"SEC-S18-W1: A Story with my camera | (The Untold Voices in a Crisis Zone)"
Steem greetings all the way from the motherland-Cameroon to friends of the Steem Venezuela community. It is the beginning of season 18 of the engagement challenge and I’m here to discuss about the topic "A Story with my camera | (The Untold Voices in a Crisis Zone)".
![IMG_2058.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmaMkCacadm82veommfQthdHYErWPkkN9JFoztbFTvpFMV/IMG_2058.jpeg)
Before I begin, permit me share with you that I and my family have been living in a conflict area since 2016 when the crisis escalated into a gorilla warfare. Cameroon is made up of 10 regions and two are English native speakers. Over the years since reunification, the Anglophones always felt marginalised. On several occasions, they organised protests against the ruling government but it all felt on deaf ears. Until 2016, that activists advocacy groups were hijacked by separatists and now demanding for a separate country known to them as “Ambazonia”.
Since the take over by separatists, they created different armed groups to fight for liberation but today the case is no more liberation but humiliation, indiscriminate killing and torture, kidnapping, burning of civilian houses not supporting their struggle, rape is rampant, many kids out of schools because separatists fighters destroyed or burn down school structures, etc.
![IMG_1813.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmToE93QKbUNff2kzQLd7GBakKqYNZBrZ1DCKSJgjFRp8s/IMG_1813.jpeg)
Since the crisis escalated, every Mondays are observed as “ghost town” where everyone is expected to seat back at home. Of recent we were forced into a 4 days lockdown (ghost town) because of the 20th of May celebrated as national Day. They claimed that their national day is 1st October.
Staying at home for four days without going out for some people, it’s fun but to others it’s violating their rights to freedom of movement and they can go insane. Today, the four days ghost towns are over and places were expected to reopen but one cannot just get up and go out feeling without doing some personal security measures before stepping out. I had to make use of my camera and zoomed into the street early in the morning to be sure that movement was on.
![IMG_2052.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmewQFAxXsbLswMC1Yo5guGUFc8drqc5c3vaySTy1rwjRk/IMG_2052.jpeg)
The weather was dull and showing signs of rain and to think that for over a week now my neighbourhood is like cursed as if we are in the dry season. Guys… it is rainy season and we expected rain to be down pouring every day but that is not the case as we are suffering serious climate change. A dull weather gave me enough reasons to check the weather forecast to be sure of what to wear to work.
![IMG_2051.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTkhhPy7avvSMqWn9Tx4vGKDRcFQeZ2EsPKzrNQV2CeuM/IMG_2051.jpeg)
The day immediately after lockdown, everyone is excited to go out. I don’t know words to describe the feeling but all I know is that all living things are happy after lockdown period is over. I opened my door after four days indoors and guest who was there to greet me first. I saw many pigeons staring at me with so much joy. Even pigeons on a ghost town day do not move around anyhow.
![IMG_2050.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXUmybTn5uzwn75abjdLYPSwyN8mDyrHcSNnYZHWX6ebf/IMG_2050.jpeg)
Four days of lockdown means work has accumulated and we should be ready to face it. It means no breaks and no permissions are allowed because what is needed is catchup with accumulated work undone. After such as a day, one can only seat back at home in the evening hours and take a glass of cold tropical wine and drink. This is the only thing that can save your ass and you stop thinking and sleep like a baby.
![IMG_2057.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTwNghDyE6aKtjg1xzzXjm9p95EuAdo7KL89FKW2qkmyk/IMG_2057.jpeg)
After sleeping, get up and face the realities of a crisis zone because the drink only helps to postpone your problems at the moment you were sleeping. After that, get up and face them and keep hoping that one day God will rescue you…“When two elephants are fighting, only the grass suffer”. At this juncture, I have come to the end of my discussion and I will invite @saxopedia, @majerius and @eliany to make use of their cameras and share their stories to the challenge.
Thank you, friend!
![image.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmd7of2TpLGqvckkrReWahnkxMWH6eMg5upXesfsujDCnW/image.png)
![image.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWDnFh7Kcgj2gdPc5RgG9Cezc4Bapq8sQQJvrkxR8rx5z/image.png)
I'm @steem.history, who is steem witness.
Thank you for witnessvoting for me.
please click it!
(Go to https://steemit.com/~witnesses and type fbslo at the bottom of the page)
The weight is reduced because of the lack of Voting Power. If you vote for me as a witness, you can get my little vote.
@chant You have shared a very real and unique story. And I understand your feeling. And this time I valued my independence. And I pray that you get independence. and IN SHA ALLAH one day you will get. It is very amazing and strange for me to hear about ghosts. While reading your post, I imagine all the stories about your city. And I have a question when you are sitting in the house for four days, Then How will you earn because you are not going to go to your jobs? then How you will manage all expenses for four days. So I want to know the answer to this. Well, you have shared good photography. I know it is very difficult to take pictures for you in these four days. But still, you are a good photographer
It is very difficult especially to those that hustle daily to put food on the table. But for working class, you depend upon your savings. The reason why most daily hustlers are suffering because their vulnerability has been further compounded.
You rightly said that the budget should be done and all this depends on the budget because when you know that we are forced not to work for so many days or to be away from us, then we can do what we can. I salute you for having managed so much, it is very difficult but I admire your courage.
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted through steemcurator04. We support quality posts, good comments anywhere, and any tags.
Thank you @mvchacin for the support.
MI querida @chant, sentí pavor al leer sobre la situación de tu país. No puedo ocultarte la angustia que me embargó al saber que vives en una zona de peligro, en la que lo más seguro es el dolor y la angustia de no saber a qué enfrentarnos en el mañana. Por ello comprendo que al final del día decidan tomarse un acopa de vino para no sentirse tan desamparados.
Esta frase me encantó:
Me encantó leerte. Ahora pediré a Dios por la paz de Camerún. Un abrazo.
I appreciate your time reading through my content and giving positive feedback. Hugs 🤗🤗🤗 from me too.
So sorry to know that terrifying the zoning area of your home side is band because of the protests against the ruling government. And the separatists take over and made the armed groups and make the ghost whole community which was so crowded and hustle and bustle in common day finally harsh town is over pigeons are also seems to be happy and fear free. May Allah blessed your country peace and prosperity. Thanks for sharing your home town story with us. Good luck.
It is terrifying and we had no choice to suffer as the grass when the two elephants actively fighting. Thank you for the support and I wish you all the best too.
Here in Nigeria, many of us have heard about the ruling government though I don't know the full story. The seek of liberation became humiliation, discriminate killing and others negative sagas. The for days ghost town has made everyone somehow feel happy to have fun but somehow feel violation of the right to movement. However, I'm happy that at least the four days ghost town has finally got halted and you guys are now free to go your different occupation. The thing is no one has ever been happy when their human rights are forced to ignore. I enjoy reading your post and I wish you all the best of luck.🤗
No one is ever happy when their human rights are infringed upon and we are not indifferent. I appreciate your time reading through my content and giving positive feedback. 🤗
Really from your post, it is clear that life in a crisis is very hard. You share the pictures that people face every day. Thank you for sharing this post and let us know from people who often don't get a chance to read.Really appreciatable for your hardwork.
My dear, life in a crisis zone saying is hard is an understatement, it is miserable with compounded vulnerabilities.