For three years
I earned a good wage at the Hillman Company, but the work wasn't fulfilling
at all as I did not see its direct impact on the people. I later on
introduced the idea of creating a charity to some Cameroonians and they
bought the idea and this is how Strategic
Humanitarian Services (SHUMAS) came into being and has brought hope
to thousands of our target groups.
The financial situation
of my parents not only resulted in the loss of three of my brothers
and sister, but it affected the history of my education and that of
my sister. We would spend four to five weeks in our house after each
term even when I was in primary school where the fees were less than
a pound.
While I was in primary
school my father had to give advanced payment from the proceeds of his
coffee sales to a missionary who was curate of our parish for my secondary
school education. However, when my father went to collect this money
it was not given to him because he had not obtained a receipt. As a
result of this
I had to spend another a year out without going to college.
The next year I
managed to go to a poorly managed secondary school with almost no infrastructure.
Before the year could go through the world coffee prices failed drastically
and my sister, who was also in secondary school, had stay back at home
to enable me to continue my education.
Further hardships
resulted from a disease which caused 80% of coffee seeds to rot in the
fields. The farmers were helpless to prevent this as they lacked the
technical know how and the means to fight this problem. At the same
time world market prices of coffee fell yet again.
Not withstanding all these difficulties my parents became more and more
committed and obtained a loan to enable me to complete my high school
education. I won a prize of a photo camera and this played a fundamental
role in my life. I did photographing as a hobby which enabled me to
gain an income to assist my parents to pay my university fees. I was
also able to help many other poor students in this way.
I will continue
to devote my life to helping to create a more just world through sustainable
development. One of my greatest satisfactions is when I see the impact
of my work directly on people.
My perspective
on world problems
One of my
greatest worries in life is the sharp inequality existing between people
and between nations and regions of the world. And this is further compounded
by the approach that is adopted by multinational bodies and other funding
agencies to address these problems. Most of these measures are often
stereotyped, blinded and full of political dogma and bias.
For a more purposeful
change and for desired results to be attained , the grass roots must
always be consulted, not at seminars and workshops, but right where
poor people live. Billions and billions of dollars are sent to less
developed countries but there seems to be no change. Different concepts
come and go while the poor grow poorer.
The solution
to problems of "less development"
My ten years
working at the grass roots and my personal experience tell me that the
only way forward is for these multinational donors to pause and take
stock of whether in reality they are succeeding. I have come to see
that the only way problems of countries in the South could be ended
is by helping them to be able to consume more of what they produce.
Loans should be directed towards the establishment of manufacturing
processes for local need and consumption.
No amount of "structural readjustment","privatisation"
or "debts cancellation" will provide a solution. In my locality,
it is clearly accepted now that people are poorer now than they were
20 years ago.
