (SMA), a type of community activists, who are committed to sharing their new understanding and attitudes with others. This group, comprised of mostly women, is committed to helping themselves, their communities, their nation, and the region take control over their future and realize human rights and responsibilities, improve their education, health, environment, and increase their economic prosperity.
This method of mobilization and activism, as well as the mobilizers themselves, have had enormous success yet they are not well known outside of Senegal, or Tostan for that matter. In the literature on Tostan’s CEP/CMC programs, it suggested these women (and men) have become more empowered yet little is known about the work of those that continue to mobilize. What social mobilization looks like in the Senegalese and West African context is unknown to academia, governments, and even organizations who are contributing to social change. If we do not understand the experiences of the SMAs, we will not be able to grasp how and why their work is done nor will we be able to see how and why it has been successful. This information will also give practitioners the ability to better monitor and replicate similar mobilization efforts elsewhere.
I will look into the lives of five to ten social mobilizers and their work in order to illustrate how they work and why they have chosen to become SMAs. This research will illuminate their stories: their lives, what motivates them, their successes and failures, the techniques they use, and their experiences.
Research Question:
How and why do Tostan’s Social Mobilization Agents do their work?
Sub Components:
What are their successes and failures?
What factors motivate them to do this work?
How and why do these mobilizers work together?
Significance
The significance of this research is twofold: First, it will give an individual portrait of each social mobilizer. Secondly, it has the potential to generate knowledge regarding many unanswered questions as to the different experiences of these social mobilizers, how they work together, successes and failures they have had, and why they are committed to knowledge diffusion. This will allow for a deeper understanding of how social change happens at a grassroots level with the hope that it may be of use to Tostan and other organizations working in similar contexts.
Moreover, this research may also shed light on questions broader than the scope of the research whose answers are important to a global audience including both practitioners and academics. It may lead to further research questions surrounding social action in the majority world (also known as the global south) which may, in the future, aid in a better understanding and addressing of the pressing daily needs of societies and how women can be active participants in society.
Research Method
The approach to this research will be a qualitative collection of data. In order to ensure triangulation, I will be using five research methods including semi-structured in-depth interviews (creating a portraiture of each participant), a focus group, document analysis of Tostan, photo-reflection, similar to photovoice, and observation.
1.Semi-structured in-depth interviews: By first using the portraiture approach for the SMAs, I will be able to focus on each individual’s concerns and issues around their life and their work. This will be non-critical and therefore foster trust with the participants. I will use the life-history approach looking back in detail across their entire life up until now to better understand their experiences before Tostan, during Tostan’s program and now as a SMA. Additionally, this will provide “individuals with the non-judgmental space to reflect upon themselves and their performance (Bottery, Wong, Wright, & Ngai, 2009, p. 83).” This approach attempts to remove space between the voice of the researcher and the researched and is often used as a reflective tool (Waterhouse, 2007). The focus of this method will be seeking why SMA do their work.
2.Focus Group: After the in-depth interviews are transcribed, coded, and analyzed I will be prepared for the focus group of all participants. This time will be spent focusing on the participant’s motivations and methods of social mobilization. I will use any reoccurring themes from the in-depth interviews to inform my questions for the focus group. This method will seek to discover how SMA do their work.
3.Document Analysis:Tostan is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) operating in six countries in West Africa. I will gather publicly available and internal documents related to the CEP, CMC, organized diffusion, and their theory of change from their website, www.tostan.org and their private network of documents on their Intranet. There will be no confidential or classified information used in this research.
4.Photovoice: After my initial interview with participants, I will spend time training them on the use and functionality of disposable cameras. I will ask them to document, through photos, what it means for them to be an SMA. These photos will be used only to invoke critical thinking and discussion in follow-up interviews and the focus group discussion. These photos will not be published and they will remain with the participants.
5.Observation:I will go into their field with Tostan employees to observe any social mobilization efforts that are taking place. This observation will allow me to gather data about how the organization (Tostan) works and how the SMAs facilitate the organized diffusion in other villages.
The various ways of gathering data are to assure the safety of the participants but also to ensure triangulation and therefore validity of results. The combination of these methods will maximize the utility of the report while minimizing unintended harm/consequences.
Sample Selection
The primary research participants will be five to ten Senegalese social mobilizers who have participated in Tostan’s CEP and/or CMC. Most of the SMAs will be women but I will have one or two men for inclusion. I have been in close contact with the National Coordinator of Tostan, Mouhamed Basse, as well as several Regional Coordinators who have been more than helpful in providing me with the lists and contact information of SMAs around the country of Senegal. These SMAs have been voted into their position by their communities and will participate in this study on a volunteer basis. They will not be compensated for there time but they will be reimbursed for travel and food expenses.
