March 21, 2011

I am pleased to announce that I am now a certified mushroom farmer! I have earned my certification after participating in a three day workshop. The time was spent learning about all the advantages of mushrooms ( I never knew they were so healthy), mixing various substrates and supplements and bagging dozens of starters. My favorite substrate is plaintain leaves but they only last three weeks before there is no nutrition left. Corn husks ground up and mixed with other stuff lasts three months and the big winner is sawdust mixed with ground corn ( we happen to have a corn grinding machine as one of our projects).

Women came from all over the region to attend this workshop. This is a small business that can be done with little space and stress. Our organization is always looking for income generating activities that women who are infected with HIV can do. Many of them are overworked and stressed- which of course makes the HIV symptoms worse. We have enough starter bags now to harvest a good crop of
mushroom s soon. I will be the first customer!

I was also successful at accessing a small grant through VSO to pay for this project. VSO has capacity building and empowering beneficiaries ( people living with HIV/AIDS) as a part of their objectives so anything that fits under those criteria is considered. They are interested in reducing stigma and promoting the involvement of beneficiaries in programming and planning. Our organization meets all these objectives and some so VSO is quite pleased to be partnering with them

Regarding my social life........Spent two nights in Babungo with my friend who lives in the place that most people would pay big bucks to vacation at. (there is great potential for tourism in this region because of the hiking and scenery but the infrastructure is so poor that most tourists couldn't take it). We packed in two 3 hour hikes, a visit to the tea plantation and a ceremonial dance at the local Fon's palace.

The tea plantation is owned by one of the richest men in Cameroon. He owns 3000 hectares of hilly land covered in tea. It is one of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen. We toured the place from the nursery to the mature plants. Saw the production from drying, steaming, mincing, bagging and packaging. Then we toured his grounds. He has his own mosque, a peacock acreage, horses, ostriches and a prize winning major bull. He also has 2000 people working for him that live in slums on the property....... The trip was 10 kms. Up a BAD road on motorcycles. We had to walk up a few hills because they were too steep. Why I am not loosing weight is a mystery!

We were fortunate to attend the start of the planting season celebration. It was the first dance complete with naked chested dancers ( all male), the Fon in masks and robes, men with leopard skins, pots an d branches on their heads, and other witch doctor types who pointed spears at you until you threw them some money. I did because I want my luck to hold here!! the volunteer who has been here on and off for 8 years was dressed in ceremonial dress because she has been appointed the Fon's honorary mother. She got us into this shin dig as well as the tea plantation ( it was closed but they opened it for us).

Saturday evening we had a bonfire and some of the staff at the clinic made dinner for us all. Kids, staff and volunteers. I made my first banana cake in my oven ( pot with sand) which was a success with the volunteers. We sang a little, the Cameroonians drummed and sang and I went to bed to the beat of drums and kids dancing.It was the biggest full moon in 20 years apparently- it's neat to know we are all under the same one.

Other than this, I facilitated my first workshop with another volunteer and two colleagues. It went over well- people here like role plays ( can you believe it!) even in front of the whole crowd. They also love clapping for achievements which we did many times through the workshop. I felt proud that we started and finished on time!

Work is starting to pick up a little which is great. I am writing reports, updating VSO and working with some staff on skills and Pidgin lessons.

Spring is coming, seeds are getting organized and the wild flowers are beginning to poke out in the mountains.

Hello to all until next time.