had on Friday morning at eight clock I started my work at the Family Life Office in Kumbo. First of all I was, through statements and information presented to the program, which is actually Family Life. Among other things, takes care of the Family Life Team to single parents / mothers, AIDS patients, poor families, drug addicts. But most of all advisory and educational work among concerning family planning , pregnancy, etc. All the tag . This is is an absolute taboo in a country where topics like sex, very important and meaningful. Since this is a Catholic disabi ichtung is, of course, the Christian and some very conservative views about abortion, for example, are represented.
A project such as single parents will be helped, I wish to highlight. You have the ability to form communities of 30 members, which is a capital of 300,000 francs (460 euros) provided. With this em money, members can jointly build small businesses. For example, operate a farm and sell produce products such as palm oil. The prize will be shared at the end of the month among members.
It is possible that the M embers get redit of the available TRAINING money supplied a K (smaller amounts 500-5000 Francs ), which are, however, paid back in three months back has an interest of 25 francs per 1,000 francs. This will serve to ensure that no frivolous money borrowed en w ith . Each member is daz u stopped by the profits made monthly to establish reserves. In certain cases, such as illness, members can draw on this money and pay a visit to the doctor. Overall, the capital of the community grow, so it is also possible evaded bigger loans and purchases.
Each community determines one or two "leaders" who are trained for six months from the Family Life Office. After that they are responsible for the Community and the management of funds. Every month they must on T ä ACTIVITIES and financial Bewegu nts submit a report. The Community is therefore responsible for themselves and autonomous in their decisions. The staff of the Family Life teams have only a supportive or supervisory role.
at the Family Life Office in Kumbo are there are nine employees. It's kind of the main office in the diocese and, therefore, for the coordination bz w. Training of volunteers in charge. In the communities of the work that is mainly run by members of the community volunteers.
On Saturday it goes together with the Director of the Family Life Office and a staff member early r orf at seven clock of Kumbo from going into a D called Djottin.
There will a meeting of the Family Life staff to place employees in the communities Djottin. I'll start with the one way to, for, as I may have mentioned before: It is the rainy season. Major thoroughfares such as from Bamenda to Ku mbo are still passable, but once it goes into remote villages, one wishes for a German field w eg. D aBEI we had one of the best off-road vehicle, the Kumbo to has to offer. The road is made of red clay soil with huge potholes and ruts extended. Since it was raining in the morning, it was of course very slippery. But thanks to the all-wheel drive of the car and the talent of our driver, we made good progress.
We once got stuck s! But since this place the locals already known, were immediately free up a few men there to meet again (goes against a small a tip of course). The road is bad even for Cameroonian relations. was finally decided to just go to Djottin in the dry season.
The scenery is beautiful! Beso nd first, if g shortly after Sunrise, the sun rays pass through the mist on the leaves of banana trees. The area is very mountainous. Every few hours unde r t m plunge waterfalls in green palm groves . The region is not very densely populated, but can still be seen on the right and left BEITEN many busy women on the plantations ar . Djottin is slightly lower than Kumbo and so it is warmer. Bananas grow very well here. So we meander through the green banana plantations imme r closer towards our goal.
come at half past nine we in D to jottin. Except us, of course, no one there (The Meeting should have started at eight clock). But therefore we have character t we talk to the pastor of Djottin. One notices immediately that the living standard of people is lower here than in Kumbo.
At the very beginning I noticed that in front of a house a large crowd is waiting. What is meant to me in an interview with the director of the Family Life Office clear: It is the center of a ame Rican N GO (non-governmental aid organization). This organization has a project "Food for Children". Families with children can si ch there free once a week pick up rice. As far as quite logical: The poor children get to eat there.
But the other side and the Miss organization is that the rice comes from America. The rice is purchased in America and shipped to several million for Djottin.
is The controversy: in Cameroon, particularly in the north-west every conceivable type of food growing: From potatoes to bananas to rice! The rice fields are located less than 50 miles from Djottin and d we ennoch d spread of American rice. In the north-west Cameroon, there is no Lebensm ittelmangel. On the contrary, can the farmers of the region no longer sell their own rice Fen, because the competitors z to American rice is too large. Den's so vain.
The Family Life Office and the diocese also take care of farmers who are too poor to pay their children school fees.
You have to ask whether development aid, as it is called by us, really in this form has a positive effect, or the domestic markets are ruined?
At half past nine, we can finally start (though I still n t are all there). Most of those present are volunteers from surrounding communities to speak about their work in recent months. In this way I can get a good en egg get nblick in di e-going activities. It is reported, for which and how many children the school fees were paid (in a church for 250 children of !), What problems there are in detail, for example with AIDS patients. There is a program that allows AIDS octopus to come together in communities, but especially to bring them closer to a life with AIDS is not hopeless and pointless. An important factor in all is to pray. That can be present in Germany did not, but common prayer n, singing, Bible sharing is very important. Religion helps people new strength and H to draw opening.