Data Analysis
For
my research, I will use a theoretical framework that is based on the
Capabilities Approach, a Postcolonial/Global Feminism lens and a
Grounded Theory approach. These three methodologies will form the
foundation of my research and guide me through data collection and
analysis. I find that the Capabilities Approach is most fitting as it is
a framework used in the international development field that focuses on
human agency. As a researcher I believe one must acknowledge the
domination of patriarchy and how men have, for centuries, used their
positions of power to define issues, structure, language, and develop
theories that promote their own interests therefore marginalizing the
experiences and knowledge of women. Lastly, grounded theory will provide
me with a more holistic and complete collection and analysis of data
because any theories or conclusions created will be grounded in the data
generated.
I will be relying heavily on grounded theory for my analysis. I will transcribe and code all of the interviews and the focus group. Throughout the process, as portraitures are created for each individual, I will be constantly and systematically comparing them to each other for key themes and concepts, a defining feature of grounded theory. I will use NVivo software for qualitative analysis of the interviews, focus group, and document analysis. This will also allow me to include fieldnotes and memos into the analysis.
Limitations
Limitations to this research will include my subjectivity as an outside researcher, my insufficiency in local languages, using translation from local languages and French to English, which may lead to mistranslations and interpreter bias, and the short timeline of six-months to conduct the research. Due to budgeting and time constraints, I will only be researching teams in three out of ten regions in Senegal Fatick, Koalack, and Kolda. This limitation will hinder me from providing more rounded findings that are based on the SMAs as a whole in the country of Senegal.
Development, as many have come to know
it, is synonymous with modernization and progress. In other words, to develop
is to become more like the Western world. The idea of development is thought to
be inextricably linked to what the world wants and needs; development is a
necessary good for sustaining human life. In this essay I will first discuss
what my previous understanding of development was. These ideas are widely
shared throughout the world and more so by international development
professionals, something I had long aspired to be. Next, I will discuss the
creation and romanticization of development work before I delve into my
newfound understanding of this field of work and how I see myself fitting into
the world as a practitione
For the purpose of this essay, I will
be using several terms interchangeably. The West includes those societies
deemed economically developed, such as Europe, the United States, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa among others. These are developed
nations considered the global north and the first world, while the global south
includes regions deemed “economically backward” like Asia, Latin America and
Africa. This group of countries is also known as the underdeveloped,
non-westerns and the Third World or the Majority World, defined by what they
are rather than what they lack.
While growing up, I was often
confronted by television ads of seemingly helpless and hungry victims of
poverty unfailingly from Asia and Africa. For just pennies a day one could
“save” these impoverished beings. This molded my perception of the Third World,
a perception that I would later find to be a complete and utter delusion. Soon
I was well underway in my undergraduate career studying International Studies
with the objective of landing a job as a professional development worker in
Sub-Saharan Africa.
It was during this time period that I
learned what it meant to develop, including the various methods used to do so.
To develop is to adopt a democratic and capitalist society. Progress is
building modern roads leading to modern cities that are host to Westernized
hospitals and universities. Growth is industrialization. All of these things
and more will lead to a more developed society, which is what everyone aspires
for, who wouldn’t want development? The more I studied, the more I
learned the benefits of helping the underdeveloped develop. By helping a
country to develop, they will have a lower infant mortality rate, people become
educated (we undoubtedly know this is beneficial to all civilization),
new access to Western health care will save millions of lives, and adopting
Western agricultural practices will lead to a more nourished, healthier and
more productive population.
From the start, I had always critiqued
methods such as the Washington Consensus, sweeping solutions like the
Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), and international actors such as the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These methods to me were
obviously an extension of colonialism and further pushed the people deeper into
poverty while benefiting the rich. SAPs, which started in the late 1970’s, have
had an undeniable negative effect on the very countries they originally sought
out to help. These programs were a type of “tied aid”, meaning that the
borrowing countries were required to put into practice several economic
policies in order to get a loan from the World Bank or the IMF. As a
result of such “aid”, the wealth gap widened due to exploitation of recipient
countries. Often times these program encourage Transnational Corporations
(TNCs) to move into said countries to take advantage of cheap labor and lax
laws (Slusser, 2006).
During my undergrad education, I was
reading books and blogs of “famous” development professionals such as Jeffrey
Sachs and William Easterly, educating myself on the best way to “develop” poor
countries. As mentioned before, these professionals and many others believed
that development was growth, and primarily, economic growth. I was schooled on
the various theories of development, such as modernization and structuralism.
“Modern economic growth was not only a question of ‘more’ (output per person)
but also ‘change’” (Sachs, 2005, p. 38). This particular recipe for change had
several ingredients: changing gender roles, mandatory and free education,
urbanization, and eradication of traditional beliefs and methods, among many
other things.
