ANNE

Work: Pupils and staff are still slow to return after the celebrations of the 11^th February but Godam and I had a fascinating conversation on Friday with the staff of Membeng Primary about punishments they are using in school, now that they have given up whipping the children. Making the pupils stay in class during the interval is common and generally works anywhere in the world – kids do not like to be deprived of their free time. The oldest member of staff was much in favour of having the miscreant kneel out in the sun for an unspecified length of time. For a serious offence the pupil would have to keep his arms stretched out at shoulder height and might have to hold a heavy stone in each hand. The temperature hit 40C here on Thursday and was 31C at 7.30 yesterday. A young teacher is in favour of having the pupil crawl round the classroom on his knees. Other suggestions were that the offender should be shut in a cupboard. There are none in Membeng fortunately! I think we still have some work to do there. On the plus side, the pupils themselves told us that the behaviour of their teachers is better this year, that the pupils are no longer expected to work in villagers’ fields during school time although they still work in the teachers’ own fields. They find the school cleaner and teachers are displaying their work on the walls.

Talking of Godam, he has finally revealed the name of his new son – apparently the hold-up was due to the cord not coming away. Normally it comes off within a week but his took 11 days to come off. The lucky little lad is to have three names – one in the Guiziga language in deference to his mother’s tribe, one in Mofou, giving his place in the family and one in French. His sister is called Nina so I expected something recognisable. Wrong. The child will be known as Miada Kosma Pauvre Famille which translates as “what does the future hold for this family? – second child -  poor family”. When I asked Godam how he will actually address his baby, the answer was “Pauvre Famille”. His hero, the headteacher of Mofou-sud, is trying to tell him that his son might have a hard time with a name like that. Hands up anybody who thought Peaches Geldof was a funny name.

Love is in the air: Next Saturday we will go to our first ever double wedding – a first for VSO too, I believe. Two Canadian Volunteers will marry their Cameroonian boyfriends in a joint ceremony  in Maroua. Neither girl will have any family there and one fiancé will have no family either. His family all live in the south, which might as well be the moon for most Cameroonians due to the difficult and expensive transport situation.  Both couples hope to leave for Canada before long. One husband wants to be educated while the other wants to be kept in the style to which he has become accustomed since getting to know his fiancée less than a year ago.

More poignantly, there is the story of Fred (not his real name to preserve his privacy). Since Fred’s arrival last March, I am no longer the oldest volunteer in Cameroon. I love the man! He arrived here at the age of 62, having been recently widowed. He had nursed his wife for 14 years and was ready to take on a new challenge. He was lonely and insecure, not too happy in his placement and always looked stressed and anxious. Then he met a young Cameroonian girl half his age. She is an intelligent, educated lady who has two jobs to be able to pay for the education of her brothers and sisters. Fred’s grown up children have met the lady and seem to have no problem with the relationship. Fred and she would like to get married but there is one huge issue to be resolved: as a young African woman, she needs to have a child. It is necessary here to prove your womanhood. Fred can’t face the thought of becoming a father again at his age. What will happen? They are due to have a holiday together in his homeland and that could be the deciding factor. I will keep you posted.

• Godam told the girls this week to bring their machetes with them next day to cut down the thorns that keep bursting their footballs. As you do….