The difference between the original and new schools is striking.

The life expectancy for Cameroonians is about 50-years-old (in Canada, it is 80-years-old) and 40% of the population is under the age of 14-years-old. Death due to malnutrition, water-borne diseases and infectious disease is rampant, and combating these issues is a central concern for the Obakki Foundation.

We’ve worked to bring clean water sources to villages, where women/children were walking up to five hours to get water for the day.

The most important part of Cameroon to me, and one I hope I’ve conveyed to you through my blogs, is the beautiful people. Looking through the eyes of North Americans, they could be viewed as ‘poor’, and in some ways they certainly are. But the love and sense of community that abounds in Cameroon makes them, to me, one of the richest nations in the world.

Cameroon is a little smaller than Spain and bigger than California, with a population of just over 19 million. People speak French, English and over 24 African languages. Yaounde is the capital, but Douala (where we always begin our trip) is the economic centre. It’s been described as “a sweltering hot mess of dusty honking traffic jams” (which is true!) but I tend to agree with the locals, who like to say that “while Yaounde sleeps, Douala moves”.

When visiting St. Valentine’s in December ’09, I took a picture of the boys’ weekly menu. (INSERT MENU PIC) Caption: Some days, they have to split five cups of rice a day between sixteen people.

At Hotpec on the same trip, I saw children younger than my own washing their own clothes (INSERT WASHING PIC) Caption: Soap is a necessity, but also a luxury.

The orphanages rely heavily on donations such as these to care for the children. The Obakki Foundation is working to get them electricity and other basics, but there is always more work to be done.

The baby dorm, where five cribs hold 15 babies.

The kids are worth it.

First I just want express to you how incredible I think you and your organization are! Your blogs give us a connection to the people in need in Cameroon! My family and I farm & Ranch in South Dakota, my question is in regards to food production. What crops can they grow in Cameroon?

You talked about failed crops, and obviously they must not be able to grow enough to support themselves. With the amazing advancements in seed technology it seems we should be able to help them raise crops more efficiently without causing environmental issues!

The next question is, do they hunt for their meat source, or could they raise any animals, once again without negatively impacting their environment? It seems to me there should be some way to help them create a sustainable way to meet their nutritional needs. Once again thank you for all you are doing to help the people of Cameroon, and connecting us to them.

Hi Tina,

These are really great questions. The three main crops found in the regions we are working are cassava, palm nuts (which they turn into palm oil), and cocoa. We have a two part focus regarding agricultural development. One is to implement strategies that increase productivity, scale and income of their current crops, and the other is to slowly introduce new ideas and methods that may supplement what they have, and also fill in gaps of what they don’t have.

Of course we are always looking at sustainability and environmental impact on the region. These program are quite multi-faceted with a lot of external issues to consider. Because of this, we always work closely with our local partners on the ground, agricultural experts and the communities themselves to ensure we have considered all aspects before (and during) implementation.

Regarding meat, many families will hunt or trap ‘bush’ meat on occasion and there are a few families who have chickens, goats or pigs, however this is quite rare. Protein is very low in the deeper regions of the valley and we are looking at ways to improve this. It may seem to be an easy fix, yet there are many things that complicate matters.

Some issues include:

- in areas where people are not meeting the very basic nutritional needs, feeding becomes an issue of ‘now’ and keeping livestock to reproduce over time becomes a luxury;

- keeping livestock requires money –  initial purchase, feed, fencing or pens, vaccinations etc. Most families have no start up money (one of our potential programs looks at providing start-up loans);

- theft becomes an issue between those that ‘have’ and ‘have not’, especially in regions where people are not meeting their own basic needs;

- swine flu is prevalent and there have been cases of  entire areas of livestock being wiped out within a short period of time.

There are many more reasons, but this gives you an idea of some of the complications we encounter. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix but we are quite positive that our programs will gradually impact these areas of development and significantly improve both immediate and long term needs of the communities.

I hope I have answered your questions. Take care, and thank you for following the blog!

Treana, thank you so much for the blog and for taking on this mission. While we all like to ponder what WE can do to help, or how we can teach the people of Cameroon the things we know, the question I have after reading your blogs is this: What can we learn from the people you met in Cameroon? What do they have that we do not, or that we have forgotten?

Hi Sharon,

Thanks for this excellent question. I think we can learn a LOT from our Cameroonian friends: the importance of family and community; the value of taking time to just ‘be’, without worrying about deadlines and schedules; and taking a moment to understand and appreciate what is really important in our lives. Being ruled by money, time and acquisitions gives us an entirely different set of problems!

