My letter to the Board of the Friends of WEH

I just sent the following note to the Board of the Friends of WEH. It expresses some things I haven't said before.

To the Board of Friends of WEH,

Whew, Barb and Joe Stone and I got back from Cameroon on Tuesday night and are trying to get our hearts and souls caught up with our bodies. A piece of us will always be in Cameroon. It is so difficult to try to describe my experience. I'm still pondering what to say to my church tomorrow. It will take a long time to tell all the stories. Have you kept up with my blog? (http://mycameroontrip.blogspot.com) I'm so thankful to my sibs who gave me a little netbook (miniature laptop) to take with me. It came in so handy. Even the student nurses appreciated it as they checked their email at every opportunity. On my blog you will see links to Barb's blog (which she regrets she was not able to keep up very well) and to the nursing students' photo site. You'll see most of Joe's and my photos there.

Bottom line is that my commitment to WEH is stronger than ever. I wish you could see the high level of activity of the WEH workers, and the scope of what they do. They work long and hard hours for the sake of the orphans assigned to WEH and the population in general in the villages where they work. They are committed to improving village life by improving the lives and status of the women. We found the Cameroonians to be an open, gracious, appreciative people. Also, in the villages, a desperate people. When you can't afford a mosquito net for your baby, or to take the baby to the doctor, desperation is palpable. Behind the story of the abandoned baby is the story of some anonymous girl or woman who was desperate, having no hope for that infant. And we saw first hand the benefit of anti-virals for people with HIV. Theoretically the meds are free, thanks to worldwide support of the program, but identifying those who are eligible for the drugs and teaching them how to use the drugs is another story. And though the meds are free, the periodic blood tests required are not free. That's an ongoing problem. And we saw the virtually total absence of dental and vision care in the villages.

I also wish you could have seen the commitment and hard work of the Linfield nursing students. For some this was a first exposure to "the world out there." Others had considerable travel experience. Either way, they expressed how life-changing this experience was for them and the path of their careers.

Speaking of the students, the Friends of WEH board members on the ground in Cameroon (Carol, Barbara, Sherry, David, Ruth) chose a new member for our board from this Cameroon Team 2009. (Jennifer is our board member from Cameroon Team 2007.) She is Katie White. I'll post her photo on the Friends website. (http://wehfriends.pbwiki.com). Katie will help us stay connected with Cameroon Team 2009. Welcome, Katie.

WEH still doesn't have its hands on the pickup. After all our hope that as a non-profit shipping to an NGO, we wouldn't have to pay high fees and taxes, the bottom line is that WEH needs $4100 to get the truck off the dock. Darn. I bank-transferred what we had -- $3100 -- and a donor (anonymous until I have her permission to name her) came up with the other $1000. Still, it will take a week for the bank transfer to go through. This has been a major headache for the folks in Douala. Sometimes I question whether it would have been more economical to buy in Cameroon, but when you see the insane traffic there, and realize that there is no requirement for openness on the accident history of used cars, I'm sure the truck we've sent will guarantee a truly good vehicle for WEH. We saw first hand the need for 4-wheel drive, and for a vehicle that is consistently available to the WEH staff.

So our account is down to about $100. It's (almost) time for us to celebrate the achieving of the first goal and to set new goals for the future. Certainly the first is to develop a consistent revenue stream to fulfill our promise to pay for the insurance and gas on the truck. A couple of board members give to the fund on a regular basis. WOULD YOU CONSIDER DOING SO TOO? I do not yet have a budget estimate on the monthly cost of the car. I will let you know when I know.

As to the future. A life skills center is the next big goal for WEH. But this note is long enough. Would you each respond to let me know you are out there and that my email dress is current for you? We can talk about the center after that.

Have a good year!!! Carol