By Sah Terence Animbom
The village of Akum in the North West Region of Cameroon witnessed a momentous occasion on August 22, 2024, as Dr. Atangcho Celestine, a distinguished son of the soil, fulfilled his promise to the community by awarding scholarships and distributing school supplies on behalf of Akum Cultural Association Tristate, USA (ACAT) to school children. This event marked the culmination of a series of community-driven initiatives that began in December of the previous year, all aimed at fostering educational excellence and providing much-needed support to the youth of Akum.
The highlight of the event was the awarding of scholarships to the winners of the Pa James Bowen Atangcho Intellectual Competition, held in December 2023. The competition, organized in honor of Dr. Atangcho’s late father, saw the participation of close to 100 primary six pupils from various schools in Akum. The two top winners were granted five-year scholarships to PSS Mankon and Sacred Heart College while four runners-up received FCFA 50,000 each in tuition support. Additionally, all other participants were awarded FCFA 10,000 as a token of encouragement.
As the 2024/2025 academic year approached, Dr. Atangcho’s commitment to education was further demonstrated during the Back-to-School campaign. At a ceremony held in his native Akum village, he handed over school supplies and awarded the scholarships, as well as cash prizes, to the competition’s winners, runners-up, and all participants. The event, attended by hundreds of enthusiastic villagers, was a testament to the positive impact of education and community service on the lives of the youth.
The ceremony was not only about academics. It also featured Miss Akum, crowned during the Priscilla Atangcho Beauty Pageant in December 2023, who had organized a holiday training session in ceremonial decorations for young girls in the village. During the August 22 event, Miss Akum distributed school supplies, sanitary pads, and certificates to the beneficiaries of her training program. Her initiative aimed to empower young girls with practical skills and provide them with essential items for the school year, highlighting the importance of both education and self-sufficiency.
The testimonies of grateful parents underscored the significance of the scholarships and the support provided by Dr. Atangcho. Mirabel, mother to Sirri Divine Favour, the winner of the intellectual competition, expressed her profound gratitude, saying, “Words cannot express how I feel. I want to thank Dr. Atangcho so much for this initiative. This scholarship means a lot to me and my family. It has lifted a very high burden from my family. I am so happy. I pray that God should uplift him and that whatever he lays his hand on should succeed. May he never lack. I am also promising that my daughter will make both him and my family proud. She is a very promising child and I know she will do extremely well.”
Similarly, Ndifor Hycent, father to Kongnyuy Princely Ndifor, expressed his joy and gratitude, likening the opportunity his son received to attending a world-renowned institution. “We want to thank Dr. Atangcho and family immensely for this wonderful opportunity he has given us. If it were left to us, we would never have dreamt that our child can go to such a school. To me, it feels like he is going to Oxford University. We could never have afforded to send our child to Sacred Heart College. May God add more to Dr. Atangcho and multiply for his family that he may never lack. I pray other people who have the means can learn such good moves and replicate them and see how God will bless them abundantly. The sky will not even be the Atangcho’s limit.”
The impact of the initiative was not limited to individual families. It resonated across the entire community, as evidenced by the words of Che Jubeline Afah, a head teacher at God’s Time Nursery and Primary School Bangafum, one of the schools that benefited from the initiative. “This donation that our brothers and sisters in the United States have given us today makes me so grateful. That they came together as one to encourage our children to go back to school, especially those back at home with the unrest they are presently going through. Their donation has inspired even those who came for holidays to the village to think they should come back and school in the village. I pray that wherever they got the resources to make this happen will continue to be productive and that God will replenish it a million folds.”
Dr. Atangcho, visibly moved by the outpouring of gratitude and the overwhelming turnout, shared his own reflections at the end of the ceremony. “I feel very happy because the village is happy. I had planned to get strictly those involved to hand their prizes, but when I got here, the hall was packed full and the village was in a very good mood, and I am truly happy that we made a promise, and we were able to deliver.”
On the sidelines of the event, the Akum Cultural Association Tristate, an association of Akum sons and daughters based in the United States in solidarity to the community did a Back-to-School donation. The association donated school supplies, including exercise books, pens, pencils, and math sets, to about 500 pupils in classes four, five, and six in Akum. This generous gesture further highlighted the collective effort of the Akum diaspora in ensuring that the village’s children were well-prepared for the new school year.
The August 22 ceremony was the latest chapter in an ongoing story of community service and dedication to the memory of the late Pa James Bowen Atangcho. The roots of this initiative can be traced back to December 2023, when thousands of Akum indigenes from across the national territory and the diaspora converged at the St. Pius Catholic Church Akum for a memorial mass. The mass honored Pa James Bowen Atangcho, who passed away fifty years ago, as well as his two children, Priscilla and Augustine, who passed on over 35 years ago and three months prior to the event, respectively.
In the days leading up to the memorial mass, the Atangcho family engaged the community through various activities, including a soccer tournament in memory of the late Pa James Bowen and Augustine Tazibong Atangcho. The tournament, featuring female, youth, and veteran categories, offered significant cash prizes and trophies, engaging the community in a celebration of sportsmanship and unity.
The Atangcho family’s commitment to the village also extended to supporting the construction of the parish priest’s house, a project that had stalled for nearly a decade. During the December 2023 memorial, the family raised FCFA 350,000 for the project and promised to triple the amount to over FCFA 1 million. This pledge was a clear demonstration of their dedication to both the spiritual and material well-being of the Akum community.
The impact of these initiatives has been felt far beyond the borders of Akum. The donation of medical supplies to the Akum Integrated Health Center, the Holy Family Medical Centre, the Santa District Hospital, and the Bamenda Regional Hospital during the December 2023 event exemplified the Atangcho family’s commitment to improving healthcare in the region. The beneficiary health facilities were deeply appreciative, recognizing the significance of the medical equipment in enhancing their capacity to serve the community.
As the 2024/2025 academic year begins, the people of Akum can look forward to a brighter future, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Atangcho and the collective support of the Akum diaspora. The scholarships, school supplies, and community-driven initiatives have not only provided immediate relief to families but have also laid the foundation for long-term educational and social development in the village. The spirit of unity and generosity that characterized the August 22 event serves as a reminder that, with the right support, the children of Akum can reach for the stars and achieve their dreams.