Dóchas, meaning Hope, is a collection of poems about the beauty, suffering and restoration of humanity. The first chapter focuses on the beauty and good things that exist in the world. The second chapter speaks of the suffering that humanity experiences and the third is on the restoration that comes after.

The event was a huge success and was graced with the presence of prominent Cameroonian and African dignitaries including important guests such as the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the Cameroon Concord News Group, the Right Hon. Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai and his beautiful wife Odette Agbaw-Ebai, the renowned property developer Chief Tang Welensky, members of the Open Arms Church Newbridge, one of the lead Pentecostal voices in Ireland Paul Adenle and Eric Njolai a senior Anglophone Cameroon elite to mention a few.

An opening prayer was said and the author, Tina Kembo stepped forward and gave a brilliant remark about the background of the book and expressed gratitude for the support and participation of everyone present. She noted that “to everyone in a dark place, facing a difficult time, experiencing loss, grief, pain, sickness, there is hope for the future. There are good things and people in our world but evil and suffering exists too.”

Afterwards, Tina read out excerpts from the book and the book was launched by her wonderful parents, Anastine Kembo and Edwin Njeta with her dad moonlighting as her Chief Launcher. Her dad described her work as a well-written book with potential for great impact.

Tina Kembo was born in Bamenda, the chief city in the North West region of Cameroon in 1997.

By Njaringi Agbaw-Ebai in Newbridge, Ireland

A Catholic priest identified by our Mamfe correspondent as Rev. Father Elvis Mbangsi and three Roman Catholic Mission teachers have reportedly sustained gunshot wounds in an attack on CS Kembong in Eyumojock Sub Division in Manyu.

Unconfirmed reports say the wounded are currently receiving treatment in Mamfe.

Cameroon Concord News understands one of the teachers of the school who managed to escape from the attack also sustained gunshot wounds and is being treated in a health centre in Kembong.

Ever since the Biya Francophone dominated government in Yaoundé launched the 2023 back to school in Southern Cameroons, Ambazonia restoration forces opposed to directives from Yaoundé have overrun successive Southern Cameroons academic establishments.

Two head teachers were killed in the North West region while armed assailants stormed a school in Kumba and killed a female student.

By Kingsley Betek in Mamfe

The Registrar of the General Certificate of Education Board, Dang Akuh Dominic has died, the board has said.

The 64-year-old Southern Cameroons elite, who hailed from Menchum Division in the North West Rergion, also served as Inspector General in charge of Bilingualism in the Ministry of Secondary Education, forging a reputation as an outspoken Anglo-Saxon man.

Dang Akuh Dominic died at the Mount Mary hospital in Buea on Monday, an official said. He was also credited with helping to secure and maintain the Anglo-Saxon standard of the GCE amid the war in Southern Cameroons.

The late Dang was appointed Registrar of the GCE Board on January 31, 2018 replacing the well-fed Monono Ekema Humphrey who had been in office since 2006.

By Rita Akana

Barely two weeks to the start of the 2023/2024 academic year in Cameroon, Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Bafia in the Mbam and Inoubou division of the Centre region is showing no sign of a possible resumption.

Classrooms are roofless and dirty, left at the mercy of the elements. “Will our children be registered to study in classrooms without roofs, benches, good walls and floors? Or will they be sent to study in a different institution? I can’t understand that few weeks to resumption, the school is this unfriendly and more to that in the rainy season,” a worried parent wonders.

It has been over five months since the school has been in its current state yet no effort is being made to renovate the structure even as school resumption is fast approaching.

“This is how the school has been. Candidates wrote the end of year official examinations in congested halls in this sub centre,” a parent said.

Parents who visited the school for registration formalities were in shock this August 22. A local said “no one, be it from the Parents Teachers Association, government, municipal council or the community is showing concern or interest to help the school. It is really a sad situation.”

While waiting for school to effectively resume on September 4, parents in Bafia are in a state of confusion and waiting for local authorities to do something to ameliorate the physical state of GBHS Bafia.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The inspector of Basic Education for Manyu Division, Arreyngang Harman Taku, has called on Manyu sons and daughters at home and abroad to come to the assistance of young IDPs who will soon be returning to school, unfortunately without the necessary school supplies due to the prevailing economic hardship.

Mr. Arreyngang made the call in a touching letter on Tuesday, August 16, 2023, urging those who have the means to reach out to some 10,000 pupils who will be struggling in the coming academic year due to economic hardship.

The pupils, most of whom are from rural areas of Manyu Division where schools have been shut down due to the Southern Cameroons crisis which has been going on for over 6 years, will be facing tough challenges as the economic and financial situation gets more complicated by the day.

