Educare Africa
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Etienne Tawong

New School Year Started

The new school year started in Cameroon the second week of September. The hundred and fifty plus students we chose now need our assistance in order for them to stay in school or to register at universities. People who would like to help them can choose one student (secondary/high school or university) or contribute more to send two, ten, twenty or thirty students to secondary/high school. Either choice will make a difference in the lives of these students.

News/Updates

On September 4th, Pavla sent $3,240 and on October 26th $2,700 to assist many students at the beginning of the school year. $1,250 out of the total was donated by One Ummah Foundation in Portland to support at least 34 students.

You can now donate to Educare-Africa using your credit card on line. Go to http://www.justgive.org/ and type in Educare Africa as your charity of choice and proceed from there. They give 100% of your donation to the group you choose.

Thanks to an angel by name Loyan Roylance, we now have a new flexible blog that replaced our older website.

Pavla has been invited to talk about Educare-Africa and her Peace Corps experience on the One Hour Hope TV show in Salem on November 14th.

Wish List

Digital video camera to document our activities especially in Cameroon

Stamps 44 & 98 cents

What your $$ do for students

$1 – 4 pens or about 20 pencils

$15 – school uniform or school bag or school shoes

$18 – scientific calculator

$35 – secondary school fees or

House rent for 10 months

$40 – high school fees

$45 – GCE exam registration fees

$60 – secondary textbooks

$80 – high school textbooks

$350 – helps to register at a university (One year costs about $1,000.)

These prices were calculated when the exchange rate was $1=460 CFA francs. Exchange rate fluctuates.

Holiday Fundraising

We are planning for our eighth Christmas giving Tree at the Heritage Mall in Albany from November 27th to December 27th. There will be envelopes with our mailing address and information cards.

For the first time we are able to participate in the Gifts for the Better World store in Corvallis, at the First Congregational Church, 4515 SW West Hills Road. The store will be open from November 7th to November 29th. We will have greeting cards with Pavla’s photographs from Tanzania, 8x10 matted photographs, jewelry, dresses, CDs with African music and other items for sale. Pavla will also have a table at a Holiday Bazaar in Scio, Z Hall, 38704 Main Street on Friday and Saturday, November 20th and 21st.

Pavla needs a volunteer (s), to help her unload the items and spend a few hours with her at the table. If you wish to volunteer, please, contact Pavla.

Sponsoring students

There are many ways we can assist the students. Interested individuals or groups can sponsor individual students and will receive letters from the student, updating them on her/his progress in school. Or, people can send monthly donations, which will accumulate to assist many students. Or, a donation can be made once a year, either for an individual student or to assist several students. It depends on what each donor prefers to do. Any donation is always greatly appreciated!

Call for unique support

One of Pavla’s former students, Etienne Tawong, won a 2010 green card lottery, which means he can come legally to the United States and go to school and work. He was always a very good and quiet student. After Etienne and his younger brother Bertrand lost both of their parents their grandfather was their only support. He died this June while Pavla was in Cameroon. This is a great opportunity for Etienne to change his life for the better so that eventually he will be able to assist many others. However, before Etienne can come, he needs a place to stay and someone to help him adjust to his new surroundings and provide minimal financial support. He will also need to live with this person. He will need the name and address of the person who offers support. The Consular Center will contact the person to confirm and show proof that he/she is financially able to accommodate Etienne. We are turning to you on behalf of Etienne and asking if you or someone you know could be that person and enable Etienne to come to the United States. Please, let Pavla know as soon as possible since he is compiling the necessary documents now.

Other possibilities

Remembering Educare-Africa in your last will is another way how to provide more support for the children in Cameroon. For more information you can contact Mike Reddy.

Phone: (541) 485-6676;

Email: mike.tiplace@gmail.com;

Pavla is also looking for more opportunities for presentations to interested groups such as Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, Zonta, Altrusa International, Women’s and Youth groups, leadership middle, high school or University classes, and other groups.

Volunteers and ideas are always welcome and greatly appreciated!

All donations are tax deductible.

We will look forward to hear from you at the right time.

Thank you all very much on behalf of the children in Cameroon for your continuing kind and generous support. It is appreciated tremendously!

