And just where is Dzeng...

Cameroun is the answer to the question above, about 49 kilometers from Yaounde. We have been invited by the Mayor of Dzeng, to help this community prepare a master plan for development and bring in investors to assist in realizing their dream which is to rebuild their town with modern infrastructure and amenities. Antoine and I feel this is an incredible opportunity to create with Dzeng, a model town replicated throughout Cameroun. We have here a village which was granted by the Administration in 1960. The ensuing years have not been kind to the citizens of this commune.

I must admit, it was enlightening and disturbing to visit this area. It brought up many questions, which are still unanswered. We found a sticker on the doors of the communal hospital with an American Flag and the words, "With the Friendship of the People of the United States of America". The former Ambassador of the United States made a visit to this area in June, 2005, at the special invitation of the current Mayor. There were pictures along with newspaper and TV footage taken; indeed much fanfare was made of this cultural exchange and visit.

The questions which plagued me were and continue to be, what has happened since this time with the people of this community and the pledge of friendship by the United States? Why did the communal hospital not have any linen and the patients lying on old, dirty mattresses? How could the surgery room possibly 'pass muster' when there were cobwebs in the corners of the rooms? And what about the lab facilities, where were they? There was a room, with a label on the door which described the room as "Laboratory" but what I saw was an empty space with absolutely no lab equipment and simply old bottles lining a very dirty bookshelf. Is this what we Americans call friendship?

Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw and what I experienced on Tuesday. This was real, live, up close and personal. Not some story made into a feature film portraying what filmstars have determined is the "in place to shoot", in Africa watched by millions of Americans while they swallow down buttered popcorn in air conditioned theaters.

How can I after seeing and experiencing how the citizens of this community live, every day of their lives imagine I could go back to my ignorant bliss? Me, a proud American, who claims to desire the post of First Lady of Cameroun, how can I go about my normal day and pretend I didn't see the proverbial white elephant standing in the middle of the living room?

No. This has strengthened my resolve and courage to bring together, bring to Cameroun, my new home, all the resources that God has given to me at my disposal. This is my commitment to the people of Cameroun and most recently my commitment to the people of Dzeng. I, as an American will extend my hand in friendship and make sure another 2 1/2 years don't go by without any changes to the face of this village.

We have put just a few pictures on the blog and will hope to add more from friends' digital cameras which were also taken that day. I invite you all to share with me as the journey continues to unfold. May I never lose sight of Dzeng and her people's dream of a better future for the children of this beautiful village; indeed all the villages in this beautiful country, Cameroun!

God bless Cameroun! God bless Africa!

Anita Lynne NDEMMANU