Since obtaining my bachelor’s degree in 2012, I’ve had the opportunity to work
abroad in Cameroon for 16 months and have continued to ponder my role in the
world as a development worker. Here at SIT Graduate Institute, I have
been able to view the aforementioned theories of development through an
entirely new lens, leading me to a better understanding of the world and my
role as a practitioner. For several decades, the white man has been dictating
the lives of minorities all around the world. First, this came in the form of
colonization as several groups of people were conquered and deemed as savage,
barbaric, and backwards. This gave the white man leverage to pillage and steal
resources from countries they were attempting to “develop” for their own
economic benefit. As colonization became outdated and regarded as wrong, even
in the eyes of Westerners, the white man needed to keep his control of the
so-called uncivilized populations for his own prosperity (Escobar, 1997).
This is when the social construct of
poverty and “underdeveloped” began to take flight. Those lacking a capitalist
society revolving around material possessions were regarded as underdeveloped.
As stated by Escobar (1997), “Development proceeded by creating ‘abnormalities’
(such as the ‘illiterate’, the ‘underdeveloped’, the ‘malnourished’, ‘small
farmer’, or ‘landless peasant’) which it would later treat and reform” (p. 88).
Groups of nomadic herders who carried everything they owned on their back were
seen as non-contributors to society in terms of the economy. These people are
what our Western first world society considers to be poor. This creation of the
underdeveloped by the white man was an opportunity to not only “help”, but to
control these populations whilst reaping endless socio-economic benefits from
destroying the livelihood and culture of these “poor” people. These ideas
continue to pervade the general consciousness of development work. They are the
reason why the West is still spewing their propaganda of “helping the poor
develop”, through their endless charity campaigns portraying poor African children
starving to death.
Today, I am aware that poverty is a
fabricated fallacy invented to dichotomize the “developed” and the
“underdeveloped”. This enabled development workers, mostly hailing from Europe,
America or Canada, to legitimize their work as the betterment of the poor
helpless people. “Growth is a collection of ‘things’; well-being is nothing
else but ‘well-having’”(Latouche, 1997, p. 139). The objective of development
is no longer about the quality of life of a person but more so the amount of
material possessions one has produced, purchased, and consumed.
What is hidden behind this simplified
definition and approach to “development” that many give credence to, is that if
it were actually successful, it would inevitably lead to more waste, more
pollution, and more environmental degradation. Our Earth does not have the
capacity to function and provide for humans if all countries are living like
Westerners. By acknowledging this, it is evident that we must begin to research
and apply other theories of development. We, those who aspire to work in the
field of “development”, need to challenge the status quo and challenge the
traditional ideology of development. We need to challenge the system in the
same way that “Ivan Illich set out to challenge the very idea of development as
a threat to people’s autonomy” (Rahnema, 1997, p. ix) in the 1960s. Although
working in Africa, particularly West Africa, as a practitioner is still a
career goal of mine, I have become much more critical of my role as a development
professional, and what it truly means to develop.
Clearly, more research needs to be done
on alternatives to current prepackaged solutions such as SAPs. Some researchers
have suggested that we must end the idea of “think globally; act locally”, because
it we need to acknowledge that people “can only think wisely about what
they actually know well” (Estava, G. et al, 1997, p. 279). If development
workers continue to implement their own global perspective, they consciously or
unconsciously assume that they know what is best and therefore maintain the
vision and interests of a very small group of people. However, if things
are local and initiated inside the community, they will reflect what Esteva and
Parakash (1997) call “radical pluralism” which expresses the unique ideas
conceived by communities rooted in specific places.
To do this, we need to look around our
own environment and work with what and who we know. I find this challenging
because I am realizing that like many others, I have romanticized the idea of
living and working abroad and am having a hard time letting go of that dream.
This is not to say that one cannot be informed on global issues and causes. On
the contrary, we should be aware of our position and ability to share knowledge
as well as stand in solidarity with localized movements. As Pam Simmons (1997)
suggests, “Perhaps the best efforts of women in the developed world should be
put into resisting the spread of Western-style patriarchy and fighting its
source closer to home” (p. 252). This suggests that instead of going abroad to
do “development work”, I should be working in my own country, in the
environment that I am familiar with and a part of.
Another way to move into the
post-development phase as a practitioner is to abandon development approaches
that are not grassroots movements, those which work with the marginalized
groups of people who are written off by organized politics and current
development projects. In a sense, grassroots strategies take out the middleman
and work directly with communities. The overall and long-term goal is to
develop a new and holistic approach to development; on that goes beyond
neo-classical economics and industrialization (Sheth, 1997, p. 335).
