From the desk of the BERUDEP Executive Director:

We want to thank God for bringing us to the end of the year. The year 2006 has been a very busy and blessed year for BERUDEP. We cannot count the blessings that God gave us, the people of Kom and Cameroon. Anything we achieved this year has God’s doing and so all our thanks go to Him. I want to thank Chiambah Enock for the part he has played selling our honey in Bamenda and other parts of Cameroon. We want to thank him for training Innocent Jua, who has taken over the sales of honey and is doing well as the new honey sales officer. More so, we will also want to thank him for training Adeline Mawoh, who has taken over the accounting section. In short, Enock had been carrying three hats. We thank him for picking up the fundraising and head of Department for the Beekeeping position. In the same way I will also want to say a big thank you to Mrs. Tim Fidelia, Mrs. Komalua Anna, Salah Cecilia Mbong and all those assisting the above people.

BERUDEP is growing: in 2002 we had one or two  volunteers but today, in 2006, we have at least four or five volunteers each month. A big thank you to all the volunteers who have been with us. Each of the volunteers will receive a letter of appreciation. 

We have also experienced a growth in the area of help for orphans and widows. We want to thank the Crafts (Laurie and Baine) for setting up the After School Program for orphans in primary and secondary school, the Adult Literacy Program for widows and the monthly allowances for the teachers. A small After School Program has also started in Belo and also a program for widows.

Our gratitude also goes to Margaret for helping to set up the Eye Clinic Program in BERUDEP and also for the training she offered to BERUDEP staff, who are representing her after her departure. We also have a retired eye specialist who is helping us once a month with cases that are more complicated to be handled by BERUDEP staff. Still in the Health Department Alexa has been of great help in setting up the Good Hope Clinic which takes care of delivery and childcare (welfare) for the poor at lower rates. She has gone as far as providing the salary of the first midwife for six months. Thanks a million, Alexa.

I cannot end without mentioning the funding we have just received from A.Q.A. (Italy) – to carry out Income Generating Activities for the poor farmers in Fundong. The program is ongoing. We have just completed its first phase. And The New England Biolabs Foundation – to carry out sustainable soil conservation in the highlands of Northwest Cameroon (precisely, Boyo division)

I cannot say all the blessings of the Lord during the year 2006. Indeed, it has been a big step that began with a small one moving slowly, yet steadily through the hidden opportunities in every obstacle to reach the sick or malnourished with little or no assets and large families, uneducated, unorganized, isolated, handicapped, widows, orphans who spend all their income on food, yet their calorific intake is inadequate. BERUDEP will be 10 years old in March 2007 thanks to the almighty God. Amen.

Ngwainmbi Simon Chia
BERUDEP Executive Director

SOCIAL DEPARTMENT

sponsor an orphan project
In July 2006, Andy Burger-Seed, an international volunteer with a vision to help the neediest orphans acquire basic education, medication and nutrition, has started Sponsor an Orphan Project. This project connects outside sponsors with orphans from the Belo area. By linking with an outside sponsor of education and healthcare, the orphans have an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and build a good quality of life and self sustaining future. Currently, 10 orphans are sponsored and 5 other are awaiting sponsorship. The Project’s objective is to have 100 children sponsored within the next three years. The orphans are also provided with free, supplementary after-school education (ASEP). The classes are held 3 times a week, and twice a week after the classes each child is given a cup of milk as a dietary supplement.

BERUDEP opens restaurants!
From the initiative of BERUDEP Women and using our funds, we could open two Garrison Restaurants in late 2006. The first eating spot has been created in Njinikom, and the second one has been opened in Belo. The restaurants created jobs for the undepriveleged, namely, widows. The other part of the income from the restaurants covers our activities. The quality and quantity of our services have been improving and the restaurants have gained a lot of popularity.

AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Medicinal tea sales improving
In the past nine months, the production of medicinal plants has increased. Due to an increase in medicinal tea sales, the overall sale has also gone up.

Honey production boost
Although there is a lot of demand for our honey products, honey sale is moving on slowly with some difficulties. Volunteers who could develop this sector of our activity are welcome. Recently BERUDEP has received a grant from A.Q.A., an Italian organization. This enabled us to build hives for 10 Cameroonian Common Initiative Groups working with bees to produce honey. Thanks to the grant, we are expecting our honey production to grow in the coming years. Profits from honey sales help to cover the running costs of our development work.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

•  Volunteers interested in construction are needed. The construction work will involve building schools in the area of Belo. No experience is necessary. For general information on volunteering click here and for more detail on the positions please contact Godwin at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Volunteer Eye Caregiver is required (see here for more information).
• Eco-Tourism Development volunteer to continue the development in the Eco-Tourism Department.
• BERUDEP is seeking a volunteer for honey marketing, a 3 to 6 month service will be appreciated.
• A volunteer trained in American Sign Language (ASL) for Kitchu Deaf and Blind School.
• A volunteer to continue the BERUDEP Milk for Malnutrition Program.
• Volunteers interested in teaching are warmly welcome.
• Livestock specialist in the field of animal husbandry.

Any other volunteers interested in development work, agriculture, environmental services, education or eco-tourism are always welcome!