She's leaving home

Monday morning at 9 o'clock ...

Sad moment, all packed up ready to leave Foncha Street, where we've enjoyed many happy, joyful times over the past 6 weeks. I've seen Gweneira off at the bus station, where she's travelling to Yaounde to work at a government ministry for this last week. And I'm waiting for a truck bringing the new inhabitants, then I will move over to a hostel for the rest of my stay in Bamenda.

Sharing a house with a stranger, in a strange land, is not everyone's cup of tea. Personality clashes, differing opinions and attitudes, domestic habits or just getting on top of each other - these can all prevent a harmonious home life.

It's been our great good fortune that none of these have been evident here in Foncha Street. Gweneira and I have shared a positive attitude to life in Cameroon, committed 100% to being here and making the most of every experience, good or bad. We've both loved finding our way around and getting to know some of the local people. The daily grind of life with dust, water and electricity shortages, computer problems etc has developed our adaptability and resourcefulness. And we've had so much fun!

There is nothing more important in a housemate than a shared sense of humour! We have laughed till we cried about some of the things that have happened here, and at ourselves in dealing with them. Puzzling over people's behaviour, unpicking cultural differences, questioning corruption and incompetence, celebrating the kindness of strangers and the rapport with colleagues - our long conversations have helped us both in coping well with life in Cameroon.

As far as work is concerned, we've been a good match. Gwenno's public relations and community engagement experience gave me tremendous support in my work with Santa Council, generating ideas on the why, what and how to improve their 2-way communication with their public. Similarly, my education and training background has helped Gwenno to prepare her work on developing organisation marketing profiles and in running a workshop on effective communications for national volunteers and staff.

Our own communications with folk back home have been complementary. Gweneira is a good writer, sending informative and humourous emails back to an enthusiastic audience in Ceredigion. She's also written articles for the Cambrian Times newspaper, and I'm sure this experience will lead her to do more writing. My blogs are shorter and less personal, but I've been encouraged by Gwenno's enthusiasm and we've had fun choosing pictures to illustrate them.

Developing local people has been a shared interest too. I'm impressed with Gwenno's encouragement for a young national volunteer, Elfrida, to take on a leading role in the organisation profiling. While I've done some computer work with young council staff, improving their skills and training them to teach others. We hope that this staff development can continue after we leave, as young people are so important to Cameroon's future prospects.

Volunteer life here is no picnic, no luxury holiday, as I hope my blogs have illustrated. Without a positive approach it would be easy to be depressed by sights of poverty and fears that nothing will ever get better. Here in Foncha Street we have been uplifted by each other's support and pleasurable company. Gweneira has left, and this is home for us no more. We hope the next residents, long-term volunteers, will enjoy their 2 years here as much as we have enjoyed our 6 weeks.