It's impressive run with as much passion all their activities . After each report providing feedback, discuss problems and suggestions made. Thus, the meeting was very interesting and varied, although the African English was understood by some to severe . Much of the money spent to Fananzierung of the projects was derived from the diocese of Limburg.
Then I must still tell of Food: During the meeting, it was peanuts, that is, fresh peanuts. There is in Cameroon on every corner and in every house to buy. So I think, who knows when to back something to eat , the Cameroonian chew vigorously, so long I sometimes sharply. It tastes finally good (very differently than dried peanuts).
But we are in Cameroon. After the meeting there once something to eat. Either the portions outside Kumbos bigger or you will can not be said s that someone goes hungry. It There Fufu-Corn-and Njama Njama that for the region to Kumbo typical dish. Fufu is made from corn flour only (no spices), which is cooked over an open fire with water to a pulp. The whole thing is portioned into plastic bags, where it sticks together to a very large lump.
Njama-Njama is a spinach-like, slightly bitter leaf vegetable. Gege will need by rolling in the right hand a piece of fufu-dumpling into a small ball and plugged with a bit Njama-Njama in the mouth. It tastes good and is above all very, very filling. You have to train his stomach probably only to those amounts hineinzubekommen Fufu. I have done as the last to eat my fufu-dumpling (although I got the first).
Njama-Njama in the field and the finished dish
After looking at the last chunk Fufu was purely forced, there is still something to drink, of course, Export 33 ". This is absolutely the Cameroonian beer, it tastes very good. However, it is the only beer in 0.65 Literf lax . I must pump into words in my already overloaded stomach still 0.65 liter of beer. The Cameroonians have but understanding and waiting for me. Irge would ndwann made me become a real Cameroonians.
The return journey is as interesting as the outward journey. Time and again we stop and buy bananas, cabbage, Njama-Njama. Everything you need is a lot cheaper than in Ku mbo directly. For example, you pay in Kumbo for about 16 bananas 300 francs (50 cents), here I bought it for only 50 francs (9 cents).
the mountains and one of the countless waterfalls
the road out of the car photographed
On Monday, the 23rd August, we are in a kind of vocational school for seamstresses. There are currently 28 girls trained in sewing and clothes design. Along with Stephen from the Family Life Office I go there, where we hold two hours, a talk on HIV / Adis. Starting with what is HIV, what is the disease, how to become infected, how to protect themselves before this, what an AIDS test and then how to behave towards people with AIDS.
And I am very surprised at how objectively the topics. It is not the Catholic doctrine in the foreground. And so will the condom by Stephen as a means of AIDS prevention to be led. But on the other hand, it illuminates critical the problem: Because of the already poor quality of condoms in Africa, which is stored at high temperatures and UV rays even worse, can the condom by no means a safe birth control, let alone as a protection against AIDS infection are spoken. The only effective way is to protect themselves from AIDS so no sex. The girls are very interested and ask many questions. Overall, the event is very successful.
education about AIDS is important because there is much misconception about what is AIDS, because too little is being discussed openly.
The AIDS rate is estimated to be at least 32%!
The problem is particularly Kumbo very large, as is one of the best hospitals in West Africa here. Therefore, many patients every day come not only from Cameroon, and of course AIDS patients. Through prostitution, the virus spreads very fast. Prostitution is often the only Way to come for quite destitute of money yu. In the Family Life Office, they say that there is in almost every family an HIV-infected individuals. Every second death was probably the cause of AIDS. If one or both parents die now or ill to work, the children can not be properly taken care of, let alone go to school. There are a lot of single mothers and orphans. AIDS is thus a major cause of poverty.
The staff at the Family Life Office are really powerless, because what they can do other than educate about AIDS and to care for the families of the victims of AIDS?
If drugs did, they could not pay. If anyone here from a family with an average income of 70,000 francs (100 €) per month is seriously ill, you can decide if you go to the doctor or continue to feed the family with ten children. Most die so without even having seen a doctor.
Last Sunday a "memorial mass", a memorial service was at our church. A woman has lost within the last two years, her husband and their three children. talked about what she died, was not. In public, you do not want to talk about the ever-present danger.
I was asked, "Why has God sent AIDS to Africans?" - This issue resonates with the small addition: "and not the Europeans" - the answer is unknowable because it would be the answer to the injustice in the world.
at the Family Life Office, I'm going to work the next week until 6 September the school starts. Then I will teach at St. Augustine's College, Mathematics and German, but still be able to help with activities at the Family Life Team.
Regards Maximilian
