Archive for January, 2011
January 26, 2011
During my May 2010 trip to Cameroon, we came across this boy in Bechati standing in a mud hut with his grandfather. “Who Is Rich?” was written over the doorway. Aside from the bench shown in the picture, there was not a single other possession to be seen. Yet the old man was happy. Unbelievably happy.
He was clearly impoverished by our North American standards, but it soon became apparent that this man was genuinely rich with all of the things that matter most: friends, family, health and a humble offering of a daily meal were all that he had ever needed. What more could he want? In his opinion, he had it all. In mine, he did too.
Now I want to hear from you. Leave a comment answering the question of this sign: What does “rich” mean to you?
January 24, 2011
With so much of our focus on the short-term water projects we’re working on in Sudan during the referendum, I thought it would be timely to expand on our longer-term water initiatives in Cameroon.
In almost all instances, the job of getting water for the family falls on the women and children; and it is definitely a job: the nearest clean water source is often many kilometres from home and collecting water is usually a full day walking.
Children are regularly kept home from school and arthritis is a widespread condition for women. As a result, families frequently resort to drinking water that is closer to the village, but contaminated from being used as a toilet and to wash or prepare chickens.
The Obakki Foundation forms a water committee within the villages when we commence a water project. We provide the tools, supplies and engineering expertise while villagers help with the construction.
A natural water source is located and we hike in the supplies to create a catchment, which is a dam created to produce pressure that feeds the water down the pipeline into a holding tank.
Separate pipelines run from this catchment to different pump stations in other villages. The entire system is gravity-fed and one project can reach numerous villages, providing water to thousands of people. Progress is slow because construction is hampered by the rainy season and it takes the duration of the dry season to complete; however, once it’s completed the results are immediate and long-lasting.
January 21, 2011
Visiting the Hotpec Orphanage is always a highlight of our trips to Cameroon but also something that I dread. It’s home to 91 children who live in horrendous conditions: sleeping in shacks, four in a bed with no sheets, no electricity, and very little food.
It’s also where I met Docas, the little girl who stole my heart. Working with these kids to give them a future is a huge part of why I come to Cameroon, but leaving them at the end of our trip is almost unbearable.
I’m so happy to pass on these most recent pictures, taken by Jeff on his November 2009 trip to Cameroon. As you can see, the conditions of the orphanage have improved greatly.
There is a nutritional program in place to ensure the children are adequately fed, the kids now have beds with proper linens and they’ve begun a micro-livestock program with pigs and chickens. Addressing their basic needs has had an immediate impact on the children. These photos really do speak for themselves.
January 19, 2011
The historic referendum in Sudan hinges on the availability of drinking water for the millions of voters expected to turn out. Recently the Obakki Foundation offered resources to address these needs and a recent article has recognized these efforts.
The state minister for Physical Infrastructure, Joseph Maker Madit, stated that access to water at polling centers is a basic need, adding that a lack of drinking water may impact negatively on the turnout at the polling centers.
Mr. Madit further acknowledged with appreciation a donation from the Obakki Foundation of $100,000 for parts to repair boreholes as well as the staff required to rehabilitate boreholes at polling centers.
This is another example of how your donations are making a huge difference in the world.
January 17, 2011
In the Lebialem Valley, where we do most of our work in Cameroon, education is a luxury rather than a right. In this remote location, children attend school in mud huts or even outside and supplies are almost non-existent: teachers must collect rocks and twigs to use for mathematics and one notebook is often shared amongst an entire class. The Obakki Foundation committed to building new schools and also equipping existing ones with basic supplies.
After our December 2009 trip, we offered people the opportunity to donate items or purchase “school kits” consisting of pens, notebooks and other essential items. In early 2010 a sea container was sent from Canada to Cameroon and was unfortunately delayed in customs for until November 2010. Our representatives were there to oversee the delivery of basic supplies, computers and textbooks in addition to other teaching equipment. As you can see, the children were very happy!
We had a tremendous response from people who donated through our website and also sent boxes of supplies to be included in the sea container. Thank you once again for your support and remember, we are still taking donations via our website for upcoming trips.
