Funeral ritual

It was a special feast day in the Netherlands today. After more than 130 years a king would be crowned- Koning Willem Alexander. We dressed in the appropriate colour - Orange, our attempt to unify us with the home front. We were kept informed of some of the festivities via CNN.

Hier in Bamenda we too were privileged to attend a special celebration. We were invited to attend the funeral of the mother of the Fon ( elected village head) of Bamenda Kwe. Kwe is a fondom ( village) north of Bamenda.

Due to our intense contact with Mr Tangy, the head of the fondom- like our mayor, and also because that is where our water project was realised- our whole contingent was invited to participate in this ritual.

Ritual dance at the funeral in Bamenda Kwe

This was a celebrational funeral. Due to the position of the family many dignitaries were in attendance. Many of these high positioned visitors were from the surrounding villages. Dance groups from these other villages also took part in the ceremony. To honour the deceased and their family - many dances were performed as a mark of respect.

Dance groups from various villages attended the funeral.

After we greeted the Fon ( elected village head) we were requested to take our places on the front row- as honoured guests. The respect we held for each other was mutual. Quite special to have such ties. It was alos permissible to take photos during the ceremony. Funnily enough we were also subject of curiosity. If memory serves me, we were also photographed at least 50 times.

After a 4 hour session of dance and other rituals we left the gathering. One last applause and bow to the village head ( Fon) and we returned to our vehicle and back to our lodgings.


On our return journey we discussed the uniqueness of this experience which none of us would have wanted to miss.

Corn project

- A new initiative - corn fields!

Today we also met 5 women who have started a new project. All 5 are widowed and need to earn money to take care of their families. The rented a piece of land, cleared it and prepared it for planting. A crop of corn has been sowed. According to the photos we were shown, the project is off to a good start.

What a great initiative from these women.

We will  be visiting this project shortly. More to follow as we keep you informed!

School visit

Monday gets onto a good start with a delicious breakfast consisting of French toast with syrup. Today we start with visits to some of the various projects we support in this region. All the appointments have been made so we all know what our programme is for the day. The school visit has been planned for in the afternoon, with special focus on the orphanage.

Four of us share a taxi to school. It is a sharp contrast to our ' luxurious! bus'  journey from the day before. After a few sharp, hair raising bends- one adjusts. The taxi is no bigger and we all fit comfortably. One feels safe going round the corners.

After 20 minutes we arrive at our destination. A warm greeting with hugs and handshakes. There is a meeting with the principal in his office and a photo session. Everyone is in form and it is a lighthearted and festive occasion. There are photos of the carers and their children. Some pose ' a la natural - others take on a more ' model'  pose.  
It is wonderful to see that the children who remember me from my previous visit shyly greet or wave to me in recognition. Even the carers are shy and slightly reserved. We are abundantly embraced.

Our trip to Bamenda in Cameroun

Finally we are packed and ready for our journey to Bamenda.

At 6:30 we leave Dordrecht and head to Brussel Airport. Here we meet up and spread our luggage amongst ourselves, some having more than others. Yes, we had more than we were allocated. After explaining our mission and the staff having discussed with others, we were allowed to proceed - at NO EXTRA COST, thank you staff at Brussel Air. We appreciate your cooperation enormously.

After a uneventful yet pleasant flight we arrive at our destination where it is extremely warm. We need to make quite an adjustment as we experience a temperature difference from 5 degrees at leaving Brussels in the morning- to 30 degrees on arrival in Douana.

After a short wait our suitcases appear on the bagage carousel. We collect them and proceed to the awaiting ini bus. It's not what you know, but who you know - via a friend from a friend who knows a friend, we were able to load our luggage at the door instead of having to drag everything down flights of stairs. We certainly avoided a lot of stress and were once again grateful for small mercies.

After pushing, shoving and flexing our muscles all was loaded and we were off to our first stopover for a good nights rest.

Everything was unloaded and stored in a room. We all managed to find our overnight bags, exchange thoughts, enjoy some food and refreshments and off to bed we went.

The next morning we were up at the crack of dawn- needing time to reach our end destination, Bamenda. So after an enjoyable, sturdy breakfast we proceeded on our way. While trying to reload the bus we are all agreed, we cannot take all the luggage with us so some was transferred to the local travelling centre to be transported by bus. After having done that we are raring to go.

For those first timers travelling with us, it's all new. The sights and experiences are both colourful and impressive. Gives much food for discussion. For those of us returning the sights are familiar yet still as intriguing.

As it is Sunday we are confronted with a rainbow of colours as  people are either going to or coming from church, dressed in their colourful outfits. A beautiful sight. After a stop for lunch and a bumpy 7 hour trip we finally reach our destination. Ah, the relief - a toilet at last!

We sort out our rooms and freshen up. Time for a meet and greet! The journey has taken it's toll- over dinner we share notes and experiences and then it is time for bed.

Good night all and till next time! Joke and crew!

Co-ordination skills

For the children who are physically challenged we are able to provide these wonderful toys and activity supplies to help children in a fun way strengthen for example their hand - eye coordination.

Not only are these items attractive they serve a very important purpose so that the teachers and parents have supplies to work with. The Foundation is Renske extremely grateful for this generous gift. We are also very pleased with the English translation and instructions provided by Renske. A very BIG thank you, Renske!

Preparations well underway

Easter has come and gone. It is now time for the more serious preparations for our impending trip to get underway. The first suitcase with clothing is jam packed and almost exceeds it's maximum weight. I am also able to take with me some school supplies such as pens and pencils and of course the donated laptops. For the Health Centre in Guzang we have some supplies for their laboratory- with thanks to my ex-colleagues there.

Our contacts in Bamenda are  are anxiously awaiting our arrival. Everyone seems very excited if the emails and messages are anything to go by. The malaria pills have been acquired and the necessary injections inflicted. Roll on April the 27th.

In the group of 10 travelers are Board Members from 3 different Foundations. We will be sharing experiences, ideas and problem solving issues. It is great to have each others support as there are always unknown or unexpected hurdles to conquer. We will have an opportunity to take a peek at various projects and meet the people involved.

Whilst we aren't anticipating major problems it is a comfort to know we are all working towards the same goals and intend to enjoy our time away by combining 'work'  with pleasure.