Below is the letter from the Manyu Basic Education Inspector.

Greetings to all the internal and external elites of Manyu Division, all your ranks and titles duly acknowledged.

The 2023/2024 school year will start in under two weeks. Mamfe boasts of above 10,000 children going to school, most of them IDPs from all over manyu Division.

It is not easy for a large number of these children to meet their school needs in terms of didactic materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, school bags etc.

Your generous donation of some of these materials to these unfortunate children will put a smile on their faces as well as make teaching and learning less cumbersome for their teachers.

I therefore make this fervent appeal to all of you of good heart to do something for these children.

As the Inspector of Basic Education for Mamfe, my office is open to receive from you, whatever you offer and I would acknowledge it.

Thanks for your usual support.

Harman taku Arreyngang,

lBE mamfe

Reported for Cameroon Concord News Group by Ewang Miriam Metchane

1891 candidates who sat for the 2023 General Certificate of Education Examination have been handed suspensions ranging from 1-3 years and their results canceled for examination malpractices.

State media, CRTV, has reported that the candidates were sanctioned by the GCE board for a series of malpractices.

The report reveals that 693 candidates were caught with pre-prepared material, 994 for collusion, 189 with cell phones, 6 for script substitution, 8 for impersonation, and 1 for violence.

Of the 1891 candidates, 1688 were slammed with a 1-year ban for collusion, violence, and the use of pre-prepared material while 203 others who were found guilty of using cell phones, script substitution, and impersonation, were slammed with a 3-year suspension.

They all also saw their results canceled.

When results were released on July 24, 2023, some schools scored 0% because their candidates were all sanctioned.

The number of malpractices recorded this year has almost doubled as compared to 2022. The number increased from 987 cases last year to 1 891 this year.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

2023 SOBA UK ANNUAL RESIDENTIAL CONVENTION LAUNCH

2023 Convention theme: “Empowering for Success: Unlocking the potential of the boy child”

Dear Guest,

We trust that you and your family are well and enjoying the British summer.

We invite you to an unparalleled event of sophistication and compassion—the 2023 SOBA UK Annual Residential Convention. Prepare to be captivated at the exquisite Celtic Manor Resort, nestled amidst the enchanting Coldra Wood in Newport from 20^th to 22^nd October 2023.The Celtic Manor Resort, a true 5-Star Luxury Resort sprawling across 2000 acres of picturesque parkland in the breathtaking Usk Valley, is renowned as the best hotel in the UK for nine out of the last ten years, has hosted the 2014 NATO summit and the 2010 Ryder’s Cup golf tournament. It truly offers the most unique experience and the perfect family getaway in breathtaking surroundings.

The Celtic Manor Resort offers state-of-the-art facilities among them is the award-winning Forum Spa, as well as 5 restaurants and 3 championship golf courses. There are 2 adventure golf courses and the treetop adventure course Forest Jump.

Convention theme

The theme for this year’s Convention, “Empowering for Success: Unlocking the Potential of the Boy Child”, embodies our unwavering dedication to community education and empowerment initiatives. Our heartfelt commitment extends to empowering young boys, paving the way for their journey towards success. This year, our focus lies in empowering students at Sasse College, our beloved Alma Mater, by enhancing their educational resources. Additionally, we aim to provide opportunities for boys in the neighboring Sasse village and Tole village communities, enabling them to pursue a quality higher education and turn their dreams into reality. To accomplish these noble aspirations, we humbly seek your generous support. We wholeheartedly invite you to join us at the gala dinner on Saturday, October 21, 2023, where your presence and contribution will make an immeasurable impact. Together, let’s empower the boy child, ignite their potential, and create a brighter future for all.

Family-friendly convention

We appreciate that our guests are bringing their families along to the convention and we seek to lighten the responsibility of parents in keeping our children engaged.

• We have allowed free time on the Saturday 21^st October up to 4pm for Sobans to spend quality time with their families and friends at the grounds engaging in any of the numerous outdoor activities for children and adults.As before, we maintain our Annual General Assembly Meeting off the convention premises, to take place a week prior to the convention via Zoom.
• We will also be making available a nanny service (for a fee to paid for prior to arrival at the venue) on the Saturday night whilst parents attend the convention ball at the Caernarfon Suite.Please note your place is reserved upon booking prior to Saturday, 21 October 2023.