Woven throughout all of these methods
of overcoming traditional development practices is the idea of an inclusive
society; one that affirms all human beings are uniquely gifted. As noted
earlier, traditional development values the consumption of material goods. The
key in combating this is to appreciate the sheer presence of each individual
human, their uniqueness and whatever ordinary and/or extraordinary gifts they
bring. In doing so, we as practitioners also need to respect all peoples’
subjectivity so they will be seen as active contributing members of the society
and the world that they live in as opposed to passive and incapable beings.
It is key to my development as a
practitioner to remain critical and vigil when working towards social justice
and all realms of life. This is why I must be constantly evolving as a
professional in the field and question my role in each and every position I
hold or aspire to hold. Some strategies of application for myself in the future
include: keeping the grassroots level in sight, working holistically and intuitively
while always making sure that I am being inclusive. There are several local
movements throughout the United States that I can become a part of or I can
support others abroad. If I choose the latter, I must remember to remain local
and not make the movement my own but instead act as an ally. Regardless of
where I find myself working, one thing will remain constant at the core of my
work my aspiration to serve others. Throughout all of this, I hope to become a
researcher in the post-development field and possibly even a professor who will
guide others along their way.
Works Cited
Escobar,
Arturo. (1997). The Making and Unmaking of the Third World Through
Development. In Rahnema, M. with
Bawtree, V. (Eds), The Post-Development Reader
(85-93). New York: Zed Books Ltd.
Esteva,
Gustavo and Parakash, Madhu Suri. (1997). From Global Thinking to Local
Thinking. In Rahnema, M. with Bawtree,
V. (Eds), The Post-Development Reader
(277-289). New York: Zed Books Ltd.
Illich,
Ivan. (1997) Development as Planned Poverty. In Rahnema, M. with Bawtree, V.
(Eds), The Post-Development Reader
(94-101). New York: Zed Books Ltd.
Latouche,
Serge. (1997). Paradoxical Growth. In Rahnema, M. with Bawtree, V. (Eds), The
Post-Development Reader (135-142). New York: Zed Books Ltd.
Sachs,
Jeffery. (2005). The End of Poverty. England: Penguin Books Ltd.
Sheth,
D.L. (2007). Alternatives from an Indian Grassroots Perspective. In Rahnema, M.
with Bawtree, V. (Eds), The
Post-Development Reader (329-335). New York: Zed
Books Ltd.
Simmons,
Pam. (1997). ‘Women in Development’: A Threat to Liberation. In Rahnema, M.
with Bawtree, V. (Eds), The
Post-Development Reader (244-255). New York: Zed
Books Ltd.
Slusser,
S. R. (2006). The World Bank, Structural Adjustment Programs And Developing
Countries: A Review Using Resource
Dependency Theory. Conference Papers -- American Sociological Association,
1.
10 weeks since I've heard "Madam, please! Please, Madam!" from my students.
10 weeks since I've had my favorite drink, Booster.
10 weeks since I've seen my best friends and family that are still there.
My
last days in Cameroon went quickly and include one of the best days of
my life. My 25th birthday was June 27th and we combined the party to
serve as my "send off" as well. In Cameroon, if its your birthday or
your event, you are supposed to 'sponsor' AKA pay. I knew this long ago
so I had put money aside for my send off/birthday party. We had 10
crates of beer and food for 60 people. I invited about 100 people,
several of whom I knew wouldn't be able to get to town. Older friends
and colleagues came between 5-7 to enjoy the meal while some of my other
younger friends just came out for a drink in the evening. The party
went well into the morning and there was no shortage of great music and
dancing.
I believe there were about 80-90 people total although many only stopped
by momentarily to bid me farewell. I can't describe the love I felt
that night as people from all over the country came to say goodbye. Some
friends brought me a gift to 'remember them' by and others just brought
themselves. I was so happy to be surrounded by these people that I
wasn't even able to feel an ounce of sadness knowing it was one of my
last days. That was the best birthday of my life and one of the best
days of my life. I will never forget it.
Although
I'm 5,604 miles (yes, I looked it up) away from Buea, my connection
feels stronger than ever and there hasn't been a day that's passed where
I haven't yearned for something 'Cameroonian'. I had a whirlwind of
activities when I first got back to the states. I visited people all
over Wisconsin, my sister's family in Idaho and then a few relaxing
weeks in the last place I called home: Arcata, California before I
started on my next chapter of graduate school in Vermont. Everything
happened so fast.
