Far from selling Thin Mints...

“Community Entry Needs Assessment.”  This is a crucial step in every Peace Corps service (and really should be taken into consideration for every development project).  Typically during a volunteer’s first three months at post, he/she is supposed to refrain from starting actual projects and instead conduct a needs assessment.  This can be done using a variety of tools, all of which include communication with community members:  household surveys, community mapping, feasibility studies, SWOT analyses, etc.

The ultimate objective is to help the PCV get the lay of the land and begin to understand his/her community, thus being better able to implement appropriate and effective development projects.

When I began my service in Sanguéré-Paul, the process was sort of free-flow.  Volunteers were free to integrate and perform their needs assessment however suited them or their community best, and were expected to present their findings in a report after those first three months.  I created my report mostly through informal conversations with friends, neighbors, and counterparts.

Recently, however, PC Cameroon has developed a standard “Community Needs Assessment” outline.  Whether it’s because this tool helps me streamline the process in an organized manner or because this is my second time around, this time around I have very little hesitation with my community entry and my needs assessment is flowing at a steady pace!  I'm incredibly thankful for this, seeing as I've already lost nine months of crucial time.

Every evening for the past couple weeks, I’ve been going door-to-door conducting household surveys.  These surveys include general questions about family structure, education, work, food security, malaria, and HIV.  At first I was a bit hesitant.  I was procrastinating conducting the surveys because, well, I dreaded inviting myself into a stranger’s front home and asking them, “so…do you use condoms when you have sex?"

Yeah.  I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Luckily for me, I decided to start at my neighbor Carole’s house (I had only met her once before this), and I was completely honest about being nervous.  I told her that since I was new and didn't know anybody, I was afraid to go door-to-door invading people's privacy with awkward questions.  She told me to wait 5 minutes so she could change her clothes and lock up the house, then she’d come invade people's privacy with me.

So nearly everyday since then, I meet Carole at her house around 4PM, she chooses a new route, and we conduct our surveys together until sunset.

Carole turns out to be both a great friend and a valuable asset when it comes to the surveys.  One evening, I was expressing how I felt the surveys were not comprehensive enough (particularly in terms of assessing agricultural/environmental needs) and that some of the questions could be improved upon.  The next day when I showed up at her house, she handed me a piece of paper on which she had created a list of additional questions, and reworded some of the questions that had been giving us difficulties.  On top all that, at the end of the day it’s nice to have someone to discuss the results with and to laugh with about all the interesting or crazy things we hear!

So what have I learned from these surveys so far?

Population: As of today, we’ve surveyed a total of 30 households, comprising of a total of 250 people (which means we’ve already hit our target sample of 5%, as Akono’s population is somewhere in the 3000-4000 range).  This averages out to 8.3 people per household.  While we did meet one woman who lives alone (which is very uncommon here), the largest number of residents in a single household was 19.

Education:  Except for one household, all children of age currently go to school.  Many families are hosts to other children who come from out of town to attend school in Akono. However, very few adults have finished high school.  All but two households agreed that both men and women should receive the same level of education. (The two interviewees that disagreed were both female).

Work:  The majority of the people surveyed are farmers.  They work in their farms, which mostly serve their own families unless there is enough to sell as well.  Many also engage in petite commerce, (e.g., selling beans and beignets). The second main employment is with the church.  This does not just mean being a nun or a priest, but perhaps a guardian, a grounds man, or like Carole’s husband: the agricultural supervisor.  Very few households had a bank account, though the majority saved money through tontines or by saving money with various associations.

Nutrition:  The majority of the population obtains their food by a combination of cultivating it themselves and by buying it.  While everyone said that they never go a day without eating, the majority admitted that there are periods when there is not enough food.  It does not come weekly or monthly, but rather in waves.  While sometimes there is plenty of food, other times are less fortunate.  This often depends on the season, or for those with a regular salary, on the time of the month.  In terms of stating the components of a healthy diet, the majority correctly included sources of protein and vitamins, but left out starch.  This being said, every household admitted that foods in the starch category are eaten everyday, while fruits, vegetables, and protein sources are more difficult to obtain.

HIV:  While Carole and I agree that it’s very unlikely anyone would openly admit to being HIV positive, I was surprised to find that the majority of responders have been tested within the past year.  The specific question asks if they’ve been tested in the past three months (as this will allow them to know their current HIV status), and nearly everybody responded “no” to this.  However, nearly everyone has been tested somewhat recently – or at least more so than I had expected.

Malaria:  Nearly everyone correctly stated that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, and at least half were even specific to the point of "female Anopheles" (which to be honest, I didn't even know until this survey).  Though I haven’t crunched the numbers yet, I’d say about half sleep under mosquito nets.  Nobody had screens on their windows, except for the nuns.

While I still think there are many ways to improve this survey, it had definitely helped me ease into Akono.  By going door-to-door each day, I am able to introduce myself to more community members.  Even if the survey does not thoroughly help me assess the priority needs of Akono, it is helping people in the village to understand why I am here, rather than them just seeing a random white face around town.  Better yet, the surveys are leading to further discussion, and it is through these discussions that I am truly getting to know Akono.

Oh, and to answer that question?  Nearly nobody uses condoms.