Sunday, May 21, 2006

Mbalmayo Forestry School

The third and fourth grade classes went to the Mbalmayo Forestry School last week. This happened to be our first field trip of the year. The students really wanted a trip before the year ended. Next year, I will start earlier with field trips. I feel now that I have been in Yaoundé for a year that I am more familiar with different places.

The trip started off later than expected. As we drove through the city, we did not anticipate blocked roads. However, a lot of the main roads were blocked by military and police personnel who were practicing for the National Day (May 20) parade. The boys were especially excited to see uniformed people with guns.

The Forestry school is located in Mbalmayo, which is about a 45minute drive from Yaoundé. When we arrived we were eagerly greeted by the staff and given a brief history of the school. Around 300 students attend the school and after completion are prepared to work in any job that relates to forestry. There was a lot of talk about the deterioration of the school since the economic crisis in the 90s and with the departure of the Russians. This was evident as you walked past abandoned buildings, molded and crumbled walls, and an insufficient library.

Despite all of this, the campus is truly beautiful as it is surrounded by amazing vegetation and water life. The students not only took a tour of the school itself, but were able to walk through the tree plots and learn about trees such as the ebony and eucalyptus. The students had fun hiking through the forest and collecting leaf and bark samples.

By the end of the trip, the students were exhausted and hungry. They had a lot of fun while learning a lot too!!! You can’t help but be amazed by the natural beauty of Cameroon. I’m always astounded by the varying landscape. I think the students were just as impressed.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

P,

What a great post! Enjoyed your comments, as well as, the pictures. I'm sure your students had a good time.

Mom and I enjoyed talking with you this morning and look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks. Have a good week.

Love, Dad

3:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Jennifer!
My name is Serge.I am one of those Russians who was working as a teacher of Topography in National Forestry school in Mbalmayo in 1988-91. I am really exited to see your photos of the School and find some info about it. It is very interesting to find out that it continue to work and all our efforts to keep it working was not lost. Could you please to provide me with e-mail adress of somebody of school's staff in order to have correspondence with somebody in Mbalmayo and to have some news from there. Beleave me I really was happy to see nowadays of my school. Beeing in Cameroon I left a good piece of my heart in this country. Thanks in advance.
Maybe somebody who are reading this site also could help me.
Thanks & best regards
Serge Klimenko
Former Teacher of Topography
a l'ENEF

12:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Jennifer
I was so amazed looking at those pictures from mbalmayo.
my name is melvin. I am a graduate of that school (1998-2000) and it feld so good reading through your visite and must of all those pictures they really bring old good memories.
Serge i was able to get the contact information for ENEF over the internet, hope it helps you.
(237) 228/13/90 - 228/15/31
Email : enef_mbalmayo@yahoo.fr

12:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Jennifer,my name is Perez and I intend getting into the school,I felt very happy when I read from your site because I saw myself already in the school .Thanks and keep on with your good work.

7:15 PM  

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