By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
Members of the Kate Kanyi-Tometi Excellence Fund, last November 6, met for a board meeting at the boardroom of the Central Administration, University of Buea, to review activities of the Fund for the previous year and to chart ways forward for new perspectives of the Fund for the 2024/2025 academic year.
In a delegation comprising the Chairperson of the Fund, George Wirnkar, the Secretary Prof. Eneke Bechem and member Princeley Nfortoh, the board members in the course of the meeting unanimously adopted the awards list for this year which will reward students of the University of Buea who excelled in the various faculties and also recognise groups in the University community who contributed significantly in raising standards, improving lives and building their communities.
In his intervention, the Chairperson of the Fund, George Wirnkar said, “This is the 1st meeting for this academic year to map the way forward for this year’s award, to review last year and see different ways we can make the impact as the board of this fund to last for as long as possible in this University. The University of Buea is not only training young people but also generating impact through building a society of persons who can contribute something significant in raising standards and improving lives”.
The Secretary of the Fund, Professor Eneke Bechem, in her opening statement thanked the Founder of the Fund for her enormous efforts in ensuring the successful implementation of the Fund. While encouraging a more fruitful collaboration, Prof. Bechem added that the impact of the Fund in the lives of the student beneficiaries has been so glaring. The Secretary of the Fund who doubles as the Registrar of UB noted that the University shall continue to do its best to remain faithful to the engagements they have taken as an institution to ensure that those who eventually enjoy the allocations really merit it.
She equally made mention of the fact that the University of Buea will honour the founder of the fund as well as the Vice Chancellor of the University during the upcoming award ceremony.
Talking to the press after the board meeting, the chairperson of the Fund revealed that the board meeting has been in view of the award of scholarships to meritorious students at the University of Buea in December. He added that the Fund basically not only rewards academic excellence but it awards students and people in the university community who distinguish themselves by service, impact on the university community, honesty, integrity and by other attributes that make the community a good place to live in. “We have unanimously adopted our awards list for this year and this will reward students of UB who excelled in the various faculties and also recognise groups in the university community.
“The target is normally 1000 beneficiaries with each of them getting an award of FCFA 50,000. We are going to make an increase this year because we are including in the awards list, groups of people who have distinguished themselves in terms of impact to the community” he explained.
The Kate Kanyi-Tometi Excellence Fund was instituted by the CEO of TELCAR Cocoa, Kate Kanyi-Tometi to encourage academic excellence for students of the University of Buea especially the physically challenged and needy students. She noted sometime back that the vision is to create transformative insights in the lives of students and the University of Buea by fostering a holistic approach to success, personal discipline and a profound contribution to the life of the community.