Better Late than Never or Official Meeting of the Chief

Last Sunday we had a community meeting with the chief of Mambele. Also in attendance were a dozen or so important village delegates. I really have no idea what certain people do, for instance one delegate is the chef de post (chief of the post), he has an office that we have never seen open and if it were to be open we don't know who would go there and what, if anything, would be accomplished. But back to the meeting, despite Matt's assurance that he knew where the chefferie was, the chefferie was not to be found in town. We received some vague instructions from local villagers that consisted of it's "down the road." And again later every person would passed would indicate to continue down the road, that it was "further still," then they would smile knowingly and shake their heads at us. Over an hour later, six kilometers away, we arrived covered in dirt and sweat at the chefferie. We were told later that the chefferie is the center of Mambele and it is the boutiques, guest houses, school, offices, and soccer field that are a long way out of town (go figure).

The meeting went rather well, all things considered, and went something like this (translated in parts):

Matt: "Bonjour tout le monde"

Everyone: "Bonjour"

Matt: "We are Peace Corps Volunteers"
applause

Matt: "We also work for the WWF"
applause

Matt: "I have a wife"
applause

Matt: "We do not have any kids"
awkward silence

Sarah: "Bonjour"

Everyone: "Bonjour"

Sarah: "Thank you for attending"
applause

Sarah: "We are very happy to be here"
applause

Sarah: "We will be here for two years"
applause

Sarah: "We are volunteers, so we do not have money to give out"

Villager: "We know you don't have money because you walked all the way here"
applause

After the meeting we took a beer with the chief, who insisted on sitting covertly behind the bar so no one would see him and ask for money. Well, we liked how he was thinking so we had a cheers to that. Then the chief, taking one last swig of his 24oz beer, smiled a toothless grin and announced "Je suis votre pere"(translation "I am your father.")

Thus, we have begun our integration.

-S