While there is a lot of poverty to be seen in the regions where we work, there is also an energy that cannot be described in words. It’s apparent in the faces of the people, can be seen in the dancing and heard in the singing. There is a lot of beauty and joy in Africa that I think comes from being open to explore and accept the love of your family, friends and community.

We recently put together a short video to capture this very thing – which I cannot wait to share with you. After watching it, you will understand for yourself.

First I would like to say that I am thrilled with all of the positive info that has come from your most recent trip, it is just wonderful what you do. The blogs from the volunteers were wonderful and really shed more light on the plight of these people. My question is, what more can we do? What can we continue to do here that will benefit the people in Cameroon? I see things on sale, dirt cheap at times and often wonder if I should buy them. My kids clothes and shoes that they outgrow are still in great shape and I know that is the same with many people. Can we do a clothing or shoe drive?

The 2nd part of my question comes from my kids (Kamryn and Nathan). Kamryn loves to sew and makes great little stuffed animal friends. Would this be something that they could do to help you? Could them make a slew of animals and ship them out to go with you next time that you go to Cameroon? They thought it would be nice for the kids to have something to hold onto and snuggle with at night when they may be scared or lonely. And lastly…when can I come to Cameroon?

Hi Cynthia,

First of all, thanks for your support of our blog – I can always count on your comments, letting me know that people are reading it! Your questions and offers are very thoughtful and touching.

The most important thing everyone can do is simply spread the word about the Obakki Foundation. Talk about it with people, get schools involved in sponsoring a project (we’ll have information coming in the next month on how this kind of thing can happen), tell everyone about the blog…the more people who know about our Foundation, the better!

People often offer to send us items to take on upcoming trips, and although I’d love to fill a few containers to ship over there, the logistics make it very difficult. We have to trek everything into the valley on foot, so we can only take the essentials (i.e. medical/educational supplies) in addition to our personal gear. I think you could make a wonderful difference in your own community by donating used clothing/toys to local women’s shelters (that’s something I do here in Vancouver).

As for your great kids, they sound like future volunteers! I wish I could take you (and your children) up on this offer but unfortunately there are too many other factors that prevent this from happening. Quite often we cause more damage by giving things away, which is a hard thing for us to wrap our heads (and hearts) around. Without going into it in too much detail, we encounter issues of inequity, status imbalances, competition and theft for those we have gifted.

Over time we get to be seen as ‘westerners’ that come bearing gifts each year with locals and children lining up with their hands out at our camps. We’re working hard to encourage communities, individuals and the government to take an active role in their own development, with us as their partner. ‘Gifting’ upsets that balance and shifts the expectations and rules we need to work within.

Therefore, aside from some small ‘customary’ gifts we take to give to our host families – guides, cooks, drivers etc – we make it a rule to not gift individuals (even though we all WANT to!). The best things to take when you are traveling to various regions are items that can be enjoyed by groups of people. For example, soccer balls, skipping ropes and Frisbees can be dropped off with the headmaster of a school or with the director at an orphanage. That way, it becomes a communal possession which does not contribute to anything negative.

All that being said, I think it is so important to encourage your children’s involvement. There are so many local outlets that I think the Teddy bears would be perfect for! You could make them for a local sick kids hospital or make them to be included in family food baskets. Please let me know if you end up doing something like this as I have a project coming up involving children making a difference and I’d love to include their story.

Take care Cynthia and thanks for all of your support!

p.s. It’s impressive that you’d still want to come to Cameroon after hearing about our challenges on this past trip! We’d love to take more people, but getting the small group we have in and out of the country (never mind the valley!) necessitates keeping numbers to a minimum. Maybe one day…!

From Christina:

I’ve been on trips to Mexico volunteering at several orphanages and for me I have to make sure my life is “in-balance”. That way my compassion comes from my heart and soul, I’m able to soak it all in – and be grateful I was able to give and make that human connection with others. Then when I come back to the states….I feel so “out of balance” and a bit overwhelmed, but grateful at the same time. How do you fuel your heart while in Africa and when you get home? As humans when we “give” we need to also be able to receive. The more we receive the more we are able to give. Do you think the villagers feel a part of something or someone? We all just want to be loved, touched and feel like we’re a part of something. BTW, your compassion for helping others and the human spirit is contagious!

Hi Christina,

These are all thought-provoking questions. I think the desire to feel a part of something bigger is a huge part of why I do this kind of work. It’s definitely a big passion in my life and very fulfilling for me.

