Commitment

As Knowledge for Children, we work with communities. Without parents and other community members, we can’t do our projects. They buy a percentage of the books, but we also need their presence to sensitize them on the importance of education and other relevant topics. Of course, we also work with the teachers in a school (if they don’t use the books we donate, nobody will learn anything from the books). And we work with authorities, traditional rulers, church leaders and the government to make our programs successful.

It is always interesting to see the differences in commitment between schools, villages, local government etc. For example, last year I travelled to donate books in a school and found only one parent. That means we can’t donate books and we take them back to Kumbo. The head teacher said all parents went to the farm, and we should come back on a ‘country Sunday’, the traditional non-farming day. But the day we visited was a country Sunday! So that didn’t work.

Last week my colleagues went to Islamic Primary School Tatum. Here, parents were waiting for them to come (instead of us waiting for parents). They were very committed and even managed to raise the percentage they needed to buy for next year on the spot. That is the kind of commitment we need to see.

During the last weeks we have been training teachers. Some teachers had to travel very far, but came well on time, joined the training, participated well. Others come from very close, show up late and sleep during the workshop. And then I don’t even talk about those teachers who can’t write English (‘Becous I laik child’) or have to teach according to the curriculum but don’t know what the word ‘curriculum’ means.

A similar pattern can be seen at the level of de government. Sometimes Inspectors come and disturb our workshops, or refuse to allow us to train teachers. I noticed that often these Inspectors are the ones looking for transfer. One even said; ‘I am personally really happy that you come and train, but I have to save my neck so I can get a transfer’. That means he is posted in some remote place where he doesn’t want to be, and doesn’t feel any commitment to the schools there.

Most of our teacher training was holding in schools. But in Ndu we needed the Council Hall to train. I arranged with one of the deputy mayors that we could use the hall for free. His colleague still tried to make me pay for it, but in the end we used it for free. So the commitment is at least there with this person. The same goes at the level of the Inspector of Ndu, who came to the workshop and sent a representative for both days. That commitment is very important to us.

It is always a challenge to work with these schools, parents, teachers and officials who are not committed, who are not ready to work with us and who seem to not understand the importance of education. But working with schools like IPS Tatum, or the mayor or inspector of Ndu is just a delight. It is also very motivational for us, we get the feeling that we do it together.

I always tell people that it is not MY child in that school. That the work we do in the school benefits THEIR children, THEIR communities. If a well-educated child can get a good job, he or she can also support the family and even the village much better. I just hope more and more people will understand this, and take the education of their children serious and seriously commit to it. 

New school year

Group Work during Annual General Assembly

The new academic year has started and for us in Knowledge for Children that always means a busy period. We started the new school year in our usual way; with our Annual General Assembly. During this day, we bring all head teachers and PTA presidents from all our schools to Kumbo. We kick off the year together, we inform them about our plans etc. This year it was a bit special as the event marked the start of our ten year anniversary.

After our assembly, the real work can start. Last week we started training all teachers of all our schools. In one month, we aim to train over 700 primary school teachers. It is not always an easy job, the roads are very bad as this is still the rainy season. Many teachers are really behind and it is not easy teaching them to do new things. But we are trying our best and at least a few of them will really learn new things!

Last week, we found out that the highest government official in our area, the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) had given a notice that no meetings were allowed on and even around the 1^st of October. We were not aware so it took some efforts to find out what was happening.

Cameroon is mainly a French speaking country. Only our North West and the neighbouring South West Region are Anglophone. There is a group of people who want to separate these two regions from the rest of Cameroon and want to join Nigeria or want to create their own state. This group of people declared the 1^st of October as their own ‘Southern Cameroon’ day.

Of course, the government is not happy about this, and banned all meetings on the 1^st of October and the days before and after. People who would meet would have been seen as supporters of this separation movement they say.

We found out about this only the day before. So I ended up calling all government officials around, visiting them, asking them for permission to hold our training. Of course the hierarchy is so strong that nobody can do anything without support of someone else.

For us it was quite important to get permission. We informed all schools ahead and many of the schools are not so easy to reach by phone as not every village has good network coverage. So it is difficult to contact them and tell them the training was postponed till November. Also, we train in October to make sure all teachers can use it during the entire new academic year. Postponing till November will make it less effective.

