The journey begins on an eleven hour train from Bellows Falls Vermont to Washington D.C, where The Advocacy Project (AP) is leading a three day training.  I am eager to meet the other Peace Fellows and finally put faces to the AP individuals I have been emailing the past few months!

Apart from the training, my initial tasks will involve, first and foremost, securing a visa to Cameroon.  Fingers are crossed that the process will be as painless as obtaining a visa can be; ‘on va voir’, or we will see.  I plan to attend a Vital Voices organized meeting on June 7^th, also in D.C., where I will be further familiarized with the work of their organization, and their goals for the Cameroon Hub in particular.

Having the opportunity to conduct a baseline survey, as developed by Vital Voices, of the Cameroon Business Women Network participants is something I am very much looking forward to – engaging with these women and learning what obstacles they face in their daily lives, as well as what they have overcome and achieved, will not only be helpful for the network itself, but elucidating on a personal and professional level.  I am interested in knowing more about how women are resilient, and eager to depict them in their resilience, as opposed to the image of ‘victimhood’ women are so often portrayed in.  I imagine this summer will be more than a learning experience for me; I look forward to the stories of inspiration and hard work that I will undoubtedly encounter.