Have a richly blessed Holiday Season, filled with much joy & unconditional love.

My name is Tangko Julius Ngala, 26 years young and the son of Tangko Manases and Agnes Mangu, all late, who were residents in Douala, Cameroon.

I attended primary school in Mbot, a village in the Donga Mantung Division in the North West Region of Cameroon where I obtained my First School leaving certificate. Here I lived with some relatives while my parents went out to provide for us, including our education.

In 1996 I entered into the secondary school at G.S.S. Tatum. At that time things started changing negatively in the family and polygamy came in to break it apart. My mum was the only one struggling for all the five of us in the family. I loved studying right up to the university but the challenge here was that she started getting tired when I was still in the second year of the secondary school. God being so kind provided for us Madam Pavla Zakova-Laney, my class mistress from form one to three and Peace Corps volunteer. She was and has remained a kind loving and cheerful mother to us, thereby justifying the saying that "the Lord does everything with a reason." She provided most of the textbooks I needed to succeed and supported me financially especially in form five when the situation became critical. I was able to register, write and obtain my Ordinary level GCE in nine subjects, thanks to the support from Madam Pavla and my mum. This not withstanding, I also received a scholarship from the Cameroon Government in forms two and three for which I was very grateful too.

In 2007, I transferred to G.B.H.S. Kumbo where I continued in lower and upper sixth. My mum was able to assist me with the house rents, food and textbooks while Educare-Africa assisted me with the school fees for my two years in high school. Again, I must confirm that it was thanks to these two parties that I was able to succeed in all the 3 subjects, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology in the advanced level GCE exams.

After high school life became a nightmare. I had to stay at home for two years trying to get something doing that could help me proceed with studies but success was rare. Nevertheless, Madam Pavla and Educare-Africa came in as usual and registered me into the first year in the University of Yaounde I where I read Animal physiology with the hope of being a health care worker one day. Madam Pavla also provided spiritual booklets which together with the moral support I get from the Joy and Success Club that was also founded by her, has helped to restore my faith and hopes. Mid way in level two I lost my mum and life once again seemed too meaningless to me, but Educare-Africa continued to support me over the year and today I can boast of being in year 3, a high point toward achieving my goal.

I cannot quickly conclude that from Educare-Africa and Joy and Success Club I have only received material and financial assistance but I want to confess here that I have also been educated morally and on how to choose a career, an important feature in the life of a student.

My family and I are very grateful for what Educare-Africa has been doing to me and to other students like me. From Educare-Africa on one hand and the Joy and Success Club on the other hand, we have drawn more than one lesson about Love, devotion and encouragement. We pray God to bless Educare-Africa abundantly and give its staff long lives.

TJN

By Pavla Zakova-Laney, President of Educare-Africa

On May 14th, 2009 I arrived successfully in Yaounde, Cameroon. Mr. Emmanuel Sunjo, our country coordinator, picked me up at the airport and drove me to a rest house. The following day I picked up our funds.

On May 18th, Mr. Sunjo and I traveled to Limbe to visit one of our former students, Verbe Ajime Tina, who was posted there to teach biology at the Government Secondary School Bonadikombo. We met the principal, Mrs. Dorothy and the staff, talked to the students in all four classrooms and observed the interaction of Tina with her students.

Basic school supplies for 96 best students from G.H.S. Tatum, G.S.S. Nseh and G.H.S. Ntumbaw were purchased and given during prize giving ceremonies on May 28th and 29th. Donated toothbrushes, toothpastes and other donations were distributed to 58 students. 14 Joy & Success Clubs in various schools received donated spiritual books and Daily Word magazines. 38 students received financial assistance for their immediate needs such as school fees, G.C.E. registration fees, rent, kerosene food, school uniforms, shoes and transport to their villages. 100 students received pens and pencils. About 85 staff members from G.H.S. Tatum, G.S.S. Nseh and G.H.S. Ntumbaw received pens for encouragement. Science lab equipment for G.H.S. Ntumbaw was purchased and during the summer some essential textbooks will also be purchased for the students from the funds set aside from trip 2009. Funds for students on our priority list and other students were set aside to pay school fees directly to the schools in September. Ywo Wellesley College Book Awards were given to the best females science students from G.H.S. Ntumbaw and G.B.H.S. Kumbo.

