My 19th trip to Cameroon was shorter but still successful.
First building of Educare-Africa Resource Center
On Saturday, May 5th Thomas, Jude and I met with several former and current students. To support our Tatum project an additional meeting was planned for June 24th.
On May 15th Mr. Kevin and I handed over a laptop computer, donated by Labdoo and science laboratory equipment purchased thanks to kind donors, to the principal of G.B.H.S. Nitob.
On May 16th we traveled to Tatum. So far we have running water but no electricity so during our stay we used a generator for a few hours each day. We hope for solar in the near future.
Newly constructed home for the generator.
While in Tatum, several smaller projects were completed but since we ran out of funds some workers were only partially paid. A short wall was built behind the house to protect several pipes:
Zinc was placed under the roof of the "boys' quarters" to prevent wind from entering:
An accessible ramp was built at the main entrance and the stairs were enlarged to make the entrance easier and safer:
A temporary fence around the first building was enlarged and eventually the entire plot will need fencing to prevent other people's encroachment:
Since the soil there is extremely stony, every day many were picked up and used in some of the projects:
First curtains and blinds were sewn and hung in the living room:
The building needs to be painted, boys' quarters need to be plastered and doors and windows are needed as well. The housekeeper's apartment needs a toilet and a kitchen sink. There is much more to be done before we start with the main building, which will contain a public library, internet, computer lab, rest house, conference hall and the Educare-Africa office. Below is an updated floor plan for the main building:
On May 24th science laboratory equipment was donated to G.H.S. Lus thanks to a grant from VWR Foundation:
On June 1st Mr. Kevin and I visited two former students at their work places. First, we drove to Jakiri to visit Mbinkar Benoit, who is now a teacher at a technical high school:
From his place we drove to a Veterinary School, which is also in Jakiri to visit Ndzi Victor, who teaches there and who is also a volunteer board member of Educare-Africa:
On Saturday, June 23rd Thomas and I traveled to Yaoundé. The following day we met again some former and current students to discuss various strategies how we could raise more funds for the project and to ensure the future of Educare-Africa:
From L to R: Jude, Tom, Promise, Ethel & Julius
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 and SafeHaven Humane Society in Albany, Oregon on Friday, May 11th:
I left Cameroon on June 26th. Jude and Thomas took me to the airport:
With Tom (L) and Jude (R) at the airport.
Below are a few video clips:
