North West orphans show gratitude to CERAC

Mrs Linda Yang, on behalf of the First Lady, headed a delegation of association over the weekend, to the Menchum Division with diverse gifts for the people.

You could see on the faces of the people of Wum and Ndu in the Menchum and Donga-Mantung Divisions, respectively of the North West Region on Saturday July 19, 2014. This was particularly true for orphans and vulnerable children in the area, as they received gifts from the Circle of Friends of Cameroon (CERAC), at the Wum ceremonial ground.

The First Lady of Cameroon sent her humanitarian caravan to the area, with Linda Yang, General Coordinator of CERAC, personally representing Mrs Biya during an event to hand over gifts to orphans, vulnerable children, health units and rural women in the Donga-Mantung and Menchum Divisions.

Speaking on behalf of the First Lady, Mrs Linda Yang said CERAC’s presence in Wum testified its willingness to invest in rural women, improve medical care given to Cameroonians as well as provide orphans and vulnerable children with an equal opportunity to grow up to be citizens who can contribute to the development of the country.

Besides coming with full hands, Mrs Yang said CERAC was in Menchum Division with a call to all persons of goodwill to join the movement in supporting the numerous and diverse efforts of the government towards empowering rural women, improving healthcare delivery, as well as ensuring the wellbeing of all children in the country.

However, it was not easy to get to these localities. The CERAC caravan had to brave the twist and turns of a very hilly and bumpy road. But it was worth the effort, given that these valiant ladies had the chance to bring warmth to the hearts of many a suffering soul in the area. Amongst the plethora of gifts brought were corn and cassava mills, hoes, cutlasses, chain saws, deep freezer, honey press processing mills, wheel barrows, and fertilizers for 22 rural women’s associations in Wum Central, Fungom and Fura-Awa Sub-Divisions.

The delegation also came with medical equipment such as sugar and blood pressure machines, surgical aspirator, delivery beds, hospital beds, test tubes, incubator, baby cots, thermometers, bandages, sterilisation box and toiletries for each of the seven health Districts in the Menchum Division.

Also included were the Wum Health District Office, the Women Empowerment Centre as well as Divisional Delegation of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family. But special amongst the parcels CERAC took to Wum was didactic material and foodstuffs for orphans and vulnerable children in the FORCE-CAM orphanage in Ndu and The Friends Kids in Wum town.

On behalf of the underprivileged children, Edison Chimi Yuniwo expressed gratitude to CERAC and its Founding President, Mrs Chantal Biya whom he called “Mother of All Orphans,” for her great love and care. According to Mr Yuniwo, the gifts were timely, and had come on the eve of preparations for the 2014/2015 academic year. He highlighted that the gifts would be of great help in enhancing the learning processes for these kids.

The local health administration as well as rural women in the Menchum Division also took turns to laud the kind and motherly heart of Cameroon’s First Lady as demonstrated in her acts of largesse to all Cameroonians without any discrimination.

The various speakers said the gifts will not only improve medical care given to the populations, but will also boost the output of rural women in the area. To crown the occasion, the Queen Mothers of Menchum Division graced the audience with a ceremonial “Noble Dance” in honour of the “Mafor of Mafors”, Mrs Chantal Biya.