Camp Chronicles I

Camp was an experience...to say the least

I wish I wrote down my daily happenings while there, but unfortunately I did not.

My time in camp was bitter sweet. I am glad that I made it to the end; even though I wanted to pack my huge bag and RUN a number of times. I believe that my time in camp prepared me for my stay in Nigeria, it toughened me up. After completing a master's in public health program, the unhygienic conditions of the camp rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't believe that I had to live the way I did for three whole weeks. 

First of all, I shared a small room with about 40 girls. There was no such thing as "personal space", everyone was all up in each other's faces. We were given old used up mattresses, only God knows how many other people have slept and did whatever else on those things. Thankfully I brought my own bed sheets. Also the area was mosquito infested, lucky for me I was warned by my cousin and aunt. I came armed with anti malaria pills, OFF (mosquito repellent spray) and a mosquito net. My bunk bed neighbor helped me with setting up the mosquito net, I felt like I was in isolation when I slept in it...but I'd take that over getting bitten any day!

The "so-called" bathrooms were horrendous, I can not begin to describe how flighty they were. Everyone resulted to taking showers outside, yes you read correctly. We took baths with freezing cold water outside under the "stars". Yet some so called "cleaners" came to our rooms and bulled us the first week of camp, they claimed that they would keep the bathroom clean for a fee or we'd have to clean it ourselves. Of course no one wanted the responsibility of cleaning the disgusting bathrooms, so we were left with no choice but to pay the fee. However, the services were never rendered.

There was no running water, we had to wait on extremely long lines daily to fetch water from a tap and when the water ran out, we resulted to getting water from a well. Imagine my culture shock, I never had to fetch water a day in my life... thankfully my camp squad had my back. They held me down, they helped during my culture shock moments. Sometimes I would get back to my room and find my bucket already filled with water. 

Another issue that I encountered was having to wash my clothes by hand. Never in my life did I have to do so, unless it was underwear. So imagine the shock when my friend asked when I'd wash my clothes. I looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. My aunt made me pack laundry detergent but it never occurred to me that I'd have to wash my clothes without the aid of a washing machine (what was I thinking!). We had to wear white everyday, so of course our clothes had to be washed regularly. I decided to suck it up and give it a try, I saw many other girls wash their clothes with their hands with ease.

Attempt number 1, 2, and 3 FAILED! I couldn't do it! How did they manage to get the stains out so easily? Heaven heard my cry when a woman entered our room one day and offered to wash our clothes for us for a small fee. I was a bit hesitant at first so I waited until some of my roommates completed a few transactions with her. Once I saw that she was trustworthy, I gladly gave her my clothes to wash regularly. I was a happy camper! And probably one of her top customers! 

Due to the conditions of the camp, having to "do #2" or poop never crossed my mind, until the day my bunk bed neighbor told me that she had to GO! I thought about the conditions of the bathroom/toilet area and asked her how she was going to go about it. She replied, "I will do short put nau". She was shocked when I looked at her clueless, when she explained was she was referring to I almost fainted. 

She told me that short put was the process of pooping in a plastic bag, tying it up after you were done and throwing it into the bushes (I'm sorry...hope you weren't eating or anything while reading this...oops). My body went into shock after hearing her explanation, I couldn't poop for the first two weeks. I wasn't constipated or anything, my mind just shut it out. Imagine how I felt after my two week hiatus...yes I "short-putted" a few times during camp... I had no choice...sigh...hey when nature calls you must answer!

To be continued...




You're blessed!


- Bunmi


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