adjusting again

My trip to Europe was a whirlwind of museums, churches, and beautiful cities. I was on the go so much I barely had time to process the dramatic change of environment. Eating cheese and vegetables and smoked salmon at every possible opportunity probably helped with the adjustment. I appreciated a few things I probably didn’t before coming to Cameroon- a waste disposal system, paved roads with stoplights, and being able to blend in. I was a bit worried about the transition from the developed back to the developing world, but going away for awhile actually helped me realize that I’m in love with this little village of mine. I was very anxious to get back to Kolofata, and I felt very excited and refreshed stepping off the plane.

Once I made it to Kolofata, however, I found I had to re-learn a few things. First, coming to northern Cameroon, even just after vacation, means you have to go through a chronic explosive diarrhea phase. Secondly, weather affects your plans. I’m experiencing my first rainy season right now. When it rains, the roads get washed out and become impassable for at least a few hours. My counterpart was out in a small village giving vaccinations and her motorcycle fell in the road/temporary river. Shortly after, she got very sick with pneumonia and malaria. She’s better now, but we haven’t been able to do much work together. Also, the electricity and running water generally go out when it rains.

After being back a month, I finally feel like both me and my bowels can handle another year and a half here. I planted a garden in my yard, started teaching gymnastics to young girls at the women’s center, and giving weekly nutrition presentations at the hospital. Rainy season is also malnutrition season here, because most of the money people make after the millet harvest is used up, people are working in the fields a lot, and it is hard to transport food. I’m trying to promote the use of a local tree called moringa which has very nutritious leaves (and tastes kinda like spinach). Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be planting a lot of trees.

I’ve also acquired a couple roommates, medical students from England who will be at the hospital in Kolofata for six weeks, who have been great fun so far. We climbed a mountain a few days ago, and as we were walking through the fields back to my house you could look to one side and see a full rainbow between two mountains and then look to the other side and see a beautiful orange sunset over the savannah. It really is an amazing place to live, even when the electricity doesn‘t work.


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