Justin Carnahan (Nov/Dec 2009)

First Impressions
If you would have asked my opinion on visiting Cameroon during my first two days in the country my response would have been overwhelmingly negative. Before coming to West Africa I had never traveled outside my own country and that definitely added to the culture shock. When I touched down in Douala I was greeted by a mob of people and was lost in the chaos. Upon finding Joshua all my anxieties were relieved by his welcoming personality and friendliness.

We immediately went to the hired driver and took off to the hotel. My first impressions of Douala were bewildering, because it seemed like a completely lawless area (no traffic markers, police officers, or any sense of order). The next day we took off to Belo by bus, which was a great way to see more of Cameroon and get a better idea of the surrounding area. We arrived in Belo at nighttime, so I was not really able to take in the atmosphere the first night.

Up until the next morning I still was in a negative mood regarding my decision to come volunteer in Africa. But then something really changed my perspective for the better and that was the people of Belo.

Living in Belo
One thing that will really stick with you if you decide to come to Cameroon is the hospitality of the residents of Belo. Whether rich or extremely poor they are always welcoming and eager to help you when in need. You will find that you say ‘hello’ upwards of 40 times a day. The kids especially are enthusiastic about greetings, sometimes saying hi 10 times in succession, as if you couldn’t hear them the first time. One thing that took a little time to get used to was people staring at me. I am white and at first took it to be rude for everyone blatantly watching my every move. But I soon realized that there was no negative intention behind it, rather an interest on their part. People with light skin are very rare and if you lived your whole life and only saw a couple of white people I am sure that you would stare too.

I only lived here a month and made several friends even in that short of time. Most people are very happy that you are volunteering in Belo and try to make you their friend immediately. Because of that it is near impossible to feel alone, lost, etc. during your stay in the town. The cost of living is very inexpensive here and the food is simple, but quite good. If you need anything out of the ordinary the city of Bamenda is a short cab ride away. I lived in the volunteer house during my stay and that was very enjoyable. The house help at the time, Victorine, was especially friendly and not to mention a great cook. Other than that you will find that there is plenty of hiking and other tourist attractions nearby to keep you busy on the weekends. It really is a beautiful country.

What I did for RUDEC
Regrettably I had to cut my trip short due to financial reasons at home, but I am honored to have spent my time helping to develop RUDEC. I was a business major in school and I came to the organization to evaluate their financial reporting system and work on obtaining grants and donations. I spent most of my time developing the preceding and current year’s annual reports. This took some time to compile all the necessary information, because the accounting systems were less than desirable in years past. If you are coming to volunteer at RUDEC and want to raise funds, then I strongly encourage you to try and do it at home. While the electricity is quite good, the internet can be sketchy. It just makes more sense to research and send correspondence from home, especially if you have broadband internet. Other than the financial reports I helped with some of the orphan visits, which were really eye opening. The last thing that I did was help with the After-School Program. That was a very rewarding aspect of my time volunteering for RUDEC. The school system is not very good here, and by tutoring kids in smaller groups, really helps them to learn the material better.

Thoughts on RUDEC
The main problem RUDEC is facing at this point is a lack of funding. While it is admirable that so many past volunteers continue to support the organization, it is not very sustainable. RUDEC is no danger of failing, due to Joshua’s drive in the organization and plenty of volunteers, but it needs to find ways to grow. The orphan project is the biggest program and uses most of the funds accordingly. While it is not an option to drop so many orphans that depend on the organization, another income-generator besides volunteer donations is needed. Grants are always a positive, but proposed projects such as the pig project or canning project need to come to fruition. Once up and running they can provide a sustainable income that will allow RUDEC to budget more effectively and give Joshua and Martin well-deserved raises. If some of the projects can get off the ground then the only way is up for RUDEC. Just in the short time I was here big changes were implemented in the accounting system. This increased transparency has made it easier to manage the organization and is the first step towards a more sustainable system. In my opinion, RUDEC has all the information and determination needed to succeed, but just needs to take that next step. If you ever think about volunteering in Africa, I would highly recommend RUDEC. Just make sure that you have a set objective in mind before you come and it will work out better for both parties.