In short, I went through the entire government hierarchy, pleaded with them, begged for permission and explained our own challenges. In the end, we got permission and had a successful workshop. The next few weeks we will finish and train all teachers in all our schools. By November that will be finished and then we will continue with the next steps. Stay tuned!

PS After last blog I discovered a new shop which is my favourite now; ‘Fear Women’ (repairing motorbikes) 

What's in a name?

Today I saw a new workplace opened in my street. The name; God Bless China, motorbike repairer. I always learnt that China has a bit of a complicated relationship with God, but apparently that doesn’t matter. Many shops here have names referring to God, like God is able (selling meat), God Bless Kumbo (fabric) or In God we Trust (a taxi, personally I would prefer the driver to trust his driving skills). In general, names often make me smile. Would you ever buy bread from Pees bakery?

Not only shops, also people can have interesting names. In Nigeria I knew a little girl whose name was Obedience. I think only Patience (what is also very common) would have fitted her less. There was really nothing obedient or patient about her. Or what about Immaculate, mother of two children?

In many names, God is remembered. Common names are Godswin, Godswill, Glory and especially Divine. That leads to funny miscommunications sometimes. I remember someone saying something about a talent of a person; ‘She has a divine gift’. Then people turned to my colleague Divine; what did you do for her to learn that?

Names like Hope, Gift, Promise or Favour are also very common. You also meet people called Sunday (and no, it is not necessary to be born on a Sunday to be called like this). Many of these names can also be used for both boys and girls.

To make life more difficult for someone like me, many people use their African name and also their Christian or Muslim name. So sometimes people refer to someone and I have no clue that it is the same person, as I know him or her by a different name. Sometimes people even have different spelling of their names in their government documents and church documents. How will I ever learn if it is all so complicated?

My own name also still leads to confusion. In the Netherlands people called me Elly, Elsie, Esther or even Angelique. Here I have been called Siesie and (most interesting) Elvis. And also my official name is different. So maybe I just fit in very well with all my names confusion.

But well, what’s in a name?

Grateful

Every now and then, I meet people who tell me how special it is what I am doing… How much they admire me and how amazing it is how I deal with all the issues as no light, no water, no internet etc.

I never really know what to say in these cases. I understand that to some people my life seems exotic and exciting. Or tough and crazy. At the same time, it is also daily business for me. Being without electricity is a normal thing here. We have no other choice than accepting it.

At the same time, I am always aware that this is my choice. I choose to be here. If I want to leave, I can always go. If there is a security issue, or a big health problem, I can always go. My friends don’t have that option. That already makes it easier for me, I know that once I can really not stand it anymore, I have the possibility to leave it behind and go.

But, what many people don’t seem to realize is that I am doing here what I always wanted to do. Of course, it is annoying to be without water or light. But there are so many positive sides of being here. I meet so many inspiring people, so many nice people. I see so many challenges, but also so many successes.

Sometimes I am travelling to a school and I just think; wow, I am REALLY here, I am REALLY doing this. This is REALLY Africa! I am no longer working to save a building, I am now working to support children to create a better future for themselves.

Who am I that I get so many opportunities and get the chance to live my dreams? I am just a girl from a little village in a tiny country. Why am I able to do all of this? I don’t have the illusion that I will save the world. But I am so grateful that my colleagues and I can bring some drops to the ocean and make a change for a few people.

As a little girl from a little village, I can now help new little girls from new little villages. Is that not reason enough to be grateful and accept some days without light or water?

Managers

In Knowledge for Children Cameroon, most of our staff is Cameroonian. We have a management team that consists of me as the Country Director, our Finance Manager and two Program Managers. They are all Cameroonians. Our managers are essential for our organisation; they have a very important role to play in all decisions concerning the organisation.

This seems to be special. Recently there was an intern in our organisation for one day of research. He was asking me how it is to work with African managers, because it is so uncommon. In many (international) organisations, the field work is done by Africans, but the management is in hands of Europeans or Americans.

Some time ago I also spoke with the director or a partner organisation. He was saying that I am so lucky working with Knowledge for Children staff. They are all working so hard and they are all so committed. According to him that is something special.

Our Cameroonian staff is very committed. They work very hard and try their very best to make our organisation better. I am always very happy that they come with suggestions to improve on projects, structures or even small things. We can’t always take every suggestion they do, but we always consider them, and we always try to improve on the problems they identify. And we always explain why we can’t do something, or we discuss and come up with a better solution together.

