Tips for serving in Cameroon from 9 Peace Corps Volunteers

Community-driven projects

As with all Peace Corps service opportunities, Volunteer assignments in Cameroon are driven by partner requests for support. The prioritized community projects fall within the Agriculture, Education, and Health programmatic sectors.

“As a Health Volunteer in Cameroon, I work alongside hospital personnel and community health agents who are passionate about educating their peers to help improve public health in the region. We conduct weekly health talks with pregnant women and women who are lactating specifically in malaria, nutrition, HIV, and malnutrition,” said Health Volunteer, Sesay B. (2023-2025).

Volunteers often identify creative ways to supplement or support their primary assignment. Take Rebecca C. (2023-2025), for example. As an Education Volunteer, she spends half her day teaching English at a high school but wanted to further strengthen the community’s language skills by offering additional opportunities to practice listening and speaking: “Seeing how much the students love sports, I started a dance club and a track and field club. It's about exercising but it's also a way for them to practice English in a more relaxed setting and to feel comfortable expressing themselves. I try to spend at least one day a week working on a farm with members of the community. It's a nice way to get to know my students' families better and learn more about their culture,” she said.

Learn more about Volunteer projects in Cameroon.

Make the most of your time

Service is more than strengthening capacity in skills or completing a specific, collaborative project. It’s helping your host family prepare ndolé (a flavorful stew with crayfish, beef, and peanuts). It’s attending weddings or funerals, joining an impromptu soccer match, and stopping to greet someone new on your walk to work. It’s about being present and participating.

“The values of patience, acceptance, openness, willingness to participate, and embracing discomfort have all played important roles in my community integration. I greet and talk with anyone who wants to converse (within my comfort level), participate in multiple church groups, keep a consistent presence at schools, and always welcome an evening hanging out on the porches of local mothers,” said Community Health Volunteer, Mason M. (2022-2025).

Rachel C. (2015-2017) suggested attending as many of the cultural events as possible during your time in country: “The festivals teach younger generations about cultural rituals so they can keep traditions alive as the years go by. Many people were decked out in beautiful traditional costumes, made of black fabric with bright colorful embroideries.  Each outfit is custom-made by local artists and wearers can choose their own designs.”

What to expect

Life as a Volunteer will be different from your current life in the States. Certain conveniences and comforts may not be available at your site. With today’s technology and mobile messaging apps though, Volunteers have an easier time keeping in touch with loved ones from home.

“Here in Cameroon, almost all Peace Corps Volunteers live alone in one- or two-bedroom houses, with faucets, toilets, and stoves with gas or propane, and sometimes a refrigerator and an electric fan. There are multiple locks on multiple doors, and we are coached on security. Volunteers must cook meals for themselves from local foods; buy furniture; pay the electric bill, phone, and internet; and figure out how to manage the Wi-Fi systems and banking from a phone,” shared Agriculture Volunteer, Cathy K. (2024-2025).

Kara C. (2017-2020) provides a glimpse at her service experience from arrival to reaching the two-year mark as a Health Volunteer. And if 27 months feels like a long time to live abroad, consider these 17 tips to stay motivated from Agriculture Volunteer Anna N.

What to pack

Focus on the essentials and remember that some items will be available to purchase in country. Breathable clothing that covers your shoulders, torso, and knees is encouraged to respect local norms. Volunteers also suggest a protective hat, bathing suit, and running shoes.

Pack a few items that will remind you of home or enable you to share a favorite hobby. If you’re a culinary enthusiast, this may mean measuring cups, a French press, or packaged spices. The budding writer, on the other hand, may want to reserve space for a journal, stationery, and a new book.

Other items to consider:

• A Bluetooth speaker
• Bath towel and shower shoes
• Durable water bottle

See our complete packing guidance for sector-specific suggestions.

Learning goes both ways

Regardless of the length of the assignment, Peace Corps service offers the distinct opportunity to share what you know with others and in return, learn something yourself.

“Patrice, my counterpart and chief of our health center, has completely changed how I approach my work. In the U.S., we tend to see work as nothing more than something we do from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We see our lives as segmented—personal and public. Patrice, in the typical Cameroonian fashion, is not like that at all. His job is how he lives his life. The health of our village is his sense of purpose, and he sees every child as close to his heart; [for him, it’s] not just a job. He has shown me what it means to find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life,” reflected Health Volunteer, Cecilia H. (2017-2019)

“I learned living in Cameroon that the essential things in life can’t be bought. You may hear the phrase as a cliché, but you won’t believe it until you experience it. Cameroonians taught me that the right mindset, family, friends, and food can be enough for a really content life,” Jomara R. (2015-2018).

Visit the National Peace Corps Association website to connect with other Volunteers who served in Cameroon.

Inspired to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon? Connect with a recruiter and explore opportunities here.