100 Disabled Persons To Operate Call Boxes

By Clovis Atatah

One hundred disabled persons in all 10 provinces of Cameroon have been selected to operate payphones popularly known as call boxes of Orange Cameroon.The 100 disabled persons were selected at the Red Cross headquarters in Yaounde last week by a panel comprising all 10 Social Affairs Provincial Delegates and Red Cross officials as part of a project sponsored by Orange Cameroon.

Launched on November 30, 2005, by the General Manager of Orange Cameroon, Philippe Luxcey, the project christened "Handicap O", aims at economically empowering disabled persons who might otherwise not have a means of livelihood.

AMLA Communication company conceived the project and sold the idea to Orange Cameroon. Although Orange Cameroon is sponsoring the project, it is AMLA Communication that is co-ordinating it.

During the selection meeting, the General Manager of AMLA Communication, Marc Moulem, said they chose to integrate the Red Cross in the project because they are renowned for their impartiality and transparency. He therefore called on the Provincial Delegates to be impartial in the selection process.

Delegates came to the meeting armed with files of pre-selected candidates from each of their provinces. They subsequently explained to the other panelists, including those of the Red Cross, the criteria they used to select the candidates. All the participants of the selection panel then chose a common set of criteria to select beneficiaries nationwide.

These criteria included age, degree of disability, level of education, standard of living and motivation.On the basis of these criteria, 100 disabled persons made it to the final list of beneficiaries.One of the Co-ordinators of the project, Nathalie Kongo, told The Post that they would publish the list of the beneficiaries soon.

She said one of the beneficiaries from each province has been chosen for training in Yaounde on how to use the payphone and paraphernalia. These trainees would in turn return to the provinces and train the rest of the beneficiaries.

According to Kongo, Orange Cameroon would provide tricycles to the crippled and a movable phone booth to the other disabled persons for free. In addition, the beneficiaries will receive a phone set suitable to their needs charged with an Orange SIM card.

During the ceremony to officially open the selection process, the President of the Red Cross in Cameroon, Dr William Eteki Mboumoua, said he accepted to participate in the selection jury because the principles of the project converge with those of his organisation. He said Handicap O was a national project, and therefore selection panellists must take into consideration all the sensibilities in the country.

Centre Regional Delegate of Orange Cameroon, who represented his General Manger, said one of the aims of his company is to fight poverty by helping the underprivileged. That is why, he said, his company decided to fund Handicap O, that would enable the disabled run their own small companies.

During the opening ceremony, a disabled person manipulated a prototype tricycle equipped with a payphone to the admiration of panellists.

Comments

[Susan]

Good idea.And a very good step in fighting for the livelihood of the disabled and underpreviledged in Cameroon.

[Susan]

Good idea.And a very good step in fighting for the livelihood of the disabled and underpreviledged in Cameroon.

[Mannu Brain]

It is with much respect that I am writing to enquire about the number of active subscribers to the Orange Mobile telephone company in Cameroon in 2005-2006. Thank you in advance.