I took a look around and realized I hadn't experienced the reverse
culture shock I always do. You know, the one that hits harder than the
initial culture shock of getting to a new country. I wasn't overwhelmed
at the size of grocery stores, I enjoyed my hot showers and I wasn't
particularly bothered at the ignorance, passivity or disengagement of my
fellow friends/Americans. I've been on a high since I got home where I
just can't stop smiling and loving everything and everyone and every
situation I'm in. People would often ask me, "How is it being home? How
are you adjusting?" I would respond by telling them, "I haven't had
any negative reactions or felt reverse culture shock yet. I dont know if
I've just dealt with it so many times that I'm use to it; or maybe I've
been too busy to have it hit me yet and when it does it will be like a
semi."
The one word I can't get out of my mouth is... "Ashia"
This
is the one word that keeps me connected to Cameroon. It's an everyday
reminder of my time in the country and the overwhelming hospitality of
nearly every single person I ever met. Ashia has several different
meanings. Generally it means 'sorry' but its a much more weighted word
than the English translations. This word comes packed with empathy,
sympathy and genuine concern.
You can use it in nearly every situation:
When you see someone carrying something
If someone is walking someone
Someone is late to an event
A person has lost a loved one
The person is sick (malaria, flu, etc)
You forgot to do something for a person (their birthday, bring them something, visit them, etc)
Anytime someone complains about something (studying, traveling, no money, etc)
You offend someone
As
I explained, I'ts more than saying sorry. It's acknowledging the
situation of the person and feeling for them, showing compassion and
empathy towards the situation. It's beautiful :) The correct response
when someone says "Ashia" is simply "Thank you".
Since I've started my self designed Masters of Arts in Intercultural Service Leadership and Management at the School of International Training
(SIT Graduate Institute) I wont have too much time to write on my blog.
I do intent to update it here and there with relevant papers that I
wrote for school as well as translating old essays from my Study Abroad in 2011.
In 9 months, after I finish the on campus part of my MA, I will have to
go abroad for my "Reflective Phase" or my Practicum. Its minimum 6
months but something tells me my posting will be at least a year. I've
also applied to be part of the Masters International
program with the Peace Corps. If I decided on this, I would be placed
in the PC for 2 years as my practicum. Alternatively, I want a paid job
(as most people). Some interesting things about my school and
colleagues:
We are the 50th anniversery class for SIT Graduate Institute, PIM74.
SIT started as the training grounds for Peace Corps Volunteers
Amongst
my 135 (total) colleagues, we have 18 countries represented through
international students and 48 languages spoken on campus.
The school is part of World Learning which, well, just click the link. THEY ARE AMAZING.
I got a work study position working with my Cameroonian sister as the Admissions Assistant for Africa/Middle East in the SIT Study Abroad office. Check out all of their programs!
My
colleagues are hands down the coolest people on the planet. Some speak
up to 8 languages, some have traveled to 34 countries (when they are
only in their 20s), several have started their own NGO/non-profit and
more.
I am constantly surrounded by intelligent people who are all working to make the world a better place. Good vibes all around.
SIT
Enjoying the outdoors before the snow hits!
My house! Affectionately known as The Sunflower House.
Mbongo tchobi with fresh fish (my new favorite!!) with ripe
plantain.
Grilled bay fish with bobolo (last time I had only morocco fish)
Njama njama (leafy green vegetables prepared almost like a
stew and similar to Ndole)
Corn chaff with rice and beans (corn chaff is just some sort of stew like dish with oil, corn and beans that is put with rice and beans).
Koki beans and cassava (a type of beans that are cooked with red palm oil inside of a large banana leaf)
Pepe soup with goat meat (very very spicy soup)
Cow skin (it is very chewy and tough)
Snails (tastes like a bunch of spices trying to cover up a
bad taste)
*You eat all of these things with pepe – a mix of many
spices and peppers usually prepared by using a rock to mash and mix ingredients
on a flat surface.
Mbongo Tchobi - at first sight I didn't think I would like it, but I always try new things..
my taste buds were in for one delicious surprise!! It's my new favorite food!
Elephant Dance aka Mali Dance
Last month I was invited to witness a Bakweri ceremonial
event called the Elephant Dance. Since then, my work has become more time
consuming but I am trying to collect names for interviews and am in the midst
of writing an ethnographic essay on the dance. I hope to have it finished soon
– but I want to make this one more than just a story with pictures. I am really
trying to get the meanings behind things and interview a variety of Bakwerians.
