By SAH TERENCE ANIMBOM
A group of patriotic Cameroonians in Congo Brazzaville known as Cameroon Platinum Congo, led by Cameroons Ambassador to the country Hamidou Komidor Njimoluh, has donated the sum of FCFA 1,5 Million and some didactic materials ranging from school bags and books for Primary school children and some basic text books as well as a subsidy of 10,000 FCFA each to some 75 internally displaced secondary school children drawn from schools around Bamenda. This is to enable the latter make up for their examination registration fees.
In a ceremony that took place at the North West Governor’s office and chaired by the governor himself last December 10, 2020, the school children were encouraged by the governor to remain patriotic and to take studies seriously. He thanked Cameroon Platinum Congo for the very timely gesture that comes at a time when some internally displaced school children are facing difficulties with examination registration fees and abandoned to themselves in a strange town to most of them, all in the pursuit of education. He furthered that the gesture was a response to the head of state’s call for all living forces at home and abroad to mobilise resources to help suffering Cameroonians. He also called on the students to make very good use of the didactic materials and money given to them.
According to the regional delegate of Secondary Education for the North West, Ngwang Roland, he enumerated the challenges of internally displaced students in Bamenda. He said they had pedagogic needs, basic documents like birth certificates as many had their houses burnt with all documents and they can’t even register for exams, even sanitary needs for girls, feeding, lodging, exam fees and guardianship. It is worth noting that many of the students are now living independent and very difficult lives away from their parents who are stuck in the villages trying to make ends meet.
The delegate explained that the 75 beneficiaries were selected from the most desperate situations and that a census of 1229 internally displaced students had been conducted and the number is feared to triple in the weeks ahead, as the previous figure is from statistics of months back. He ended by appealing to other persons of good will to emulate the example of Cameroon Platinum Congo and help the numerous needy students and pupils in the region as the process is ongoing.
The school population in functional schools around Bamenda is growing steadily with many more children excited about going to school than in the past three years. Only schools in the heart of Bamenda and in the most secured areas are functional while schools in Boyo, Bui, Ngoketunjia, Momo and Menchum remain locked. However, there are a few mission schools allowed by separatist fighters to run in Boyo and elsewhere