To my valued donors and friends,
You may have been wondering, “What are Aïcha and Ousmanou up to these days?” Have no fear, an update is here! I returned from a trip to Cameroon ten days ago, and the trip was packed to the brim with beautiful moments. In unexpectedly atypical Cameroonian fashion, my regional flight arrived early to the city where the children live, and I surprised them at their school, where they have been participating in summer classes. Huge smiles, big hugs, and tremendous joy were with us in that moment… oh, to be together again!
One of the first pieces of news the children were excited to share is that Aïcha, aged 16, wrote a short story that she was in the process of submitting to a national writing competition. Aïcha couldn’t wait to open her small notebook to show me her story, which she said is about a young girl whose greatest desire is to be an astronaut. This young girl (also named Aïcha!) dreams of stars and discoveries in space, yet her father does not believe that women should assume such roles and believes women should be “useful” and “socially successful.” The character in her story receives her mother's help in changing her father’s view so that she can continue to work toward her dreams. Can you believe we have a blossoming social norm changer and feminist on our hands?! SO PROUD! And this is all thanks to your support… indeed, now Aïcha’s dream is to be an astronaut. At this point, Aïcha is not only the first young woman, but the very first person, in her family to go this far in school. She passed her standardized exams this year with flying colors, was first in her class, made honor roll, and even won a small scholarship to support her studies this coming year. She has three years of high school left, and during our time together, she told me she “could not wait” for school to start in September.
And then there is our boy, Ousmanou, aged 14, who by no means is living in the shadow of his sister. This guy’s smile lights up entire rooms. He is sassy, funny, sensitive, adventurous, and bright. In Cameroon, the children's native language is Fulfulde. Ousmanou is particularly strong in English, and when we met other English speakers, he had no difficulty following the dialogue and jumping into conversations. His dance moves are hard to rival, and he knows how to use them to annoy his sister in all the right ways. This past academic year, Ousmanou achieved his strongest performance at school to date. He was 14th in his class out of over 60 children, and he made honor roll. He still hopes to become a veterinarian when he is older. Playing games and sports and spending time with friends remain important parts of Ousmanou’s life, and we are continuing to work toward ensuring his studies receive a significant portion of his attention!
Our time together was spent recognizing their mother’s passing, a dear friend of mine, which was five years ago (August 2020), and reflecting on what family means to us. We described family as a unit where unconditional love, support, safety, acceptance, trust, and honesty reign. We cuddled at night, and when the children asked, “Where is our distribution of kisses?,” I did not miss the opportunity to shower them with my love. We read together, hiked together, played together, laughed together, cried together, and talked about how we wish we had more time together. To my surprise, the children talked about an interest in living in the U.S. in the future, so my heart feels full and hopeful that, maybe someday, this will be possible.
In the meantime, heartbreakingly, they shared with me that they are unhappy and uncomfortable in their current living situation. As dedicated donors and friends, I want to be as transparent as possible with you while sparing sensitive details. The children reported instances of mistreatment (e.g., receiving misplaced blame) and a lack of trust in their caregivers. As a result, part of my trip was spent identifying a new living situation for the children. Once again, I leaned on the community I have in Cameroon to help me identify a solution, including the children’s uncle and a Peace Corps employee named Issa. I have known Issa since 2012, and he is smart and caring. Moving forward, I will be renting a small house for the children, where they will live with a live-in nanny who will care for them.
What does this mean for our budget this year? I need to buy beds, mattresses, sheets, kitchen supplies, a sofa, a table and chairs, as well as maintain a monthly food budget and salary for the live-in nanny. Of course, I will continue to cover the children’s school fees, school supplies, tutor salaries, clothing costs, and health-related expenses. I invite you to support me in this endeavor so that the children feel safe, happy, and comfortable during the academic year… which, in turn, will help them thrive at home and at school. This is an invitation, as always, to help Aïcha and Ousmanou reach their goals, both big and small. If you are interested in joining me in this mission, please consider contributing to this fundraiser (and even sharing it with those you know!).
These children are bright spots in a challenging world. Your help not only lifts them up, but it lifts me up. It gives me hope and assurance that maybe, just maybe, these two kiddos will successfully blaze whatever trail they choose. They’re already on their way, thanks to you, so let me emphasize how much I appreciate your support. It is the most precious gift to me.
With love,
Marissa
Relaxing near the crater lake, where we enjoy spending time
View of the lake as we started our first hike
Happy trails for us
Our little crew (the children and their cousin) during another hike to a different lake
A view of the second lake after a lengthy hike filled with butterfly and bird sightings... and many cows!
More happy trails for us
Puzzle time
We did it!