January 14, 2011
One of the most impactful stories I brought back from Cameroon last year was the Buea School for the Deaf (BSD). Years ago, the Bibums, a married and deaf couple, began an outreach program for deaf children and eventually opened a school with over 100 students.
When I was there, children were studying in dilapidated, gloomy classrooms during the day and then pushing aside their desks to sleep on the cold floor at night. You can read the full story and see a video of Mr. Bibum’s reaction to our sponsorship offer here.
Judging from the comments left by readers of our blog, this story of the Bibum’s compassion and perseverance resonated with many others as well. I’m thrilled to provide you with an update on this Obakki Foundation-sponsored project.
In September 2010, the BSD moved from their cramped, rented space into a three-room cement structure (having sturdy construction is essential with the unrelenting rainy season). The rooms have been partitioned to make five classrooms and a temporary administrative office. In October 2010 a lavatory and second building with four classrooms were finished, and by the end of this month new dormitories are due to be completed.
They will use generators until electrical lines can be provided and children take turns fetching water two kilometers away until the new well is dug, but already the staff is reporting positive results: fewer students are ill; parents are more punctual with their fees; and the overall atmosphere is one of joyful excitement.
Thank you to everyone who purchased Obakki Foundation merchandise or made donations – you are making a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
January 12, 2011
Obakki Foundation in a feature 3-page spread in the February 2011 issue of Elle Magazine. Now available on newsstands.
January 7, 2011
Treana and Ryan traveled to Sudan in December to visit the Obakki Foundation projects, which are focused on making water available in this drought-ravaged country.
After 22 years of civil war, Sudan is at a historical crossroads: from January 9 – 15th, citizens in the south will vote for their independence from the north. Over 800 thousand displaced southerners have made the journey home and over 3 million additional citizens are expected to vote.
Earlier this week, the Governor of Lakes State declared a water emergency because they could not meet the needs of people arriving at voting centres; many of them had been walking for days and were desperate for water. The situation was only expected to worsen as people would be standing in line for hours in the relentless heat. The referendum will only be valid if a minimum of 60% of the population cast a ballot, which may not happen if the fundamental need of water cannot be met.
The Obakki Foundation immediately met with government officials to discuss how we could help and in the last 24-hours an emergency response plan was implemented. The Obakki Foundation has deployed 11 crews of water technicians throughout the State and released enough funding to implement 40 water pumps over the next five days.
The Governor is thrilled and grateful for the assistance, stating that the Obakki Foundation has responded to the needs of his people in the hour when their needs were most critical. He declared that the success or failure of this referendum was hanging in the balance due to the most universal and basic need: water.
January 5, 2011
Happy New Year everyone,
I’m sorry that it’s been so long since we’ve posted on our blog – our group has been really busy with some amazing new projects and we’ve had some incredible advancement on existing initiatives.
We are going to start posting a few times a week to keep you in the loop of our activities, including journal entries from our most recent trip to the Sudan and project updates from Cameroon.
Thanks to your generous support we were able to complete the following projects in Cameroon in 2010:
- Completed 8 classrooms / 4 schools
- Completed 5 new water pipelines
- Delivered educational supplies to 7 schools
- Phase one completed on a school for deaf children
- Completion of a school and village nursery in Keleung
- Augmented feeding/nutritional/health programs for 130 children
- Provided beds, mattresses and bedding to two orphanages in Buea
- Established a micro-livestock project with pigs and chickens at two orphanages
NEW INITIATIVES:
With endemic drought, water is currently deemed the number one need in Sudan. The Obakki Foundation has started a ‘water’ partnership with the UN and UNICEF and has committed to drilling 200 water wells in Sudan over the next year. With 10 wells successfully completed to date, another 15 have been started, which are due to be finished by the end of February. We have many stories and pictures from our recent trip to Sudan to share with you – so check back often!!
Thank you all for your support. This year is going to be a very exciting one for all of us and we look forward to sharing the projects with you.
Best,
Treana
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