Service Clubs/Letters

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For those who think this is our first blog – think Cameroon hydro!

Think - a poor slightly cooked operator(s) as well.  Think exhausted, exhilarated, disappointed, thrilled, joyful, (just use all the adjectives you know here)  as an excuse for no real news every day.

So, if you are missing #1, please go to –

Sunday with the Sisters – Daughters of Mary & Joseph - Last night became so cold we used blankets in our room – not what we expected!

Monday – with the Sisters! - This morning we breakfasted on French baguettes, jam & ‘coffee’ – Cameroon style I could easily get used to. It puts poor Timmy’s to shame.

We arrived at the Convent & ‘Monkery’ guest house and were woken up to beautiful singing of the morning service.

Kelly, being the youngest, made quite a hit with Priscilla (Sister Priscilla of her Order of Daughters of St.  Mary & Joseph). Anyway, it was Priscilla who helped us set up our computers and hook into their Wi-Fi – available in just about every bedroom.

In the morning, with lots of time to spare before our noon first meeting, Priscilla gave us a marvellous verbal presentation of her work with the needy women of Northern Cameroon near Chad.  Extremely detailed and heart breaking.

She was off for an 8 day retreat in Doula then back up north to her work.

Monday morning with Dist Exec – In Doula.  We said our goodbyes and drove out of the religious compound after answering to the gatekeeper’s question, “Yes, yes, of course we have paid!”

(This may be – a personal punishment for Kelly opening his car door in traffic (earlier) and causing damage to another vehicle).  As the police sergeant explained – for foreigners NOT carrying passports, visa etc., the fine is 10,000 francs CFA.   Also, the damage to the other car was about the same amount but we will let you off by means of only 10,000 CFA - which the convent said was cheap. NOW, we carry our documents at all times. What happens in Cameroon does NOT necessarily stay in Cameroon!

The next night we all realized we had NOT, in fact, paid that convent!!! SLF will fix our error for us.

Monday late morning - we met with the District Executive (present & past) to find out what does who to when etc. in fact finding. We heard about a VERY interesting project of one Doula Club who, on their own, have financed and built 4 water points for schools – one with a latrine.

For lunch, the Dist Gov & his exec took us into the garden for a ‘SMALL’ refreshment! Groaning food tables - groaning wine/beer/softies table and groaning Rotarians who enjoyed the BEST steaks in the whole of Cameroon. Lawyers sure know how to entertain!

Another future project is to obtain a boat for the offshore/inshore islands for an island medic centre they are building so they can attract a doctor. They also have one room clinics on several small islands for doc/RN visits but no boat.

At the RC Limbe club we joined a meeting in progress and exchanges banners – there was already a Guelph banner hanging. They self-finance their own projects and are ACTIVE. VERY! They also (same) have a project to build one medical centre for a doctor & many one room overnight med clinics for the doctor & nurse to visit conduct clinics and move serious patients back to the mainland on a small boat.

They can build the med centres but need a small “air boat” capable of carrying the doc, nurse, patient etc. between all the tiny islands offshore.  We had difficulty in Ying to nail down what is an “air boat” so until we see a pic or diagram we will not know.

Driver here.... Ah (written later) he was ... never mind. We are going too far ahead.

Still On Monday afternoon & EVENING!!!

We moved into a luxury hotel (3 nights, breakfasts, dinners, a ‘few’ refreshments - $250.00 CDA for
the three of us!

In the late afternoon we went to RC of Limbe for their meeting and exchange of banners – RC Guelph, already displayed.  This is an incredible club that self finances all sorts of incredible projects. More on these later.

Then they adjourned the club meeting to another venue – a private club in downtown Limbe (to which we were WARMLY invited) to participate in magnificent Rotary fellowship with a few little refreshments.

Some clubs in NS (Pete Smith) got them a used school bus for 48 students – they carry 86. The bus looks new – new safety upholstery etc. All systems in tip top shape. We will visit the bus Thursday.

Tuesday,  23rd – The famous Bolifamba Water System. Finished and only a partial success. Three stand pipes + cistern + overflow for pressure from the spring and taps etc. The water engineer made a metre mistake so we have the main cistern with the main outlet and lots of CLEAN water and one stand with only good pressure for GOOD water.

The WHO (World Health Organization) are in the village to investigate a new case of Cholera this week so the villagers were ecstatic.  Rotary had given them CLEAN water just when they REALLY needed it. More details later. Lines of mothers & babies who had waited 35 years for safe water. The thanks flowed and so did nearly one Rotarian!

Late Tuesday Morn & afternoon – Moving to a Co-op Centre where a cocoa growing course was in progress.   We stood in the hall to watch / listen to nutrition demonstrations and instruction.

Later, there was a the malaria nets demo and a hand-out to the expectant mother and nursing mums as well as some older women who had adopted their village orphans. KNOWING these nets WILL save the babies we saw who have now the protection against malaria, is.... humbling!

A certain club one of us knows can have some HUGE satisfaction in seeing pics of Moms & babies who will NOT now die.

Wednesday,  November 24th

Visits to our NGOs’ training locations and seeing young women setting up in business as well as young apprentice carpenters. Several orders were placed by Rotarians for finished goods but whether they can get  the goods to us in Bamenda is problematical - but SLF will try.

It seems at every turn young girls presented us with new African clothes and huge hoots of laughter as they dressed us!!!

Thursday, November 25 morn – tour of a Rotary helped school (Limbe) and their brand new 'used Canadian' bus courtesy of RC Clubs in NS. A massive undertaking.

Then the whole day to get to the Franciscan Sisters Guest House in Bamenda & crashed after Salisbury steak meal fit for a Fon.

One Rotarian asked to marry the Sister who had cooked the steak and you probably heard the gales of laughter. They are great fun loving women who do some of the most ‘difficult’ work imaginable. You have to admire their spirit & outlook as they go about their work.

Friday November 26th  (blank)

This  is now Monday and we have found an Internet connection – we hope!

Mike Crossling in Cameroon

 

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010