Miss Hannah

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      I am no longer just ‘Hannah’ my new title is now Miss Hannah. I am no going to lie, I kind of love it!

      When I arrived in Kumbo I was told by the director of the NGO that I was teaching computers. Alarm bells rang in my ears… those who know me KNOW how utterly terrible I am with computers. ‘Computer illerate’ was once used to describe me. But instead of saying ‘no I can’t do this’, I saw it as a challenge and I realised I am here to help them and this is something they need help with. 

      So I began teaching and to be honest it has all worked out quite well as I have learnt so many things about computers myself! I love teaching. I really do. Before my first lesson I was pooing myself. I had no idea how I was going to get up in front of a class and teach them about something I barely new anything about myself.

     To my surprise, it is was actually really fun and so rewarding. Watching all these faces looking at YOU, knowing you are teaching them, giving them knowledge. It is a bloody good feeling.

     All my students are great; I haven’t once had to discipline any of them… apart from a few of the younger ones who have a fascination with Word Art – any task I give them they seem to end up inserting word art. “Mirabel, we are inserting TABLES not Word Art” … followed by giggles from the rest of the class.

     It is such a pleasure to teach them. I never appreciated the importance of computers and the internet until I came here. I always had a negative view of technology in general; it just seemed to be a lot of effort to keep up with. Then I spoke to a Doctor here who said he had great respect that I was teaching I.T as it is extremely important in this day and age “If you are computer illiterate; you are illiterate” is what he said to me. Most good jobs require knowledge in I.T, to communicate you need I.T. It really dawned on me, firstly how lucky I am to have grown up with computers and it being part of my life and secondly how I was giving these students a skill that could take them much further in life. 

      What the NGO aims to do is educate orphans and vulnerable children. With barley any funding they are doing a pretty good job of it. Most of the students in my class are orphans or come from an incredibly poor family. The difference in their attitude is insane. They appreciate me so much, after every class they all say thank you and they work damn hard.

      The director is great at motivating them. He often comes in and gives speeches about how they should be grateful for this opportunity and they should take what they are learning and teach their friends and family. Every morning three different students come in early and clean the computer area. At first I thought it was a bit harsh; but he explained how they want to do it as they wouldn’t have been able to afford to get this education otherwise; this is their way of saying thank you.

      It can often be quite emotional learning about some of their stories. There is a girl in my class who Fred (the director) often gives food or money to as their family don’t have anything to eat. I set the class a typing task once and one girl wrote about her life and how she is an orphan because her dad was shot and her mother committed suicide a few days later. I almost choked when I read it. I felt so powerless; I am just a teacher, what can I do. It is very difficult but I have to remind myself that I am giving these children an education. I am giving them something which will help them in the future and they are SO grateful for that.

      Education is extremely important – one of the biggest things I have learnt here.

      That is just one of the projects I have been working on and is coming to an end in the next few days. They are learning excel next and for their own sake I have passed that onto a new volunteer as the word ‘illiterate’ is actually true for me when it comes to excel! 

      I can safely say my first month in Cameroon has been one of the best in my life. People here want change to happen and they are unbelievably motivated. The NGO is great in the sense you can get on with everything yourself; if you have an idea you can make it happen and they will help you as much as they can. I love it here and am learning more and more everyday.

A lesson learnt...

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       I arrived in Douala airport, (which was the equivalent of a small train station in England) to be greeted by a bundle of joy named Fred, the director of Self Reliance Promoters. He is a truly lovely man with a gigantic heart. The city was crazy, so much hustle and bustle. I would have embraced it much more if I hadn’t been awake for the previous 48hours…I was knackered.

    We made our way back to the village picking up two other volunteers on the way who had also arrived at the same time. With our car running out of fuel and being sat on with 9 people in a car… it wasn’t the smoothest of journeys, but exciting none the less!

     The lesson I learnt, however, was when I arrived in the volunteer house (where I am living for my whole stay) to be met by three other volunteers. I could sense there was something not quite right when Fred dropped us off and the other volunteers were quite unfriendly towards him and simply listed all the problems with the house. It was a very strange atmosphere, but in my exhausted state I flopped in bed for most of the day.

      In the evening however, we were sitting around with the other volunteers and as time passed the evening gradually turned into them telling us how terribly awful this whole place and experience was. From the staff, to the locals, to the house, to the fact

there was no water… they bitched. I have never felt so utterly confused and disappointed. I sat with the new volunteers, none of us really knowing what to say.

     I went to sleep undeniably regretting coming to Cameroon. Why didn’t I choose Tanzania? In my mind, there were two options of this situation: they were right and everything was terrible… or they did not realize they were in AFRICA; things are much slower here, sometimes there isn’t water – I expected that.

     As it turns out – it was the second option. I can safely say I am having the time of my life. The locals have completely welcomed me into their community, the staff are amazing to work with, the volunteers are all great…. There isn’t anything I can really complain about.

      So what I have learnt: ALWAYS make my own mind up about what I think of a situation. Don’t let people influence me before experiencing something myself.  

     I have also learnt how important it is to experience new adventures on my own. I have loved the fact that everything about this experience has been just me, on my own, without any influence from back home. When I am in a situation by myself, no one knows who I am or where I've come from… I am open to everything – uninfluenced.

    Anyway, that is what I learn in my first few days here. So many incredible things have happened since…. Which you will be able to read soon when I get a chance to write more!