More to come on this…
Mini Tour of My Home in Buea
Monica (my coworker) and I live in a small separate house
just behind the families large house. We have our own kitchen, living
room/salon, bathroom and separate rooms. I feel spoiled here in comparison with
my living situation in Ndejje, Uganda. This area and Cameroon in general, has a
very large middle class. Here is a mini video I made real quick to show you our compound and house :)
I de try talk pidgin small-small
My Pidgin-English is really picking up. Every time I am out
with my friends I encourage them to speak to me in Pidgin and I try to say
whatever I can to anyone throughout my day to others. People are always
surprised to hear a white man speaking (or trying to speak) Pidgin but they are
always happy and helpful as well. When I take taxis or am just talking to people on the street, if there is something I can ask or say in Pidgin Enligsh I do - they usually laugh but not in a bad way. I came here to learn French but that is just
not going to happen in this region…I will have to wait until I move to Yaoundé.
If you want to work on your Pidgin-English or just to see what it’s all about,
check out thisworksheet I found written by both Cameroonians and a foreigner.
Muea Teen Mother Empowerment Workshops
Upper and Lower Muea are my babies. They are the first group
of girls that I have been working with from step one. I went to see the chiefs,
I talk to the social mobilizers, I met with all the teens and after 2 weeks of
identification, 2 weeks of Mutual Health coverage paperwork the real lessons
and workshops are finally underway! Last week we talked about a variety of
topics that fall under the category of ‘sex education’. This week we worked on ‘setting
and achieving’ goals. I brought markers and poster paper so the girls could
make a “vision board” to hang in their house which reminded them of their long
term, medium term, and short term goals.
Bolifamba Teen Mother Empowerment Workshops
Although at first I felt like the social mobilizers of
Bolifamba somewhat exploited Social Development International for payment, I am
very happy with the turn out we have had. For the identification we had 96
girls show up!!! NINETY SIX!! The last 2 weeks we have been filling out Mutual
Health paper work and have been averaging more than 70 girls. The only problem
now is keeping them quiet and focused. Also, many of them are over our age
limit of 20years so I am just not sure if they will be allowed to participate
in the project fully. It’s up to the director.
Other News with Teen Mother Empowerment
Once a month we are planning on doing a combined workshop
that will cover 2-3 topics and run all day long. This weekend workshop was
necessary so that the girls would graduate by the time my internship was
finished. Their graduation date is set for Sunday August 4th! I was
fortunate enough to speak with the owner (who happens to also be the chief of
Upper Muea) of King David’s Hotel in Muea and he is allowing Social Development
International use their facilities/conference room free of charge for the 3
dates I’ve selected for weekend workshops. This is huge! It should have cost
100,000cfc per day ($200)!!
Today I went with one of the Bolifamba social mobilizers to
Dibanda village to meet with mobilizers there. I will meet again with them on
Monday to sensitize them about the program and will give them one week to work
their magic. I will be identifying teens in Dibanda on the 27 May hoping to
target 20.
My field partner has been MIA (he has had family visiting
from US and other regions of Cameroon) so I’ve been very busy facilitating
workshops alone, creating curriculum and continuing the social mobilizing of
other villages. I was quite nervous at first but its been rewarding and now I am more confident in my abilities :)
“Black-man time”
On of the most difficult challenges I have always had on
this continent is TIME. In the U.S. you always hear people say “Time is money”
and it’s very true. Growing up my Father used to tell me, “Being on time is
being 10 min early”. I remember showing up for work everyday, 10min early just to
be sure I am not late. Here, it is the exact opposite. No one likes to wait for
people so they always show up late. 10am mean 11am sometimes closer to noon. I
even went to a fashion show which had “5pm prompt” on the ticket…I had never
seen the words “prompt” appear before so I figured they had to be serious about
starting on time… nope! 8pm rolls around and finally the event was starting.
I call it “black man time” because that is what everyone
refers to it here has. When I speak with Cameroonians or even other Africans
about this time issue, they say “its black man time” or in french “l’heure
africaine”. I always tell my girls at the workshops, “See you next week at 4pm! 4pm white
man time!” and they always laugh. Their time has been improving greatly.
A Short and Sweet Visit to Bamenda
Just before arriving in Cameroon, I went to visit SIT
Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont. While there, I met a wonderful
women named Kellen who was from Bamenda, Northwest Region, Cameroon. It was
such a conscience that I met her, what a blessing. She sent me with some things
to bring to her family so last weekend I finally had time to take the trip up
to Bamenda. I was there for less than 2 days because of work commitments, but
what a beautiful city it was – I know I will be back to see more. I took the
night bus after my workshop on Friday and arrived at maybe 7am. Whenever you
take a long journey (more then 1hour) there is always someone who is either
preaching the word of God or trying to sell you something throughout the
majority of your ride. This time it was an herbal medicine man. I usually tune
out by listening to music but thankfully I was between songs when I heard the
man say, “The use of knowledge is power.” I was impressed with that quote if you will so I thought I would share.
The bus got a flat tire along the way, but I was sleeping
for most of the journey. The family was absolutely charming and so hospitable I
couldn’t believe it. They picked me up at the bust station, brought me to their home, gave me a place to stay, food to eat and even sent me
with clothes on my back!
