History of Cameroon
Since the journey of Hannon the Carthaginian in the fifth century B.C. to Mount Cameroon, which he named the “Chariot of the Gods,” the country’s fortunes have been subject to many fluctuations. In 1472, sailors from Portugal entered the Wouri River estuary and were amazed by the abundance of shrimp; they named it Rio dos Camarões, from which Cameroon got its name. Portuguese settlers were followed by the Dutch and later by the Germans. The local inhabitants put up a stiff resistance to German penetration. At the beginning of World War I, Allied troops ousted the Germans, and in 1919, the French and the British partitioned the colony. The eastern part, covering 80 percent of the territory, went to the French, and the western part went to the British. Henceforth, each of the two powers made its mark on Cameroon; the French opting for a policy of assimilation and the British adopting indirect rule. When the winds of nationalism began to blow across Africa after World War II, the two colonies expressed a desire to be reunited. Ahmadou Ahidjo proclaimed the French zone independent on January 1, 1960, and reunification of the colonies took effect in 1961. Cameroon became a united republic in 1972, the Republic of Cameroon in 1983, and now it has a presidential system of government. The current government encourages development and a free market economy. The number of state-owned industries that have been privatized in the last several years has increased significantly. During the past decade, a fledgling free press has also been established. Cameroon’s infrastructure, though not up to a developed nation’s standards, is better than the infrastructures of its neighbors.
History of the Peace Corps in Cameroon
The Peace Corps entered Cameroon in 1962 with 20 Volunteers who served as math/science teachers. Peace Corps/Cameroon’s program grew and diversified to include inland fisheries, credit union/cooperatives education, English, community forestry, health and sanitation, and community development. Since then, more than 3,000 Volunteers have served in Cameroon. Currently, there are four robust projects in Cameroon: education, community health, agroforestry, and small enterprise development. The common themes that run through all Peace Corps/Cameroon projects are impact, focus, counterpart involvement, Volunteer competence, and organizational professionalism. Through collaboration and good teamwork, the Peace Corps has made a difference in many aspects of life in Cameroon, one community at a time.
