21 fevrier 2012
525 600 minutes, how do you measure, measure a year?
A year ago, February 21, 2011, I arrived in my village. I think this calls for some reflecting. First of all, it does not seem like a year. It seems like a minute, like one blink, like one fast-falling sunset. How have 365 days already gone by? Have I let them slip by this quickly? I have been soaking them up as best as I could and appreciating the small things and every moment, but still, as the old saying goes, time flies....when you're having fun....or not looking at the clock.....or living the dream.
Upon further reflection, I think it took me a while to get into "the groove" of my life and work here. When I arrived in Cameroon, I underwent a three-day training in the capital of Yaounde followed by a week and a half in Ngaoundere to buy things for my house and get myself situated to open my post. I would say that I was a bit more than disoriented.
But, little by little, I got my feet wet. I relearned French. I started learning Fulfulde and Dii. I started teaching English. And somewhere towards the end of the summer, I determined that I wanted to focus my work on HIV/AIDS Prevention. Now, I am "en plein travail", or full into the work, of HIV/AIDS campaigns. Thus far with my peer-educators, we have successfully taught in nine villages surrounding us. We have two villages left to teach and will conduct an counseling/HIV prevention training for the teachers of the high school.
I am proud of the work and what the peer educators and I have been able to achieve. More than that, though, I have been proud of how I have matured along this journey. I walked into this village a year ago, knowing nothing, nowhere or no one (Cameroonians or other volunteers) and now ..... I feel good about where I am. I know nearly everyone in my village, and consider myself family with the house right next to me. I have made friendships with other volunteers that I know will last forever. What more, I can make my way around and am confident about my language and what I am doing. I am also proud and honored to call my village home. For my friends in village, it cannot be easy to welcome a complete stranger into your town. There will always be cultural differences where we will never see eye-to-eye, but I am honored that they invited me here and have welcomed me into their homes and their lives.
Resolutions for this next year (or really ten months until my close of service): continue to live and breath and be happy. Continue to work on the languages. Continue to teach, whether that means HIV sensibilisations or English at the high school. And most importantly, continue to learn....about the people and culture in my village and about myself.
525 600 minutes, how do you measure, measure a year?
A year ago, February 21, 2011, I arrived in my village. I think this calls for some reflecting. First of all, it does not seem like a year. It seems like a minute, like one blink, like one fast-falling sunset. How have 365 days already gone by? Have I let them slip by this quickly? I have been soaking them up as best as I could and appreciating the small things and every moment, but still, as the old saying goes, time flies....when you're having fun....or not looking at the clock.....or living the dream.
Upon further reflection, I think it took me a while to get into "the groove" of my life and work here. When I arrived in Cameroon, I underwent a three-day training in the capital of Yaounde followed by a week and a half in Ngaoundere to buy things for my house and get myself situated to open my post. I would say that I was a bit more than disoriented.
But, little by little, I got my feet wet. I relearned French. I started learning Fulfulde and Dii. I started teaching English. And somewhere towards the end of the summer, I determined that I wanted to focus my work on HIV/AIDS Prevention. Now, I am "en plein travail", or full into the work, of HIV/AIDS campaigns. Thus far with my peer-educators, we have successfully taught in nine villages surrounding us. We have two villages left to teach and will conduct an counseling/HIV prevention training for the teachers of the high school.
I am proud of the work and what the peer educators and I have been able to achieve. More than that, though, I have been proud of how I have matured along this journey. I walked into this village a year ago, knowing nothing, nowhere or no one (Cameroonians or other volunteers) and now ..... I feel good about where I am. I know nearly everyone in my village, and consider myself family with the house right next to me. I have made friendships with other volunteers that I know will last forever. What more, I can make my way around and am confident about my language and what I am doing. I am also proud and honored to call my village home. For my friends in village, it cannot be easy to welcome a complete stranger into your town. There will always be cultural differences where we will never see eye-to-eye, but I am honored that they invited me here and have welcomed me into their homes and their lives.
Resolutions for this next year (or really ten months until my close of service): continue to live and breath and be happy. Continue to work on the languages. Continue to teach, whether that means HIV sensibilisations or English at the high school. And most importantly, continue to learn....about the people and culture in my village and about myself.
Amazed by the growth and strength I see in you as I read your blog! You go girl!
ReplyDeleteAlison, congrats on a year at site! I can't believe it's been over a year since we went skipping around Morocco! Miss you so much, hope to see you soon-ish/sometime! All my love.
ReplyDelete