So what am I doing in Douala, Cameroon? Other than sweating in the heat and humidity, that is? And now I hear this is actually the "cold" season, it gets so hot in December and January that the locals can't stand it. And I did research the best time to come here!

I am in Douala for 3 months to volunteer with an organization (started by a Canadian) called The Humanity Exchange (thehumanityexchange.org - In partnership with local communities, The Humanity Exchange fosters leadership in international development through volunteer, internship, and language learning programs.) mostly because they offer French lessons in bi-lingual country where I could still get by with my English. Though it turns out Douala is mostly French, while other parts of Cameroon are English-speaking, so I often hit times when there is "a failure to communicate". But hopefully my French will improve and it will be très bien.

The Humanity Exchange partners their volunteers with local organizations, so I am working with an organization called I-VISSION (http://www.ivission.net/), a non governmental and non profit organisation dedicated in bringing the ICTs (Information and Communication Technology) to the center of social development. They have at least 14 projects underway, from getting women and girls more involved in ICT, to putting the laws of Cameroon online (currently they are not easily available or known and thus people are not able to stand up for themselves). I am working on a project to open an iHub which is a physical space where entrepreneurs with a good idea are provided office space, a computer, internet access, reception, business consulting advice, etc for a period of time so they can get their idea off the ground. This was first done in Kenya in 2010 and has been highly successful, so it is being repeated in many African countries, this would be the first in Douala. I don't think it will open before I leave, but hopefully it will be getting close enough that there is something to actually see and touch.