Educare Africa

On May 22nd, 2006 I arrived successfully in Yaounde, Cameroon. Emmanuel Sunjo & 2 other gentlemen waited for me at the airport and drove me to a rest house. The next day I met the US ambassador, his deputy and security chief to make plans for my safe stay in Cameroon.

On May 31 st, our former director’s services were finally terminated thanks to a great lawyer, Mr. Sama Francis Asanga. On June 3 rd I arrived in Tatum. Fred Tume, a zookeeper at Yaounde ZOO, accompanied me all the way from Yaounde and assisted me. He took 17 days off his work to serve.

Basic school supplies for 65 best students from G.H.S. Tatum were purchased at Kumbo and given during a prize giving ceremony on June 7th. Donated clothes, and a few other donations were distributed to 17 students. 86 students received financial assistance for their immediate needs such as school fees, G.C.E. registration fees, rent, kerosene, food, school uniforms, shoes and transport back to their villages. 35 staff members from G.H.S. Tatum received pens for encouragement. Six stop watches were purchased for the physics department.

I met with the new principal, Mr. Emmanuel Njei and the staff to brief them on Gilbert’s termination and our plans. Students, staff and parents were all very happy with the new principal, who has been working very hard since he came to Tatum.

At this time, since I had nobody to work with, we were not accepting new applications. I met with 96 students and some of their parents to inform them that Gilbert was no longer our director and that the students chosen for assistance who did not receive any support this year would be placed on our priority list for the next academic year. They would be the first ones to get assistance in September 2006 as soon as we would have enough funds.

A printed note was sent to students from Ndu, G.S.S. Ntumbaw, G.S.S. Mbu-warr and several other schools, which we could not reach during my visit.

Emmanuel Sunjo & I also met with our students from Yaounde & Buea Universities and from schools around Bamenda to inform them about our former director’s termination and our plans for the future.

A foundation for a new Educare-Africa team was laid, thanks to Emmanuel Sunjo and other caring Cameroonians. This summer, 2 new employees will be hired: an administrative assistant, a female, who will be handling finances and an executive field coordinator, who will assist the students. Whenever possible, we would pay the school fees directly to the schools. We already have established a board of 9 directors from Yaounde , Douala , Bamenda, Kumbo & Tatum, who would oversee the operations in Cameroon . We will have a new office location with time. We will open a bank account with the Amity Bank in Cameroon to avoid high Western Union charges in the future.

UPCOMING ASSISTANCE : We will have again about 15 very good students from primary schools to be assisted by Educare-Africa with school fees and school uniforms to continue in secondary school in September 2006. In addition, we want to assist about 180 secondary/high school students , around 30 high school graduates, who would like to continue their education and about 35 university students. Approximately $30,000 by the end of September 2006 would take care of these children’s essential educational needs.

We want to avoid any challenges associated with volunteer work in Cameroon and therefore both our new Cameroonian employees will be paid on regular basis based on our contract with them. In addition, we will be renting a small office. For these reasons, we would need a regular monthly income to cover these necessary expenses.

I would like to thank you very much on behalf of the students in Cameroon for your loving support and for your encouragement to me during the time of challenges with our former director. Appreciation of our help by the students, parents, teachers and the whole community has been immense. Let us continue in this spirit and let us work together to help those less fortunate. …

“I am dedicating myself to the love of God and the love of my neighbor as myself. I am dedicating myself to serving ‘the least of these my brethren,’ and the greatest along with the least.”