As part of activities to mark its 50 anniversary the Catholic Women’s Association (CWA), members decided to construct structures that will tell the association’s age to anyone anytime. They are a Marian Monument, a grotto at the Foncha’s residence and the biggest of all, an Empowerment Centre for Under Privileged Girls.
The Marian Monument is constructed at St. Anthony of Padua’s Parish, Buea Town where the first meeting that gave birth to the CWA was held in a primary school classroom. At 50, the CWA went back and erected an edifice there in memory of those who toiled and sowed the seed on the field on which the CWA is growing today. The Bishop of Buea, His Lordship Bishop Immanuel Bushu, blessed the monument on March 1, 2014.
To thank Mama Foncha for creating the CWA, a family grotto has been constructed at the Foncha Residence. It is a place of prayer and meditation for the Foncha family. Mama Foncha’s response for creating the association is inscribed in front of the grotto as follows: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word”.
Mama Foncha could not hold back her tears of joy on the eve of the Golden Jubilee celebration when the CWA National Executive members officially handed the grotto to her family.
The next of their project was the construction of an Empowerment centre for underprivileged girls also called The Nazareth Home. After two brainstorming sessions in 2012 and 2013, the CWA decided to construct a two-storey building, the Empowerment Centre for Underprivileged Girls. It also has the CWA secretariat, a 500-man capacity hall and 12 hostels, a chapel and workshops.
It is providential that many years after Mama Foncha had nursed the idea of opening such a centre after a visit to Calabar, Nigeria, where she saw a similar structure, the centre for girls is a reality today. The Foncha family donated the land around the former Finance Junction on the way to Up Station, Bamenda, on which the centre has been constructed.
Some months back, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family and guest of honour at the CWA Golden Jubilee celebration, Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa, officially inaugurated the centre.
Later that same day, the Archbishop of Bamenda, His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua, blessed and placed the Golden Jubilee plaque on the project site. Construction work started at The Nazareth Home five months ago and was near completion when it was inaugurated.