Ticket price

SOBA UK has accomplished the extraordinary by providing an unparalleled 5-Star experience at an astonishingly affordable early-bird price of £100 for a standard ticket until August 31st, 2023. After this date, the ticket price will revert to £125, reflecting the true value of the event. Our early-bird offer ensures that the ticket cost remains consistent with last year’s rate, despite the enhanced offerings this year. Don’t miss out on this exceptional opportunity! Secure your place at the early-bird price before August 31st.

Hotel rooms

There are numerous options at, and near to the resort for you to book your stay for the weekend. Rooms can be booked directly with the resort via their website: https://www.celtic-manor.com. We encourage guests to book their stay as soon as possible to avoid the inevitable price hikes nearer to the event date.

The Events Management team looks forward to welcoming you to the 2023 convention. We encourage you to buy your tickets as soon as possible and take advantage of the early-bird offer.

Join us at The Celtic Manor Resort for an unforgettable experience where luxury and philanthropy intertwine.

Kind regards,

Franklin Egbe

President, SOBA UK

On behalf of the SOBA UK Events Management team

Contacts:Obale:          +44(0)7540977896                  Atem:   +44(0)7766757376

Parents whose children took official national examinations in the crisis-hit northwest of Cameroon have raised an alarm over a series of kidnappings carried out by separatist fighters on their children.

In 2017, Cameroon separatists banned schools from operating in the two English-speaking regions of the country, warning defaulters would face consequences.

They began clashing with government forces in an attempt to establish an independent nation they called “Ambazonia” in the two Anglophone regions.

Despite the boycott call, many schools continue to operate, though students are asked to wear mufti over uniforms, in order not to be targeted.

Some 27000 candidates sat for the GCE Exams

2023 session in the Northwest region on May 30.

Bui division, one of the most affected communities of the six-year war, witnessed an increased number of candidates from 750 last year to 1260 in 2023. The Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education, Baijong Ezikiel, says this increase is a sign of progressive return to normalcy in the division.

Although these students successfully wrote the exams within three  weeks amid strict security, some of them have been kidnapped and regained freedom days later, after their families  paid heavy fines.

A local source in Kumbo, headquarter of Bui division said their daughter was kidnapped on her way back from a neighbour’s home and kept away from the family for three days.

“We were so confused because they often see her and know she is going to school. I don’t know why they decided to kidnap her. This has affected her immensely,”she said.

Another parent in Kumbo  who reached HumAngle on telephone said he paid $250 to free his daughter from a separatist camp.

“One of them asked me to pay $1663 dollars before my child could be freed. I pleaded and the leader finally said I should pay $500,” he cried.

Separatist fighters are currently making a lot of money from several kidnappings. In February, five students of a secondary school in Kumbo, headquarters of Bui Division, were kidnapped and over $1500 was demanded from each family.

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs reported that eight attacks on education were registered in February this year in the North-West and South-West.

Over 700,000 children have been impacted by school closures due to violence.

Source: HumAngle

As part of its 10000 Kids Education Project, the board of directors of the Orphan Kids Help Foundation has announced plans to provide annual scholarships to poor and needy secondary school students in the Republic of Cameroon.

Cameroon Concord News understands the scholarships will pay for 100 school students to study science, technology and global health.

A statement released by the Orphan Kids Help Foundation revealed that the students will be given enough money to cover the costs of tuition and accommodation throughout the period of their studies.

The money will come from the Orphan Kids Help Foundation that has for the past thirteen years provided resources to orphanages in Africa enabling children to sustain their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

The scholarships are expected to be formally announced in Cameroon next week by Dr. Ngasu Betek Etengeneng– a senior Lecturer at the University of Douala. Dr. Ngasu has also been tasked to actively recruit qualified students and to make sure that all candidates must be orphans or poor and needy individuals. In addition, the students must be of good moral and academic standing and above all, must be of Cameroonian nationality.

Orphan Kids Help Foundation is known in Cameroon and beyond as one of the philanthropic foundations based in the United States of America supporting orphans all over Africa. Some of the orphanages that have benefitted from the Orphan Kids Help Foundation in Africa include Love kids orphanage (Ghana), Little Saints Orphanage (Nigeria), Footprints Orphanage (Kenya), Mission of Hope Orphanage (Uganda), Hoptec Orphanage (Cameroon), Wellington Orphanage (Sierra Leone), Rainbow Orphanage (Cameroon), Amity Social Assistance Family (Cameroon)  and St. Arnile Orphanage in Cameroon.

The donation to fund the scholarships in Cameroon will be the largest given by Orphan Kids Help Foundation for any single cause.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from our US Bureau         

Cameroon’s Parliament has approved a higher education reform bill aimed at modernising and improving the quality of university education – and, significantly, it will officially recognise the two sub-systems of public university education in the country – one English, and one French.

