Educare Africa: 2016

December 12, 2016

What do you think? Would you help?

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Warm loving greetings to you and your loved ones! I hope you are doing fine and have some news for you and a suggestion from GreatNonprofits.org.

If you love our work then tell the world! You have an opportunity to help us make even more of a difference in Cameroon. GreatNonprofits-a review site like TripAdvisor-is honoring highly reviewed nonprofits with their 2016 Top-Rated Awards. Won't you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a review of your experience with us? All reviews will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It’s easy and only takes 3 minutes!

Go to http://greatnonprofits.org/org/educare-africa to get started!

News:

We are very happy and very grateful to VWR Foundation for yet another grant we received recently for science lab equipment for two rural high schools. Equipment will be purchased in January and February and handed over during my annual trip to Cameroon in May and June 2017. All activities will be documented with photographs and video clips and posted on our blog and Facebook pages.
Concerning our Community Resource Center project in Tatum: Mr. Kevin, our field coordinator in Cameroon reported that so far 2500 sun dried bricks have been made and more is on the way. In addition, the $10 Club is going to donate thousand dollars toward this project very soon. We are very grateful to them for their continuing kind and generous support.
For the first time we are planning a different kind of fundraiser - a silent auction - since we have already quite a few items to offer and more will be donated. It will take place in Corvallis, on February 18th, 2017. We will provide more details at the right time and we hope that many of you will participate so we could assist more students and schools in Cameroon.

Thank you so much on behalf of many students and schools in Cameroon for your continuing kind and generous support and we look forward to hear from you at the right time again.

We wish you richly blessed Holiday Season, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2017, filled with much love, joy, peace, fulfillment, gratitude, abundance and much more.

With much gratitude,
Fondly,
Pavla & Educare-Africa Team

July 12, 2016

Trip 2016 - Brief Summary

My 17th trip to Cameroon was very enjoyable and the best so far.

On Saturday, April 30th Thomas Maika and I met with several former and current students. To support our work in Cameroon an additional meeting was planned for July 2nd.
On May 1st Thomas and I traveled to Bamenda. I met with Mr. Kevin, our field coordinator, then picked up funds, purchased basic school supplies and science lab equipment and prepared for our journey to Tatum. On May 18th we drove to G.H.S. Kedjom Keku to give prizes. On May 19th we traveled to Tatum.

Basic school supplies for the 113 best students from G.H.S. Kedjom Keku, G.H.S. Talla, G.B.H.S. Tatum, G.H.S. Nseh, G.H.S. Mbu-Warr, G.H.S. Taku and G.H.S. Ntumbaw were purchased and given during prize giving ceremonies between May 18th and May 27th. Donated solar lamps, clothing, toothbrushes, toothpaste, additional school supplies and other donations were distributed to over 360 students. About 220 staff members from these seven schools received pens for encouragement. Each school also received four boxes of chalk.
Thanks to Labdoo NGO in California, eight laptop computers were donated to G.H.S. Kedjom Keku, G.B.H.S. Tatum, G.H.S. Taku, G.S.S. Kuintar, G.S.S. Ntaaba, G.S.S. Mbawrong, I.C.C. Tatum and G.S.S. Mbohnso.
Two Wellesley College Book Awards were given to the best female science students from G.B.H.S. Kumbo and G.B.H.S. Ndu.
G.S.S. Kuintar, G.H.S. Lus, G.H.S. Ntumbaw and G.H.S. Mbu-Warr received science lab equipment. Nine rural secondary/high schools received new short wave radios donated by the Ears To Our World NGO from North Carolina. In 4 schools older radios were replaced with new ones.

On Wednesday, May 25th science laboratory equipment was purchased thanks to VWR Foundation and was donated by Educare-Africa to G.B.H.S. Ndu. It was big event that included songs, traditional dances, speeches, fundraising and the handing over of science laboratory equipment.
On Saturday, May 28th, we met with students and parents at G.B.H.S. Kumbo.
On June 1st we visited Mr. Denis Egbe, former principal of G.H.S. Mbu-Warr, who was transferred to G.H.S. Lus, and we handed over to the school some science lab equipment, a short wave radio and one solar lamp, donated by one of our board members. It took us three and half hours to get there on a terrible road. On our way back the truck we used broke down.
From June 13th until June 18th we met with students and parents in Tatum. On June 15th we met with parents and students at G.H.S. Mbu-Warr. On June 20th we traveled to Bamenda and on June 26th we met with parents and students from Bamenda. During my stay we chose 200 good students which included over 50 new outstanding students to assist in 2016/2017 school year.

We secured a piece of land with a beautiful view, where we will build Educare-Africa Resource Center, which will contain a public library, internet, computer lab, several guest rooms, dormitories, Educare-Africa office, bakery and much more. We hope to complete the first building by next year in May se we could use it during my 18th trip. We set aside some funds for this project together with community support and collaboration with several schools we have been assisting. The estimate for the first building is approximately $29,000. You can check the project proposal and a detail estimate when you click on "Tatum Project."

On Tuesday, June 28th Mr. Kevin and I traveled to Santa to meet 3 Peace Corps trainees that will be posted at G.B.H.S. Tatum, G.H.S. Talla and G.H.S. Ntumbaw. On Wednesday, June 29th Thomas and I traveled to Yaoundé. On June 30th Thomas and I visited the Peace Corps office and since it has been 20 years since I came to Cameroon as a Peace corps volunteer, a group photograph with all Peace Corps staff was taken. On July 2nd Thomas Maika and I met with Mrs. Marie-Therese Obama at her home. She is a professor at Pediatrics in the Medical school in Yaoundé and also Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family since 2009. Mrs. Obama and I are both Wellesley College alumnae. We discussed her and our work. She is very supportive of our work in Cameroon.

As a side project, Justin Tagne from the Cameroon Baptist Center in Bamenda and a member of an NGO called Born Free Cameroon, and I organized the handing over of donations from the Reid Veterinary Hospital in Albany, Oregon. On Sunday, June 26th, Justin and I rented a car and visited many dog owners and breeders in Bamenda to check on their dogs and assist with some basic medical care and equipment.

Note: Check a few video clips below and soon photographs will be posted as well.

UPCOMING ASSISTANCE: We hope to assist about 180 secondary/high school students and about 20 university students. Approximately $15,000 would take care of these students' essential educational needs. Since the deadline for payment of school fees is in mid-September, it would be desirable to have the funds available before September 9th. If the school fees and the GCE exam registration fees are not paid on time, students are often sent home from school, which has a detrimental effect on their exam results.

We will keep you informed about our building project in Cameroon. You can check on our progress on our blog.

You can view some of our activities on the following video clips:

January 27, 2016

20 Year Anniversary

In June 1996 I arrived in Cameroon for the first time. I was a Peace Corps trainee hoping to become a Peace Corps science teacher. After 3 months intensive training I was posted as a biology teacher at G.S.S. Tatum in the Northwest Region. I was a class mistress of one class for 3 years, started two clubs, got married there in July 1998, took many students for excursions and in 1999 I took my class 3.B, 34 students at the time, for once in a lifetime trip to the Atlantic Ocean, Limbe botanic garden, Wildlife Sanctuary, Oil refinery and Douala. In 2000, I started Educare-Africa and became a full-time volunteer president and executive director. I enjoy every moment of my amazing life.

Following are photographs from my Peace Corps service that include our training, teaching, dancing, excursions, our wedding and Educare-Africa activities. I hope you will enjoy these and remember many good needy eager students and schools in this beautiful country.

Peace Corps Training