I was born
in Belo, a small community in Northwest Cameroon, in 1975.
At the age
of six, on the death of my father, I was sent to live with my aunt who took
care of six children in her house. She has a humble background selling baby
dresses and supported me throughout my school days. Upon leaving school, my
aunt could no longer afford to support me. Although I passed my A-Levels to
enter university in the hope of studying agriculture, I did not have the
opportunity.
Therefore,
I had to come up with an alternative profession where I could still have an
impact on the region and which I could afford. I dreamt of something where I
could use my hands and something that would make an independent source of
income. Not least, I have always enjoyed the taste of our neighbour’s sweet honey,
so I decided to become a beekeeper, I researched what was required and joined
several associations to enable me to attain my full potential.
I received
the certificate of the British Beekeepers Association (BBK) and developed a
strong interest in training other people. Progress was slow so some friends
(with complementary skills) and I formed our own organization. Unfortunately we
were unsuccessful with our funding application and had to shut down the operation.
I still had the thought in my head to come back to my childhood community. I
knew the people, culture, traditions and environment that are unique to Belo;
hence it made perfect sense for me to base my work here. As a result, I founded
Rural Development Centre (RUDEC) along with some supporters in 2006; we had to
surmount many obstacles to get the project off the ground.
RUDEC was
formed with the mission to serve the neediest members of the rural communities
of Cameroon's Boyo Division by creating educational, social and economic
empowerment projects.
The project
I am proudest of is the "Orphan and Destitute Children Project" which
aims to cover the educational, health and basic needs of 57 orphans. They stay
with families of our community that take care of them while RUDEC is highly
dependent on donors to provide for the children's school fees, materials,
uniforms, medical bills, and training programs thus offering them a brighter
future. We strive to give them a good start in life. Especially at the end of summer
RUDEC often struggles to support the families, financially, because of hefty
back-to-school-costs. Consequently, we constantly reach out to develop
opportunities for funding.
On a long-term
basis, I dream that girls would no longer have to sell their bodies just to be
able to buy books. I dream education will result in a deeper understanding and
awareness of poor hygiene, HIV and tuberculosis, as in many cases this is what
lead to the death of their parents. I also dream of reaching even more children
in rural areas and providing for their education.
If RUDEC
had the means I would like to install a permanent office with permanent staff
that I can connect with, rely on and where both sides have the opportunity to
grow. A community centre that would become a social hub thus enabling empowerment
of those most vulnerable in our community.
This
scholarship that I have been selected for will help me to acquire a vast range
of skills that I will be able to use to achieve the realization of these projects.
Moreover, I
would love RUDEC to become self-sustainable. Currently, we are constantly
seeking financial support to enable us to fund our Orphan’s education and care.
Our current
projects comprise of selling honey from our hives, pig rearing with a view to
selling the animals and a women’s micro-finance project that though generating
small returns is vital for the self sufficiency of these women.
Kanthari International
Institute (India) educates people who are solution-driven without considering
where participants come from, what social background they have or if they are
physically impaired. Nor does it limit the participant’s approach to social
change. This way of thinking is in line with the envisioned community centre of
RUDEC, where everybody is welcomed and we make every effort to involve the
whole community.
This
program opens up the great opportunity of meeting, exchanging and networking with people from all over the world that have
different perspectives and approaches in terms of ethical social change in
their communities.
I would
welcome this chance to learn from them. In order to build a reliable funding
for the orphan project I need further skills in business development planning, proposal
and report writing. To reach out to donors and promote our work and volunteering
with RUDEC I need to strengthen my knowledge in marketing, use of social media
and public speaking.
I
experienced what it is like to be partly an orphan; I faced difficulties of
going to school, could not afford to graduate. Nonetheless, I am grateful I had
support and directions throughout my childhood. This is why the Orphan and
Destitute Children Project is the heart of our work at RUDEC.
Your
support will enable me to obtain a proper education and the required skills to
enable me to make my dreams for Belo, RUDEC and my community become reality.
ESTIMATED
COST OF WHOLE TRIP
Flight: 800,000 XAF
Student Visa:
160,000 XAF
Student 1 year
insurance: 90,000 XAF
Health check report:
60,000 XAF
Caution: 150,000 XAF
Expenses: 300,000
XAF
Transport: 55,000
XAF
Approximate
Total 1,600,000CFA (2,500 €)
