Week 2: Meeting Partners and Stakeholders

Day 9: Tuesday 21st October 2008
Farmer’s Breakfast
Catherine has arranged for us to meet the previous Prime Minister of Cameroon, who lives near Santa. We are invited to his farm for breakfast, so it is another early start, and involves a drive over rough roads to a hilltop location with stunning views. We are lucky that we are in Cameroon at the end of the wet season and before the hot dry season starts in the North West region, where we are based, and the countryside is lush and green.
Since crossing the border from the Western Province to the North-West we are no longer in a French-speaking area, and here the main language is English, although each village has its own local language, and the common language is a pidgin.
Pa Achu shows us over his farm, and describes his methods of production, and then we are privileged to share a brunch feast, involving some of his own produce.

Day 10: Wednesday 22nd October 2008
Rural Women’s Day Celebration 2008, Baligham, Santa District, North West Province
I am invited by Catherine to accompany her to the Rural Women’s Day celebration in Baligham. I am told the roads are bad so we are invited to accompany the Mayor of Santa (our boss) with his driver. It is a rough ride, and a tight squeeze, but well worth it as the day was well organised (started a little late !) and gave me a great insight into the work that is being done here with local community groups, especially the women’s groups. There were performances by groups demonstrating their awareness of the theme of Climate Change, and the importance of the role of rural women in tackling it. 11 marriages were also performed by Mayor Atanga at the end of the day; the theme of men and women working in partnership was also reiterated throughout the day, as here most of the farmers are women, and they can end up doing all the work on the small farms as well as the childcare and cooking and housework.
Too much to describe in detail – hopefully I will be able to put up some pictures.
A long day – out from 7:30 am and home 7:30 pm, exhausted but very happy with what I have seen, learned and experienced today. The internet was on briefly in the Baptist Centre, where I am staying, tonight, so hopefully tomorrow I will be able to get this onto the Blog!
By the way – thanks Mark for texting me to let me know that the BRG Group won the Echo Young Community Champions Award yesterday!! Great news – well done to all concerned!