I spent March-June 2010 working with RUDEC. My arrival coincided with the departure of a small army of volunteers, so the vast majority of my time in Belo was spent working with Joshua and necessitated my involvement in all aspects of the organization's processes and projects. I originally intended to focus my efforts as a grant writer, but soon after my arrival Joshua and I sat down and determined that the organization had more pressing issues to confront. RUDEC is responsible for the medical, educational, and, in many cases, nutritional needs of over 50 orphans, and, following an assessment of the organization's finances, we determined that RUDEC's responsibilities to such a large number of children required a more consistent and lasting source of income than donations could guarantee. Equally as important was the need for any prospective revenue-generating project to take the traditions and customs of the local community into account, utilizing the skills and capabilities of the people of Belo to help the area's own disadvantaged children. Taking these concerns into consideration, at the end of March 2010 Joshua and I launched the beginnings of RUDEC's Self-Sustainability Project. We crunched the numbers, spoke with local farmers and merchants, and gathered work estimates from masons and woodworkers. We determined that a small, RUDEC-managed pig farm would be the best way to raise money for our Orphan Project in a consistent and self-sustaining way. Thanks to many generous donations, we raised enough to fund the construction of the structure, piglets and some food. All of our supplies were purchased locally, allowing for our initiative to place some money back into the community. We spent weeks clearing and leveling the land, and a local pig farmer was generous enough to give us pointers on building design and traditional pig farming methods. On the days that our limited construction skills weren't up to the task, people from town were happy to lend a hand. As of the date of my departure, plans have been put in place to expand the Self-Sustainability Project with the establishment of a compost bin and possibly a poultry farm. Hopefully we've established a project that will last on its own merits, will involve the community, and make a tangible contribution to the orphans in RUDEC's care. I also spent some time working in the office. Building upon an accounting system set up by earlier volunteers, I worked to automate the RUDEC budget and organize the office files. In May, Joshua and I drafted RUDEC's 2009-2010 Annual Report to the Cameroonian government. All things considered, I had a very rewarding experience in Belo. RUDEC is very much a “grassroots” organization- it's still young and it doesn't have a large amount of resources at its disposal. That being said, Joshua is an extremely honest, motivated, and resourceful man who has been able to do a lot with a little. If you are considering volunteering with RUDEC, prior to your arrival be sure to have a concrete plan regarding how you intend to contribute. At this point, RUDEC is only beginning to establish specific programs (in addition to the Orphan Project) that require constant contributions that last beyond the tenure of a volunteer's stay.