Support for the Djohong Project - now and the future

Thanks for your response, Nancy about the trip dates. I think we all appreciate too Kate being clear about the realities of the 'umbrella' support from no other organizations or non-profit. However, it does raise the issue and I want to address that later since it relates partially to my desire to try to make a public event or a conference while in Cameroon (or possibly too after our return).

By the way, my second (re-sent) copy of my last e-mail reply to Nick's proposal for travel dates has bounced back once again from both Nick's and Stella's e-mail host (juno.com). That's strange since Kate could get the message (@juno.com).At least, I presume so. Please pass this message (and the previous ones) on to Stella Johnson, and I'm sure, Kate, that you'll keep Nick informed. I am also posting the major portions of our collective e-mail exchanges on the blog:

http://djohong.blogspot.com/

The reasons for blogging are several but one is so that we have single place to look up the facts/opinions and keep track of the unfolding options, challenges and opportunities. Remember, any of you are actual MEMBERS (I sent you an invitation and can resend it if needed) of this blog - -you can also add posts, edit them or previous posts, add pictures, etc; if you have the time or inclination. I find that e-mail itself is sometimes very unreliable (as Nancy's out-of-office e-mails signature so aptly and clearly points out -- I left it and also elaborated on it at the bottom of this post).

Committment to the Djohong trip and the idea of the Djohong Project

The financial costs and associated burdens (time, energy, communication and negotiations at so many levels and with so many parties) for participating in this trip could and probably should be addressed. But I don't expect there will be any simple or direct way to substantially change the fact that it will be somewhat costly and does represent our own personal commitment to both the people of Djohong and to our collective gratitude to and respect for Phyllis. For me, the opportunity to visit Djohong again is tremendously exciting and personally important, as much this time as the first visit with Phyllis. This is partly true because I have a stronger (and hopefully not misplaced) desire to carry on Phyllis's work.

Since Madame Phyllis cannot ever be replaced, I tend to focus on finding a way to get the people of Djohong and those who treasure its heterogeneous but peaceful and pastoral culture(s) and its way of existence to take their own destiny into their own hands. I don't know fully what that means, but it seems to me that Phyllis' mission was focused on helping people help themselves by having better information about their own health and safety and by respecting the values and customs of those around them and in modeling how to help others also my making the best use of your own resources (actualizing one's capacity).

It is good to attempt to find practical ways to offset the costs. That is one reason for my being interested in a 'conference' or public event since -- in one sense - this legitimizes my employer's partial funding (Kitasato University) of my visit to Cameroon and participation in the Djohong project. Fortunately, I was very convincing about its value the last time I participated (2000-1), so it is not really a hard sell for me to get permission to be away and also to apply some of my tri-annual conference funding for this trip. Kitasato University is with its four campuses along with its Kitasato Institute and its three large university hospitals is one of the larger medical and pharmacology research center in Japan. It is not a 'rich' nor does it have a huge endowment fund, but I am hoping to eventually (and I may not be able to so in time for this trip to Djohong) to get it to support a real international medical and health science research exchange with the people of Cameroon and also specifically to provide some logistically and financial support for a Djohong Community Self-Development Project.

I do realize that this is not an Earthwatch expedition, nor are there any actual organizations (commercial, non-profit, governmental or NGO) which are going to be able to help support us financially -- perhaps even for tax deduction purposes -- although I would think that even claiming this as a donation (of labor/expertise) should be possible with the US IRS (I am no expert on US taxes). However, seeking a more formal supportive relationship with such an organization in the future (nearer or far), or by our creating one of our own (in cooperation with our resources in three nations (USA, Cameroon, and Japan) could be one of the ultimate results -- actualized perhaps years from now, and probably should be considered -- even now - as one of the goals of bringing a new 'band' of international (and professional) volunteers to participate at the grassroots level in the Djohong Community Development Project.

The Cameroon Rural Community Self-Development Conference
or alternative Public (Relations) Event

Finally, I have suggested this idea of a 'conference' because that sounds 'official' and might generate seriously being recognized or merit having it announced / discussed. However, there could be other types of public events to draw attention to the need for and ways that a rural communities can participate actively in their own self-development. These might take the form of:

1. a concert, a recital, poetry reading, video showing, performance artist or art show a community event that has international guests
2. a public speech with or without panel discussion
3. a news conference
4. a benefit 'event' or open house at a museum or hall or performance space
5. a school visit or public lecture at local high school or college or a school event (speech contest, science or math fair, etc where 'special international guests serve as judges or offer the prizes (we could bring 'prizes' with us - books, dictionaries, useful supplies, etc)
6. speak as guest instructor or as visiting professor to give lecture(s) for a class or school group (secondary, university or professional education) - After all, we will have two professors from medical and pharmacy/nursing/veterinary schools - Nancy and David - if not everyone on the trip could be capable of doing so on a variety of topics
7. publicly making a donation (giving 'something' - -monetary or object - such as a donated set of microscopes or other medical or educational technology resources to a local hospital or educational institution

Donations: If we start now, any or all of us may be able to 'garner' donations of used medical equipment or used textbooks (in English or French), school supplies, medical supplies, etc. When I went before, I took about $700 worth of medical and school supplies as a donation. We don't have tax write-offs for such in Japan, but there are certainly such allowances in other countries, such as the US.

I think you can start to see the realm of possibilities for either a conference or another type of alternative public events. These would serve to publicize the ways that communities - even those short supply of basic resources can find ways to strengthen a sense of self-development and to enlist the cooperation of both those at home and abroad to make a physically healthier environment. I really don't believe that the people of villages like Djohong are at all any less happy than people in more developed (and seemingly richer) societies like Japan or the US, but there seems to be some needless loss of life (suffering and death) caused by lack of knowledge on preventing disease and suffering from these.

Best wishes to all and hope to hear soon from Betsy,Wanda, Stella (if she is going on this trip). In the mean time, I'm researching the travel and trip dates options more carefully.

Thanks to all,

David (Tokyo, Japan)

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Why blog? There are many reasons, but just remember that the problems with e-mail is one.

Electronic Mail is not secure, may not be read every day, and should not be used for urgent or sensitive issues.
Due the enormous volume of spam and the need for increased protection from Internet-related fraud and electronic diseases( viruses/worms,etc), measures against these often have consequences for 'regular' e-mail - -which can be lost, misplaced and deleted, or never reach the intended destination due to increased security barriers, server crashes, and unexpected incidents.

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