Before taking the night bus back on Sunday evening, I
attended Pidgin-English mass with them at their church, it was great! People
always ask me, “What do you like about Africa?” (as if ‘Africa’ is one place) - as if the answer was that easy… I always have a hard time describing what
it is that grabbed my heart so many years ago, but my weekend experience in
Bamenda with this family encapsulates it all. A family who within less than 48 hours accepted me as their own and became my own family in Bamenda. I really can’t explain it – you
just have to live it, feel it and breathe it yourself to really understand.
I will be back in August to see Angle’s First Communion and
possibly sooner just for a visit. I will also be hoping to do 'The RingRoad' (just North of Bamenda) during
that time too - hopefully the rains have stopped. The RingRoad is circular route through epic Cameroonian
mountains. Along this road is Mount Oku, the Kimbi River
Game Reserve, the Menchum River waterfalls, a huge chief's palace, a pyramidal
thatched shrine and tons and tons of tiny chiefdoms. To greet a chief you kneel
down not looking him in the eyes, clap three times and then bring him a gift,
like palm wine or something. Unless you are in the Southwest or Littoral
regions which are more 'liberal' therefore shaking hands with the chief is
acceptable.
Rain Rain Rain
Rainy season is definitely coming. It has been raining more
and more and the roads are getting worse and worse. I need to pick up
rain-boots before its too late. Getting to the villages will be a task in and
of itself. I predict participation dropping. My field partner said that this
was the worst time to start a project like this, right before rainy season
which generally falls during June, July, and August.
Limbe’s Beach Yeilds First Class Sun Burn.
I took a one day trip to Limbe this weekend. Limbe is where
I spent 3 weeks in 2011/12 doing the ‘tourist’ thing. It’s a beautiful beach
town with Mount Cameroon in the backdrop and oil rigs off the coast in the
distance. It’s a short 45min drive from Buea and makes a perfect cheap day get
away. The downside of going alone to get some ‘alone time’ was that I didn’t
apply my sun block properly and am now suffering from extreme burns on the
backside. My friends here don’t have to worry about sunburn and the majority of
them don’t even really know what it means or understand it. I just say its “white
man problems”.
Buea the Beautiful
When I first arrived I thought Buea was a huge city –
200,000 people…that is 10x the size of my home in Arcata, California and more
than 20x the size of my hometown Montreal, Wisconsin. But now, after more than
two months here (seems like so much longer) I am seeing that it is quite small.
I find myself bumping into friends and people I know on a regular basis and
when I meet new people, they often know other people I know – its fun :D
I am also really impressed with how CLEAN Buea is! Especially compared to other
places I have lived it is just remarkably
well kept. Every Wednesday morning all the shops close and the whole town is
cleaning! The initiative is called "Keep Buea Clean". They sweep out front and pick up all garbage around. There are city
workers who sweep that garbage into bins and even sweep the gutters and streets.
Strikes and Teargas!
On the 15th, my host sister returned shortly after she had
left for morning classes saying that many of the students at University of Buea
went on strike. This wasn’t the first time. I have heard 2 rumors as to why
they were striking: #1 (and most likely) the Vice Chancellor was threatening to
take away receipts for exams. At first I didn’t understand what that meant so I
inquired from other students. At the end of the term there are finals exams, if
a student fails the final they can take a receipt during the summer so that
they don’t have to repeat their entire term again. Unlike in the US where you
choose the classes you take so if you failed you would only retake 1 – here you
would have to come back and take all of the classes (even the ones you didn’t fail)
again. Or at least that is how it was explained to me. So many students pass
classes from taking the receipt exam during the summer. If she took that away,
many students would have to retake several terms and they were not happy about
that. Reason # 2 (less likely) someone has told me that it all started when a
guard at the school yelled at a young man for his trousers being too low (there
is a dress code throughout the country and authority has the right to enforce
it). He wasn’t cooperating and began yelling at the guard, one thing led to
another – rocks were thrown and the strike started. The first one is more
believable but who really knows.
A few hours after my sister came home from school we heard
some ruckus outside our compound gate which is situated directly next to
University of Buea (UB). We ran to the gate to see 3 huge Cameroon Police
trucks packed with fully armed policemen entering campus at high speeds. Then
an hour or so later we heard more noise and went to see students marching
towards the entrance/gate of campus. They were climbing on things, jumping over
the walls and yelling. I went to talk to a few students to see what was going
on and that’s were I got the rumors I mentioned. It quickly died down and soon
there was no one around.
