Last Tuesday, I had an almost legitimate conversation in Fulfulde with a child. Last Tuesday, for the first time ever, I made it through the full two hours with my 2nde class without once being asked if it is “l’heur” yet. Last Tuesday, I ate ice pops with a four-year-old while he wiggled his shoulders along with the music. I walked across town and not one person called me “nasaara” and a number of people even called me by name. I participated in a conversation with my coworkers about corporal punishment in the school system and they listened to my opinion (even if they heartily disagreed with it). I was able to get some of my 5eme students so enthusiastic about their homework that they actually approached me with questions after class, something that has never happened before (unless they were approaching me to ask for pens or candy or money, which has happened before, multiple times).
By all definitions, last Tuesday was a really great day. Unfortunately, last Tuesday was the day after I learned that I would be leaving.
Around 5:00 on Monday evening, I had just managed to clear the kids out of my compound when I got a call from an unknown number. When I picked up, my country director and his second-in-command were on the line. Never a good sign. It got even worse when they started out with, “I know this isn’t the news you wanted to hear.” From there, it was pretty much all downhill.
The volunteers in the Mbere division of the Adamaoua are being pulled due to increases in kidnappings, banditry, and other security concerns related to instability around the Cameroon-Central African Republic border. In total, there are five volunteers being affected by the decision. Two of the volunteers left last Thursday; the remaining three of us were picked up yesterday morning. We're all currently living at the case in Ngaoundere, our regional capital.
I can’t imagine what it’s like for the 4 other volunteers who were removed from their posts (all of whom are taking interrupted service). All of them have been at their posts for a year, one of them even for two. I was only in Lokoti for three months. But it’s devastating. It really is. It is fucking devastating. I put the finishing touches on my house two weeks ago, and it was absolutely perfect. I gave my exams in my 5eme class, and the passing rate nearly doubled from the first exam. And I had plans. I had plans. They were good plans. I wanted to build a library. A library. I wanted to start English classes for adults. I wanted my 5eme students to leave with a really good grasp on the difference between past and present simple and past and present continuous. I wanted to start an English club, and a girls club. I wanted every single wall outside of my house to be covered in the words that the neighbourhood kids asked me to translate into English. I wanted to start a Saturday afternoon study group. I wanted a lot of things.
But, life goes on. It's been a tough week (hard to believe it's just been a week). We said our goodbyes, and packed up our things. My friend Hadija helped me sell some of my things, and she's still helping me to sell the rest. As I post this, I'm at the case in Ngaoundere. I've been told my new post -- I'll be living and working in Dibi, a town some 30-40kms from Ngaoundere. Right now, I'm planning on living at the case until after IST, which is during the first week of December. I don't feel quite comfortable leaving all of my things alone for two to three weeks at my new house in a new town where I won't really know anyone. Fortunately Max (my cat) is making himself very popular with the other volunteers, and several people have offered to feed him if I leave him at the case while I'm gone. I've heard some really great things about Dibi, and I think it'll be a really great town to work in for the rest of my two years of service.
I want to thank everyone who's sent me messages and checked in, it really means a lot to me. I'm doing all right -- it's been such a whirlwind of a week, and the next few weeks are going to be equally as busy, which helps the denial, ha. I'll keep everyone updated as best as I can in the next few weeks. It's been tough, but it'll be ok. I had a wonderful time in Lokoti, and I anticipate having just as wonderful an experience in Dibi. On est ensemble.