According to officials, two key reforms the new legislation envisages include the strengthening of the economic autonomy of universities and addressing the challenge of having a public system in which nine institutions are francophone and two are anglophone.

“The higher education system used this far was developed since 2001. After 22 years, things have evolved in university programmes. That is why we had to introduce some innovations. There was also a need to address the concerns of the English sub-system of education,” said Wilfred Gabsa Nyongbet, secretary general in the ministry of higher education.

The 2001 higher education law and the 1998 law to lay down guidelines on education in Cameroon (which covers early childhood, primary, secondary, technical, and teacher training education) existed, he said, after the bill was defended in parliament on 16 June.

Recognising two sub-systems

Article 4(3) of the 2023 Higher Education legislation now provides that “the state shall ordain and organise the system of higher education by taking into account the specificities of the two education sub-systems, Anglo-Saxon and francophone, as a contributing ingredient to the influence and performance of the higher education system”.

Each sub-system, according to the lawmakers, is “characterised by a body of specific and cohesive principles, which reflect its historical, cultural and philosophical peculiarities”.

According to Professor Simo Bobda of the University of Yaoundé 1, there has been no recognition of the existence of two education sub-systems in higher education (universities) in Cameroon prior to the bill.

By contrast, as far back as 1998, the law that governs the other tiers of education (primary, secondary, teacher training) had already explicitly recognised that Cameroon had two education sub-systems, each preserving specificities in its certification and assessment methods (as well as in pedagogic approaches), he explained.

Prior to the June 2023 bill, the only texts which recognised the existence of sub-systems in higher education were the decrees establishing the universities of Buea and of Bamenda (in 1993 and 2010 respectively) which chartered them as universities “in the Anglo-Saxon tradition”.

Language division contributes to conflict

Only on the basis of this provision was it obtained that English would constitute the language of instruction in both universities, for all substantive programmes other than French language learning. He said that injustice and discrimination, especially in the higher education sector, has proved a flashpoint in the ongoing anglophone crisis.

“This discrimination has been one of the causes of Cameroon’s anglophone crisis, which started off in the education and legal sectors before spiralling into political demands, strikes and armed activity in 2016,” Bobda said.

The anglophone crisis running for its seventh year is a source of turmoil in the two English-speaking regions of the Southwest and Northwest with armed groups and government forces in continuous battle.

Separatists, who have violently enforced a boycott on education since 2017, continued to attack schools, students and education professionals, destroying buildings and depriving hundreds of thousands of children of their fundamental right to education, according to a Human Rights Watch 2023 report.

He added that the fact that the recognition of the two systems and the recognition of common law as the legal system in anglophone regions built up resentment among Anglo-Saxon higher education lecturers, leading to a public protest in 2017.

“We had to go to the streets in protest, especially after the union got information of plans to harmonise the two curricula of all state universities in Cameroon. The reason the government advanced, was to enhance student mobility between universities,” he said.

The lecturers’ union at the universities of Buea and Bamenda objected, on grounds that harmonising their programmes directly with the other French-speaking universities would dilute their Anglo-Saxon specificities, especially since the templates for harmonisation used were strongly inspired by the French-dominant universities, Bobda said.

“After a hard struggle, we obtained the resolution to allow the universities of Buea and Bamenda to harmonise their programmes between themselves (and future universities in the Anglo-Saxon tradition could harmonise their programmes within them). We are happy the new law now comes to lay to rest the long-existing discrimination,” Bobda said.

Protection of both sub-systems

Experts say the new law will protect the Anglo-Saxon system of education from abuse just as the reforms that recognised the common law did in the legal system.

“Before the crisis, we had cases of French-speaking lecturers sent to teach in the two English-speaking universities, French-speaking magistrates who could not express themselves in English were sent to work in the anglophone regions, with challenges in communication.

The new law will protect each of the systems and prevent any unwarranted invasion or dominance of one language over the other,” Dr Livinus Esambe Njume, a lecturer and a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Cameroon, told University World News.

Another key innovation in the June 2023 higher education reforms is the creation of entrepreneurial universities. The new law permits universities to create and run their own businesses.

“The government cannot do it all alone with the surge in university population and unemployment challenges. Building en entrepreneurial spirit in our universities provides opportunities for additional sources of income for them,” Jacques Fame Ndongo, the minister of higher education, explained after defending the bill in parliament.

Fame Ndongo said innovation in higher education is a continuous process that must reflect the realities of every country. “Higher education reforms are the key to quality growth. We are permanently in this process, moving at a pace that reflects the realities of the country,” he said.

Source: University World News