Safety

Hey all,

Things here in Africa are starting to pick up a bit. Travel is in my future.

This last week I spent in Maroua at a seminar for Behavior Change Communication. It was week spent in a hotel, (with running warm water and a pool!!!!) learning about techniques to analyze and help facilitate change in behavior. It was a great learning experience and a wonderful time. About 15 other volunteers were there, all from the Extreme North and we had a good time getting to know each other in addition to learning. The week culminated in the hotel’s nightclub opening just for us on Saturday where we had an amazing night, Peace Corps style. That means so much dancing. We gave the DJ a USB key with US music and danced the night away. The dance floor was surrounded by mirrors, which provided us with hours of entertainment. Cameroonians do this thing we call “mirror dancing”. They do a slow dance with themselves in the mirror for hours. The workshop was done with each of us bringing a Cameroonian counterpart, so our counterparts ripped up those mirrors. I even got in a little bit of my own mirror dancing. I must say, it’s as entertaining to do as it is to watch.

            After the conference I stayed a few more days in Maroua to get some grocery shopping done. We also happened to meet some people from the embassy while we were up there. A couple people have written me to inquire about my safety while I’ve been here. Let me take this time to assure you all that I’m being well taken care of. For those of you who aren’t aware, I am right on the Nigerian border, only minutes away. Right now, there is some unrest there as some riots have erupted in response to some monetary issues in the country. There are also some Christians being expelled from the northern part of the country. First of all, I’d like to make the point that Cameroonians love peace above all else. When the elections were going on and talk regarding Paul Biya as the next president was happening, everyone I spoke to was agreed about peace in the country being the number one priority. That attitude extends to this situation. Not only is our Peace Corps safety officer carefully monitoring the situation, but local police and military presence has stepped up around the border. In addition, I share a wall of my home with the commander of the local military force, so I’m extremely safe at home. He comes running if he even hears me vomit, let alone if I was in trouble.

In addition to all that, the embassy sent a small military contingent up here recently to check out the area and make sure all of us were safe. These guys were the people we met last weekend and they assured us of our safety. They worked with the border patrol to make sure that all t’s were crossed and I’s dotted and assured us that we are safe were we are. So I’d like to extend that knowledge to my friends and family. I won’t be going to Nigeria and I am safe here in Cameroon. Especially here in my own home. To ensure my safety, I won’t be travelling at night anytime soon and lock my doors when I go to sleep. But I’m really not worried about it. I don’t feel threatened, nor does anyone else in my community. I have seen no signs of the struggle in Nigeria affected life here at all, except that gas prices have gone up, and things imported from Nigeria were scarce when the border was closed for a few days. So basically, from the mouths of the Embassy, the Peace Corps, the local military, and my friends here in town to your ears, I am perfectly safe.

If that does change, Peace Corps has an emergency contingency plan set in place to evacuate us quickly. One of the reasons I chose the Peace Corps when I chose to work abroad was because of the safety it offered.

I don’t write this post to alarm anyone, especially if they didn’t already have knowledge of the issues in Nigeria. I’m only writing to dispel any fear or worry you guys have. The bottom line is I’m safe. I will continue to be safe. But if that changes, I can easily and safely get to a safe place. So still your fears! Lots of love from Mogode!