ANNE

Work:

Work has been a little different this week with preparations for the week celebrating World Aids Day, International Volunteers’ Day plus raising awareness of Human Rights.  Tuesday started with a défilé or parade by girls from our literacy class to draw attention to their right to an education just like their brothers. Cameroonians love parades and do them well. We had a marching song, the national flag and a placard to explain the défilé. Teachers from VSO’s partner organisation came to assist and Godam was on the tam-tam. We started with about 40 girls and ended up with about 80 – not bad for a first time. We had deliberately chosen market day to be sure of lots of spectators and after the obligatory visit to the Lamido, resplendent in his best bou-bou, we marched straight through the market – twice! To add to the fun of the occasion, one of the Canadian volunteers came out to film us and interview me as we marched. The girls had wondered about wearing their traditional foulard or headcloth and eventually decided unanimously not to. I think that might be the equivalent of bra burning and just hope there are no repercussions for them. Godam assured me there would be no problem and we know he is always right! After the défilé there was a quiz with little prizes (VSO had obtained a generous budget for the week) and then a well earned rest before the final event of the day – a hotly contested football match between two teams made up of girls from the class. The players were mainly barefooted and in borrowed strips but seemed to have a whale of a time.  Thomas was thrilled to see the washing on Friday! (See photos)

After a fairly tiring Tuesday marching in the heat, Godam and I were up early to head for Maroua at 6.30. Madame le Délégué Régional (next in line to the Minister of Education) had offered to come and speak to parents at Boudoum to encourage them to send their children to school – boys and girls. She seemed keen that we should arrive in her chauffeur driven official vehicle, hence the early start. I expected 3 passengers but ended up with an unexplained fourth! All went well until Lydia opened the back door of the car to vomit when we were in the outside lane of the dual carriageway into Maroua! (Even messier than when Godam’s wife spat out of the window and her spit came right back in. She looked a little mystified!) As Madame Délégué’s maniac of a driver knocked 30 minutes off the normal travelling time of one and a quarter hours between Maroua and Zidim, we were able to make an unscheduled visit to Mofou-sud Primary too (See photo). I was relieved to find the head teacher and his wife in school and in their respective classes for once! The Délégué did a great job, visiting 5 of the 9 classes, including the two built from millet stalks. She drew attention to her flashy vehicle and asked the kids how they thought she had ended up with a car like that. The answer is, of course, by staying in school and not marrying early.

After Mofou, we headed for Boudoum and their reception party of parents. First thing I noticed was the lack of women apart from one faithful lady who comes to all meetings we have. It turned out the Head had only invited fathers in this Muslim village. Again the meeting went well with Madame doing a great job, urging parents and traditional leaders to make a big effort to improve the current situation in the school. She stated that her office is always open to them to voice their concerns. That was what I had heard and why I had stotted in one day. I now know that I bypassed at least one layer in the hierarchy – oops! We then had something to eat and drink – with the Délégue encouraging her P.A. to have a beer along with the Headteacher. Ah, things were never like that in Madras College! Eventually we headed back for Maroua.  During the journey Madame pulled her veil over her face like a budgie and went to sleep. Back at the office she confessed that she had had no idea of the percentage of children not coming to school, that her visit out into the bush had opened her eyes to the fact that a lot of work still has to be done to get children into school and to stay in school. She has promised to visit Boudoum again and I believe she will. So far, I have found her to be a lady who keeps her word.

This week the African Book Appeal stands at over £1,000 with the help of proceeds from a coffee morning held in the Health Centre by “The Tuesday Girls”. Headteachers are being informed that they can start to write a Christmas list of books for their pupils and I will be collecting the first batch this weekend in Maroua.

Home:

Preparations going ahead for the arrival of the Ferries on the 15^th.

Now sick of Tom and Jerry. How can Hamish watch the same cartoons three nights in a row and not get bored?

Village life:

Everyone is very excited about either Tabaski (the Muslim Fête du Mouton) or Christmas. New clothes have to be bought for Muslims and Christians alike and a sheep has to be slaughtered by the Muslims. The price of mutton has gone up. Baptisms are being held in all the villages at the moment with over a hundred people being baptised at the same time in some of the churches and in some rivers. Zidim resounds with choirs and drums as the preparations mount.

Random facts/thoughts:

• Managed Skype again last weekend and managed to see Wendy and her bump for the first time. Great to see her looking so well and so happy.

Hamish

No major trauma victims at work this week, but had one disaster when I saw a baby who’d had a tube passed through its nose to the stomach to give fluids to treat dehydration.  Unfortunately, the tube had gone into the windpipe not the stomach and the lungs filled with fluid.  The baby did not survive and the real challenge now is to use this incident as a training exercise without upsetting the nurse who had passed the tube.  She’s a very caring girl, always cheerful and positive and I wouldn’t want to destroy her confidence.

We realised that when Nicola and family arrive there will be no room in the car for luggage, so this weekend we bought a roof rack for the car.  Quite an experience.  It was hand built by a blacksmith in Maroua, organised by one of the traders based at our favourite hotel/restaurant.  It took over an hour to install it on the roof: I was parked comfortably on a chair in the shade of a tree watching the whole process.  It’s a very substantial construction and the challenge now is to see if we can beat the locals in terms of overloading.  The aim has to be about 12 suitcases a three piece suite and at least two goats.  Will keep you posted on progress!