The Options for Homes International team (Mike Labbé, Pauline Praseuth and Monica Daga) are currently in Cameroon to see the progress being made at Ocean View Estate, Options for Homes Cameroon's first development. As the newest member of the International team Monica Daga didn't know what to expect on her first trip to Africa. She wrote us to let us know how the trip has been so far. Check out what she had to say below:
Hello Dear
Options Team,
I just
wanted to share my experiences on my first trip to Cameroon.
I must say
that when we arrived I was a bit nervous and did not know what to expect. The
ride from Douala Airport to Limbe was dark, bumpy and we were stopped a few
times by the military, I was a bit on the edge but later learned that is a
standard procedure. We finally arrived to the hotel and we settle in and got
ready for the busy week ahead of us.
During the
first week I met the wonderful staff from Options for Homes Cameroon, they are
absolutely amazing, very warm and welcoming. I got my first glance to the Ocean
View Estates site, we travelled to Yaounde to meet Credit Foncier and the Ministry
of Housing staff, and later during the week we met with the first deputy mayor
of BUEA, and visited the Buea site.
On
Saturday, we met Joyce the Youth Leader from Henry’s village. She was
accompanied by one of the youth group members, they travelled more than 7 hours
to see us, they wanted to learn more about how to raise funds to be
self-sustainable, Mike gave them guidance and some great ideas on what to do to
raise funds as a social enterprise. I was very impressed with their commitment
to make their village a better place.
This week
coming up we have a few important meetings with the Mayor of Buea and Sonara
(Oil processing facility) staff, and on Mike’s birthday we will be travelling
to Congo and might have a meeting in Togo since it is one of our stops before
arriving to Kinshasa.
I have
included some pictures to share some of the things I have seen so far.
I hope you
like them!
Monica Daga
Meeting with the Director General of Credit Foncier |
View from the Ocean View Estates site |
Ocean View Estates Semi-detached Homes |
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