By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
Strengthening collaboration and promoting youth entrepreneurship for development, the Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB) has achieved another milestone as it welcomed a four-man-delegation from the United States of America Embassy in Cameroon to the CUIB Buea campus recently.
Representing the delegation from the US Embassy Cameroon was the Deputy Public Affairs Officer Amanda Caudwell, the Director of the US Embassy branch in Douala, Ashley White, American Center Program Specialist Mabel Foncham-Chingang and the Exchange Programs Coordinator Jessica Kontchou who were welcomed by the President of CUIB, Reverend Father Bartholomew Anyanwu and other members of Faculty.
The President of CUIB, Reverend Father Bartholomew Anyanwu in his remark did not fail to mention some activities carried out by the University on a yearly basis such as the Trade Fair which helps showcase the talents of the students thereby enabling them inculcate the entrepreneurial mindset. “We train our students to be entrepreneurs and respond to the challenges of their communities”.
Appreciating the team from the US embassy in Cameroon to CUIB, the president reminded the students that the programs/opportunities offered by the US embassy to mentor young entrepreneurs is free and they should make use of such golden opportunities.
The Director of the US Embassy branch in Douala, Ashley White noted that Entrepreneurship is an important tool for development as it creates lots of opportunities and reduces poverty. “At the US Embassy, we have been empowering young people as the key to unlocking economic growth and fostering sustainable development. The future belongs to those who can create jobs. The world needs innovative minds like yours to drive positive change”, she told the students.
She mentioned some programs carried out by the US Embassy to support young entrepreneurs such as the small grants programs, US mentorship programs, Educational exchange programs, public diplomacy grants program etc.
Ashley White encouraged the students to dream big, take risk and never underestimate their potentials. The team from the US embassy equally sat the students through on a lot of opportunities available for them to thrive in their entrepreneurial journey.
Talking to the press after the discussions and exchanges with the US embassy team and the students, the President of CUIB reiterated that the Catholic University Institute of Buea is a growth mindset entrepreneurial university and it is also a University with the Afro-American cultural background. “Having this delegation from the United States of America from the Cameroon embassy means a lot to this University. The theme for our discussion has been on entrepreneurship, the young people and entrepreneurship in view of development. This is so important because entrepreneurship stands at the core of our university. Today it is almost mandatory in all higher institutions but from the moment of its inception, entrepreneurship has been an ease and forms part and parcel of our university. What we have tried to do today in the course of our discussion is to again expand on this reality, this innovation which should be part and parcel of our culture and also to see how the opportunities therein for our students to make good use of all the talents they have as entrepreneurs. It has been a wonderful meeting and we want to thank the US for their presence and their collaboration”. Fr. Bartholomew averred.
He furthered that, “From the word go, most of our students here own businesses already. There is this mindset of being able to be creative, innovative even while they are students. So the opportunities are there. Each student who leaves from the university is supposed to do so with a business plan in such a way that they start realising those plans now. We are training students who are very creative so that they can be able to make things for themselves, provide jobs for themselves and also help others. This is so important for our university especially taking into consideration entrepreneurship which is an important arm of our university”, the CUIB President said.
At the close of discussions, CUIB offered some gifts to the US embassy team and the team also offered to the institution some 50 books for the library; books on leadership, development etc as well as five computers among other gifts.