Mid afternoon I decided to go get some photos printed for my
workshops. On the way home I bumped into a friend who offered to take me out
for some fresh squeezed sour sop juice, I couldn’t say no to that! As we waited
in the restaurant for the juice I heard POW!! The restaurant was full and
everyone was a bit startled and began looking around. Then all of a sudden –
POW POW POW POW POW!!!!!! Nearly everyone rose to their feet and several ran
into the room just behind where clients take their food. I was still unsure of
what was happening but there sure was a lot of commotion going on. Soon I saw
clouds of grey smoke bellowing into the restaurant – I turned to see one of the
waiters signaling for me to come into the kitchen so I ran that way! He
directed me out the back door and as soon as I hit the back door I realized –
they had thrown tear gas. My eyes and nose began to burn and water uncontrollably.
My throat swelled up and it became hard to breath. I followed a rush of people
who had cloth covering their faces into a small tailor shop behind the
restaurant. We quickly shut the doors and windows! Everyone inside the shop was
suffering with the same conditions – I joked with them and said it felt like I
had ate too much pepe…they laughed. Things seemed to have simmered down a bit
and the air lost its haziness that came from the teargas smoke and people
slowly started to come out from hiding. I stepped out and met my friend who I
was taking juice with. Since we had already paid for the juice, we waited for
things to calm down a bit and then we sat and drank the juice. I was a bit
scared and shocked at the time, but not too much. In hindsight, what an
experience! As my sister Olivia joked, “You can put that on your resume!” The
thing that really botheres me about the whole situation is the excessive and
unnecessary use of force by the Cameroonian police. This took place in Molyko
(which is a neighborhood in Buea) where I live, where the University is placed
and is one of the busiest places in Buea…but, this restaurant was NOT on campus
nor were any of the patrons participating in the strike on campus or having
anything to do with it. We were all minding out own business – just eating food
and drinking juice.
Later that night as I wrote in my journal I heard more
commotion outside – no people or voices just the same similar POW POW POW
sound. Within minuets I could smell the odor of smoke coming in through my
bedroom windows. I recognized the smell – my nose began to burn and that is
when I knew…more teargas. I don’t know why they decided to throw it at that
time of night when nothing was even going on.
This week is called Rasta week by several school kids. Reason
number one is because its like a ‘lazy week’ where most students don’t go to
school unless they are writing exams (meaning they are graduating). Since the
whole school body and faculty are busy preparing for exams, they don’t have
time for the other students so the other students don’t really have class. The
second reason is because last Saturday (the 11th) was the
anniversary of Bob Marley’s death.
Merrily Singing
Always when I walk around the city people are just singing
to themselves. They can be walking, selling fruit on the street, sweeping or
just sitting and enjoying a rest. It’s so peaceful hearing others sing just out
pure enjoyment and contentment with life. At the end of all of the workshops we
sing songs as well. Most of them are gospel songs but everyone participates and
it’s quite fun!
Puff-Puff and The Missing Camera
My dear friend Charlotte invited me to learn how to make and
fry puff-puff at her house. I was delighted and jumped on the offer! I woke up
and left my house early so that I would finish before noon and still have the
other half of the day to work on SDI projects. Before leaving the house, I
scanned my room for my camera so that I could document my puff-puff making
experience. It was no where to be found. I don’t use it much and it always sits
in the same place so I have concluded that someone stole it. I usually but not
always lock my door. If I go out just momentarily when someone is in the other
house I usually leave it unlocked with the door closed. It was taken between
Monday and Wednesday because I found it missing Thursday morning. OH WELL! Life
goes on right?
I wasn’t able to document the puff-puff activities with a
camera, but I did get the recipe:
Puff-Puff
Ingredients:
1 liter warm water
½ cup sugar
1 tbs salt
1tbs yeast
1-2 tbs baking powder
1 kilo flour
½ liter oil
Directions:
Add sugar, salt and yeast to warm water and stir.
Slowly add flour and mix with hands.
After more than half the flour is mixed, put 1-2 tbs baking
powder and mix.
Add the rest of the flour.
Stir with hands until smooth and runny like.
Let sit for 1 hour (or even overnight if you would like).
Put oil on large pot and heat for deep frying.
Scoop up batter with one hand holding it palm up. Its runny
batter so be careful!
In one quick motion you must tip your hand so that your
thumb and pointer finger are facing down towards the oil and quickly (but with
grace) let a small amount of batter run between the pointer finder and thumb.
Then cut off the stream of batter by closing the gap/hole between the thumb and
finger. It’s like you are trying to make small round droplets of batter plop
into the frying oil.
Let them turn golden brown before taking them out, check the
center to be sure they are cooked, and let them cool in a metal strainer.
ENJOY!
*You could half this recipe and it would still yield a lot
of puff puff to share*