Sometimes my white face is opening doors that remain closed for them. But without our staff, our work would not progress. They know which doors I have to knock on and how I should knock. And they tell me. And then I can open doors, without them it would be difficult!

Cameroonian directors are normally very hierarchal. Often they have a bell in their office and they ring it when they want to see someone. I am obviously from a very different culture. I don’t expect our staff to come to my office in the morning, bow and say; Good Morning Madam! We chat and have fun together. If there is an event you will see me cleaning chairs. In Knowledge for Children that is very normal, we are a team and we do it together. But often people from outside are shocked to see the director (or even the managers) cleaning chairs, carrying tables or handing out water. ‘

For me, the strength of Knowledge for Children is this team spirit, working together in everything. And the real strength is in our Cameroonian staff, who will sustain all the work for long and who will always look for ways to improve our work. 

Mud, mudder, mudst!

The rainy season in Kumbo has started. It rains almost every day, or night. Because of all the rain, all roads become big muddy slippery puddles. Yesterday I saw a taxi gliding down the hill where I live. I saw the driver tried to brake, but the mud is so slippery that it doesn’t help. (He slipped into the gutter).

The road to Oku during
the dry season... 

Reaching my house can become challenging. Going up is not so difficult. Our car has four-wheel drive so it can make it. I see a lot of cars which get stuck just below my house because it becomes a little steep and they can’t make it. But for me, the real challenge is to go down. It is difficult to control the car, you can’t brake.

Walking is also dangerous. Not so much because of the walking itself, but because of the cars, bikes and trucks that are still trying to come up our down. They can’t control themselves so they might just slip and hit you if you are not careful. Taking a bike is even worse, and taxis can’t make it up.

Right in front of my house is a depot of Brasseries, who distributes drinks. Many big trucks go there. Of course that is not really helping the quality of the road. They made a rain gate now just above my house. That is a gate which they close when it rains so only normal cars can pass, and no trucks. The heavy trucks destroy the roads too much. So hopefully it will be a bit better.

Last year I wanted to visit the village a bit further up hill. We drove up and met a truck stuck in the mud. We couldn’t pass so we turned around and wanted to take the other road. Just below my house, another car was stuck and we couldn’t pass again. Fortunately the car was removed soon so we could still travel.

My colleagues are very skilled drivers on all these roads. Soon schools will re-open and we will have to go everywhere again. We go to remote places and some roads are extremely bad. Sometimes we have to leave the car to see how we can pass a pothole, especially in the rainy season they can be full of water and you can’t see how deep they are. One road going out of Kumbo had a real swimming pool! But thanks to the cardinal’s mum (see previous blogpost) it is a bit better now.

The rain brings many challenges, but the dry season brings dust. Also a challenge! In general, roads over here are just a challenge and I still try to learn how to master them!

View from my office

Closing and repairing roads

When I came back in Kumbo, it turned out that the road up to my house has been worked on a bit. The mother of the Cardinal died and the funeral passed my road. People say; thank God the mother died, now our road is passable again. Isn’t it sad?

Some time ago I was in the capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé. I had a meeting at the other side of town. Somewhere halfway we got stuck. The President of Cameroon was expected back from the airport and then the roads are all blocked. I called the person I was supposed to meet who only said; ‘O, yes, just call me when you get close by’.

My colleague, with who I was in the car, was very happy because after 15 minutes the President really passed and we could still have our meeting. It seems that sometimes they close the roads around 11AM and the President only passes by 4PM. Or later… I also hear stories of people who are kept in the airplane at the airport for hours because the First Lady is coming back.

A few days ago I came back from the Netherlands, flying into Yaoundé. The road from the airport to the town was repaired. My friends then told me that President Hollande from France was coming to Cameroon, so the road has been repaired. On TV we saw people wiping the roads, painting the white lines, banners were put up all over town. Hollande was expected by 4PM, but the members of the political party of the Cameroonian President were supposed to be ready to receive him along the airport road by noon. Roads all over town would be closed down. I was lucky I didn’t arrive that day as the airport was most likely closed all day.

For people in Yaoundé, it is a normal situation that roads are closed if the President is expected to arrive or leave. For me as a Dutch it is an amazing thing that roads are closed for hours only because one person is supposed to pass.

PS Ngashie as drawn by a pupil

By the way, these road repairs and all security cost a lot of money. If you like to support a better cause in Cameroon, check our crowdfunding page here and help Knowledge for Children to donate books to PS Ngashie!