Success in Doumbouo!
There are certain moments in my life that I will never forget. Last week I traveled to the village of Doumbouo to check on Lindsay's projects. This day became one of those select days, a defined moment in time. The pictures catalogued on our website show the exact projects I will discuss below.
After a thirty-minute moto ride along a dirt road past a small beautiful lake and lush green forests, I arrived at l'École Publique de Doumbouo. There, teachers, the principal, and different administrators greeted me. I took a tour through the classrooms filled with students eager to see the person "who claims to know the famous Lindsay Clarke". Students sang welcoming songs and clapped after my introduction. One girl around 11 years old stared at me with tears and told the teachers she could not stand the thought of Lindsay being gone. To state that Lindsay is missed in the community is an understatement. Lindsay transformed the lives of these students and teachers; she taught them that if they want change, by working together and setting high goals, it is possible.
This experience struck me in two ways. My first thought was: Wow. I am so proud to represent Breaking Ground and to work for Lindsay. Not only has she been successful in implementing the theories of Breaking Ground's concept of development, she has formed a relationship that will forever be cherished. My second thought was that a high bar has been set and I am excited to work as hard as I can, in my own manner, to be a success as well.
The elementary school was the first stop on my tour. Each classroom had remarkable floors that were clean and well kept. The murals looked beautiful and gave vitality to the classrooms. The principal explained that last year they only had two students fail the exams to enter high school, a remarkable rate considering Cameroon failure rates are typically around 20-30 percent. There were more classrooms with partially cemented walls, which showed further work will be done and that small goals have been set.
The library was the next stop on the tour. I was nervous about the library. Library projects can be risky as there is a lot of upkeep. I entered the library and held back tears of joy. In the first room, a slogan on the wall reads something to the extent of "Be quiet! People are reading!” The room had no less than fifteen students seated at large tables reading.
I continued to investigate and walked into the room holding both French and English texts. Not only was the Dewey Decimal system applied to every book, there were cards filled out by students who checked out books, catalogue books showing the order of books, and, to my surprise, a computer. Both librarians were there working. The library is a success! The leaders of Doumbouo kept saying, "she's emotional, look at her, she's so happy!" They all smiled and shook my hand over and over.
The last project I asked about was the water pump. The pump at that moment was locked, but the teachers emphatically stated that it is used every other day. I will do further research on the payment of water and use of the pump, however after a day of such success and joy I was not going to get upset over the pump. I am looking into other methods of water storage that may be applied to the pump in the future.
The last part of my day consisted of sharing beer and eating lunch in celebration with the teachers and local leaders. This was followed by a meeting with a local dignitary. A common thread between expats in Cameroon is that we never really know what will happen during the course of the day. You can have a general plan. Mine was to go to Doumbouo and tour Breaking Ground's projects. Where it lead from there was lunch, a drink, and then meeting local dignitaries. I waited outside a building for thirty minutes and met someone who could be compared to a Congressman in the US. Why? One, because of Lindsay's success and my working with her. Two, because I'm American. This I do not always understand, but it gets you somewhere. I was then invited to multiple homes for dinner, but insisted that I travel back to Bafoussam before nightfall.
I could not ask any more from the people of Doumbouo. I went to check on projects, but left feeling like a welcomed member of the community. I am going back to Dschang today and will check on the well in the quartier of Tsinkop, where Lindsay lived with her host family. Thursday I leave for Yaoundé and, hopefully, by Saturday I will be on the train heading to Ngaoundéré. My journey is about to begin! Hopefully the water will come back on so I can shower before it does.
Cheers,
Sarah
After a thirty-minute moto ride along a dirt road past a small beautiful lake and lush green forests, I arrived at l'École Publique de Doumbouo. There, teachers, the principal, and different administrators greeted me. I took a tour through the classrooms filled with students eager to see the person "who claims to know the famous Lindsay Clarke". Students sang welcoming songs and clapped after my introduction. One girl around 11 years old stared at me with tears and told the teachers she could not stand the thought of Lindsay being gone. To state that Lindsay is missed in the community is an understatement. Lindsay transformed the lives of these students and teachers; she taught them that if they want change, by working together and setting high goals, it is possible.
This experience struck me in two ways. My first thought was: Wow. I am so proud to represent Breaking Ground and to work for Lindsay. Not only has she been successful in implementing the theories of Breaking Ground's concept of development, she has formed a relationship that will forever be cherished. My second thought was that a high bar has been set and I am excited to work as hard as I can, in my own manner, to be a success as well.
The elementary school was the first stop on my tour. Each classroom had remarkable floors that were clean and well kept. The murals looked beautiful and gave vitality to the classrooms. The principal explained that last year they only had two students fail the exams to enter high school, a remarkable rate considering Cameroon failure rates are typically around 20-30 percent. There were more classrooms with partially cemented walls, which showed further work will be done and that small goals have been set.
The library was the next stop on the tour. I was nervous about the library. Library projects can be risky as there is a lot of upkeep. I entered the library and held back tears of joy. In the first room, a slogan on the wall reads something to the extent of "Be quiet! People are reading!” The room had no less than fifteen students seated at large tables reading.
I continued to investigate and walked into the room holding both French and English texts. Not only was the Dewey Decimal system applied to every book, there were cards filled out by students who checked out books, catalogue books showing the order of books, and, to my surprise, a computer. Both librarians were there working. The library is a success! The leaders of Doumbouo kept saying, "she's emotional, look at her, she's so happy!" They all smiled and shook my hand over and over.
The last project I asked about was the water pump. The pump at that moment was locked, but the teachers emphatically stated that it is used every other day. I will do further research on the payment of water and use of the pump, however after a day of such success and joy I was not going to get upset over the pump. I am looking into other methods of water storage that may be applied to the pump in the future.
The last part of my day consisted of sharing beer and eating lunch in celebration with the teachers and local leaders. This was followed by a meeting with a local dignitary. A common thread between expats in Cameroon is that we never really know what will happen during the course of the day. You can have a general plan. Mine was to go to Doumbouo and tour Breaking Ground's projects. Where it lead from there was lunch, a drink, and then meeting local dignitaries. I waited outside a building for thirty minutes and met someone who could be compared to a Congressman in the US. Why? One, because of Lindsay's success and my working with her. Two, because I'm American. This I do not always understand, but it gets you somewhere. I was then invited to multiple homes for dinner, but insisted that I travel back to Bafoussam before nightfall.
I could not ask any more from the people of Doumbouo. I went to check on projects, but left feeling like a welcomed member of the community. I am going back to Dschang today and will check on the well in the quartier of Tsinkop, where Lindsay lived with her host family. Thursday I leave for Yaoundé and, hopefully, by Saturday I will be on the train heading to Ngaoundéré. My journey is about to begin! Hopefully the water will come back on so I can shower before it does.
Cheers,
Sarah
posted by Sarah @ 12:17 AM
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