After various weeks of preparations, my fellowship is becoming tangible in all of its aspects: I have undergone the various vaccines and acquired the appropriate malaria medicine, accumulated the various documents destined for the visa application, bought my ticket to Douala via Brussels, reassured my parents that I would not wander into “la brousse” where wild animals roam, convinced my loved one to come and spend a week-end in DC prior to my departure for Africa and said my goodbyes to supportive friends.

More than ever, I have experienced a bitter sweet feeling upon my departure from San Francisco last night. A mix of sheer excitement and unprecedented longing for the comfort, warmth and tranquility of home. A little less than 7 years ago, I was heading off to Mexico for a semester abroad not even thinking that I would miss my family. This time it feels very different. Nonetheless, I am constantly reminded of the tremendous privilege it is to be able to fly out to Africa for the summer and support a local human rights organization. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid’s words, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund and the speaker of honor during my graduation from Mills College, resonate into my head… with education come responsibility to self and to others.

One of our main responsibilities as a Peace Fellow is to “tell the story” of the local organizations we will be supporting throughout the summer through blogs, pictures, videos and more. Prior to leaving for DC, I picked up a book that had been sitting on my shelf and collecting dust throughout the school year –Unaccustomed Earth by Jumpa Lahiri. I have been so inspired by Lahiri’s ability to capture the intricate workings of human nature and the way in which she describes the complexity of the mind and hearts in such humble manners. As an apprentice blogger I will attempt to capture the lives and experiences of the people I meet in Cameroon in a compelling and truthful manner. Your guidance, comments and recommendations are always appreciated.

Thank you for reading my first post. Merci!