I definitely know what you mean about needing to fuel your heart while away and feeling out of whack upon returning home; everything is a bit too loud and fast for a couple of days. After returning to Canada, I was at a wave pool with my family and I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing – gallons of water sloshing around for amusement when, just days before, I was witnessing women and children drinking from dirty mud puddles on the side of a road. There is an unbelievable contrast between our worlds that often stops me in my tracks.

It always takes me a few days to readjust and years ago I would feel guilty coming home to such luxury (even when we lived in a basement apartment) compared to what I’d left behind. Now I just focus on the progress we’re making with each trip and am thankful I’m in a position to make a difference. Guilt weighs my heart down and I’ve somehow managed to find a way to turn these feelings into committment and productivity.

In particular, I really appreciate your comment about being able to ‘give AND receive’.  Being completely open on all levels to people is a hard thing for many people to do, for many reasons. I feel a lot of this has to do with our daily experiences living in a western world. We do daily exchanges with people without ever really connecting. We are all likely guilty of ‘going through the motions’ with someone at a coffee shop, or a bank or on the phone with a service provider. We are rarely connecting, just getting from A to B. When you are constantly surrounded by this, I believe patterns and routines form and we become accustomed to the disconnect.

I noticed this on our last trip. I stood in line to check my bags, get my boarding pass and clear customs without one real exchange between us.  Twenty-four hours later, I’m in Africa on a jungle path with kids hanging off of me, strangers shaking my hand, receiving a greeting and a smile from every single passing person. It is initially hard to open up, accept and receive something outside of my normal boundaries, but as soon as I do, I am filled with a satisfaction and a happiness that proves that dropping our boundaries and opening our heart allows us to connect with others the way we were intended.

Thank you for your thoughtful comments and questions.

Thank you for sharing every step of this trip with us. The good points and the not so good ones. It sounded like this trip was very emotional, a little stressful at times, heartbreaking and wonderful as well. Not only did you have to deal with everything that was going on in Cameroon, you also had your children missing you at home and that to deal with. My question is how are YOU doing now? XOXOXO

Hi Anita,

What a lovely question – thank you for asking! I’m doing very well. Coming back, I’m always more appreciative than ever for what I have: my health and that of my family; a job that fulfills me; a solid roof over my head; food on my table and clean water at my disposal…these are the most important things and having them makes me very content!

Thanks for your support!

Already can’t avoid come here to see what’s happening and what you’re doing…!

You’re a beautiful and lovely person Treana! And a simple one too with huge and necessary dreams to other people… I know that your husband did help to built this dream (and Nickelback too) but, without your first thought, your first feeling, your first dream… the Obakki Foundation didn’t ‘happen’ at all! My First question (and it’s something really important!) is: what and in which direction was your very first step? Second: how did you start to ‘move’ and motivating people to that dream of yours (exactly when there was nothing yet!)

There are much more… but, in another time.

Already thanking you Treana!  x

Best wishes to all!!!

p.s. was looking for but, I couldn’t find your book here in Portugal – people just don’t know it – is that possible? I’m very interested in read it just to see ‘the story’ in it… I also write for children and am just having an idea… but first, I have to wait and learn much more about the foundation and the people you help…!

Hello Alda,

Thank you so much for your kind words. I started working for charities many years ago, before there was a band (or a husband!) so after launching my clothing label, having a charitable component was a natural evolution of the company.

Ed Smith and I met 15 years ago through a friend and have worked together ever since. He was gathering people who wanted to help to raise money and to come on trips, so that was the first step in terms of working in other countries.

Getting other people involved just happens naturally – I find that, in my travels or through friends and associates, I come into contact with like-minded people who share my passion for travel and charitable work, while also bringing a skill set (e.g. medical or education background) that we need for our field work. It’s been amazing how things just fall into place when it’s done for the right reason!

You can purchase our book, The Obakki Foundation Makes Me Happy, or any items from the collection, on our website and we will ship internationally. If I see that you’ve ordered one, I’ll sign it for you!

Hi Dorka,
Your English is excellent and thank you for writing. I grew up watching World Vision commercials and I always knew I would be involved with charities.  In high school, I called organizations working abroad asking if I could volunteer, offering to pay my own expenses if I could work with them.

Every single place I contacted refused, telling me to call back when I was a doctor, a nurse or a teacher. So I decided to start something myself.  I didn’t know how a charity was run, but I did know they all began with one person’s vision, and I refused to be intimidated by these larger, more established organizations.

I’m still not a doctor, nurse or teacher, but because of my passion and commitment, I can now visit these communities myself and provide a doctor, nurse or teacher to those who need them most. I know from personal experience that anyone make a difference.