On May 23rd I arrived in Tatum. On May 26th I went to G.B.H.S. Ndu and G.B.H.S. Nkambe to inform the students about re-applications and scholarship applications for new students. On May 28th and 29th Mr. Kevin and I drove to G.S.S. Mbu-Warr, G.S.S. Nseh, G.H.S. Ntumbaw and G.H.S. Tatum, where we also distributed prizes in the last three of them.. On Saturday, May 30th, we met with our students at G.B.H.S. Kumbo, arranged for our new representative there and presented a Wellesley Book Award to the best female science student.

On June 6th we met with our students in Bamenda and at Bambili, on June 24th with university students in Buea and on July 1st with students in Yaounde. In Tatum, we met and discussed with students and parents on June 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th and 20th. During my trip we chose 135 students to assist. We will continue to look for more females.

On June 7th, Wirba Pascal and I visited Mbinkar Victor, one of my former students, at Bangante, West Region of Cameroon, where he now owns a small bakery. In addition, he provides holiday jobs for needy students and looks for ways to help stray animals. For that purpose he found a veterinary nurse and a veterinarian so that together in collaboration with S.P.A.L.E. they can assist more animals. I gave them some of the donations in-kind too. All our activities have been documented with photographs and some video clips and you can view most of them on our blog.

During our annual board meeting on June 11th in Bamenda, we decided to make some changes in the way we recruit new students in order to make the process more efficient. In addition, to inspire more outstanding female students to apply, we will award a special monetary prize next year to a female student from Form Three with an average of at least 18.6/20. Our goal is to assist 60% female and 40% male students. We gave an opportunity to 50 new students to apply for scholarship in the 2009/2010 year. Our first fundraising event in Cameroon is planned for November.

On June 18th, a short wave radio donated by a new non-profit group in North Carolina called the Ears to Our World was handed over to a teacher at G.S.S. Mbu-Warr which is located in a remote part of the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It was the first of many to come sometime this summer.

Since the Cameroon government established Tatum as a Subdivision, new offices will be coming in and new buildings built. Most other building projects have been stopped until further notice including our Educare-Africa Center. We continue to set aside some money for our first vehicle each time we send funds to Cameroon. Our first choice is a Toyota Hilax double cabin pick up but we may find it necessary to start with a smaller vehicle. We need about $8,500 to purchase the pick up and $2,800 for registration, necessary documents, insurance, tires, fuel, maitenance and unforseen expenses for the first year.

As a side project, Justin Tagne from the Cameroon Baptist Center in Bamenda and I organized the handing over of donations in-kind from the Reid Veterinary Hospital, Albany Animal Hospital, Periwinkle Pet Clinic in Albany and Hopes Haven Rescue group in Salem. Justin will continue to work with veterinarian, Dr. Munki Julius Nfor, who is a coordinator for a non-profit group S.P.A.L.E., P.O. Box 5170 Nkwen Bamenda, Cameroon; Tel: (237) 75-14-92-85, which also assists stray dogs. Dog Whisperer DVDs have been shown to many dog owners and other interested individuals in Bamenda and Tatum. About 45 dog owners, breeders, veterinarians and children participated.

UPCOMING ASSISTANCE

We hope to assist about 125 secondary/high school students and about 25 university students. Approximately $10,000 by mid September 2009 would take care of these students' essential educational needs. Since the dealine for payment of school fees is in mid September, it would be desirable to have the funds available before September 15th. When the school fees and the GCE exam registration fees are not paid in time, students are often sent home from school, which has a detrimental effect on their exam results.

Dear Friends and supporters,

On behalf of the students in Cameroon I want to thank you very much for your loving care and continuing generous support. Appreciation of our assistance by the students, parents, teachers and the whole community has been immense. Let us continue in this spirit and let us work together to help those less fortunate...

Love, Pavla

"I am dedicating myself to the love of God and the love of my neighbor as myself. I am dedicating myself to serving 'the least of these my brethren,' and the greatest along with the least."

Joel S. Goldsmith, Consciousness Is What I Am