Editor’s note: We’ve known and admired Maria Bailey for many years. Not only does she advocate for working moms but she believes in providing opportunities for them as well. As a business executive, she’s racked up many miles all over the world and as a mother, she doesn’t hesitate to get on a plane to visit her children scattered across the globe. She recently shared her first-time experiences from her trip to the Republic of Cameroon on the west coast of Africa.
A trip to Cameroon, Africa to visit my daughter, who is currently serving in the Peace Corps, provided 18 first-time experiences for this experienced traveler.
1. Didn’t see another white person…
(except my daughter and daughter-in-law) for over a week.
2. Scared young children…
because I was white (and they had never seen a white lady before)!
3. Rode in the back of an overcrowded van…
with a live goat between my feet!
4. Went 10 days…
without washing my hair.
5. Used only diaper wipes to bathe…
for a week straight.
6. Watched as families waited up to 5 hours…
to fill their buckets with water for drinking, washing and cooking .
7. Watched as the water ran out…
and many families left their unfilled jugs at a dry well and returned home with nothing .
8. Attended a Muslim funeral
9. Went 8 days without seeing or using…
a sit-upon toilet!
10. Shared dinner…
while sitting on the floor with a Muslim family.
11. Tried to explain the Easter bunny to people who have never seen a bunny…
(And by the way, the Easter bunny is a ridiculous tradition when you actually try to explain a bunny bringing candy to the house!)
12. Introduced Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs…
to people who have never eaten peanut butter .
13. Realized I was older…
than the life expectancy of the average person in Cameroon .
14. Taught young kids…
how to throw an American football.
15. Jogged on a path with…
chickens, human fecal matter, pigs, happy children and okra fields and it felt awesome!
16. Was taught how to make rice on an open fire…
by a 5 year old .
17. Learned that kids don’t need…
technology, name brand clothes, or even a full stomach to be happy, open and joyful !
18. Witnessed the pride of people…
who have no indoor plumbing or electricity yet welcomed you into their home to eat their food and drink what little water they had.
And most importantly, I was reminded that when you get out of your comfort zone and you don’t judge the world on your standards but rather welcome the things it offers you, the discoveries are life changing. You see the world in a whole new light.
Author and CEO of BSM Media, Maria Bailey is a trendsetter and the leading expert in Marketing to Moms. Her expertise in influencer markets is recognized by Ad Age, Wall Street Journal, CNN, New York Times, Billboard Magazine, as well as hundreds of other media outlets. Maria is an invited speaker around the globe and her eight marketing books on Mom Marketing and Influencer engagement are published in 12 languages. Maria resides in South Florida and is the mother of four children.
Michelle Jerson says
Amazing article and very touching! Thanks for sharing Maria!
Madison Bailey says
When reading this article we need to be aware that there is a lot about Cameroon that you can’t see just in this picture or by this interpretation of Cameroon. Cameroon is a wonderful country, rich in its diversity and culture. While Americans have a tendency to portray African countries as hungry, dirty, and poor, we need to remember that there are hungry, dirty and poor people everywhere. And not everyone in Africa or Cameroon is hungry, dirty, and poor. The children in these photos are my neighbors and they are well fed and bathe twice a day. There is always water and soap to take a bath, and the Muslims in my community wash themselves 5-6 times a day outside of their normal bathing times. They are honestly cleaner than most people I’ve met. If someone in the community is dirty, it honestly is probably because they didn’t want to bathe. These pictures show people waiting for water at the tap and then the tap running out of water. What they don’t show is the fact that many of these people already had water in their house, there are more open taps around the village, and there is a river where people can find water. After living here for 11 months, I have yet to see a single person who is dehydrated due solely to lack of water. There is a picture of children eating Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, and while that might be the first time they had American peanut butter or combined chocolate with peanut butter, it was not the first time they had peanut butter in general. Peanut butter is abundant in Cameroon, and while it may not look or taste like American peanut butter, it is still delicious and an excellent way for the kids to get some nutrition. These images show a dirty squat toilet, but what they don’t show is how much more comfortable it is to use a squat toilet. Also, many people in Cameroon have American style toilets and indoor plumbing. As women who travel the world, we need to remember to be conscious of the way we portray countries. Africa is not a dirty, poor, starving, sick continent. It is the richest continent on this earth in terms of natural resources and they sadly received the short end of the stick through unjust colonization. We need to stop thinking of Africa in this way, and instead provide the world who can’t travel with a different and enriching point of view that paints the whole picture, instead of the image that is commonly portrayed by the media.
We need to stop portraying Africa as a continent that needs saving, and instead understand and accept this beautiful continent full of a richness that you will never find in the US.
Michelle says
I love this article! I hope to visit Cameroon and other African countries in the near future as I have always dreamed of visiting, but even more so now since I recently found out I am Cameroon, Bantu, Ivory coast and Ghana descent.
NYC Single Mom says
interesting to see your viewpoint of your first time. Hope to hear more!
Kevin says
It’s my Country 🇨🇲🇨🇲🇨🇲.
Thank you very much.
Hope to hear more.