The Blind, Orphans Receive Buea Council Scholarships

Honorine Cheng (UB Journalism Student On Internship)

The blind, the poor and the underprivileged, Tuesday, September 5, received scholarships offered by the Buea Council and Fako-America.

Beneficiary receiving scholarship

Amongst the over 400 beneficiaries were 150 holiday workers who served the municipality during the holiday. The event was in keeping with Buea Council's avowed mission to stand by the underprivileged.

This year's programme was pepped up by Fako indigenes living in the United States.
According to Buea Mayor, Charles Mbella Moki, Fako-America donated FCFA 2.6 million while the Council provided the rest of the money.

The scholarships varied from FCFA 5000 to 350,000, contingent on the peculiarity of the beneficiaries. For example, a student of Presbyterian Secondary School, PCSS, Buea, received FCFA 350,000 to enable her pay her school fees. Joan Mojoko Etutu, as she is called, lost her father in a fatal car accident.

"The Council could not allow her to drop out of school. This brutal experience traumatised her and she was one amongst the four in her family to be absorbed by the scholarship programme. This money is just a token for her need and a means to reduce her woes," explained Mbella.

The Council is also assisting a blind student, Michael Eyeya Tah, pursue his education. This time, Tah received FCFA 20,000 pending possible admission into ENS Bambili. 
Tah told The Post that he had been receiving assistance from the Council for the past five years.

Tah, who passed the GCE Advance Level in Lower Sixth, told the crowd that gathered at the Buea Council hall that he would like to be a teacher.Joana Enjema, a Form Five student of GHS Buea received FCFA 10,000. She thanked the authorities and said it was the second time she had received help from the Council.

Enjema said she will use some of the money to buy her textbooks and promised to take her studies seriously.

Underprivileged, The Target

Presiding at the ceremony, Mbella explained that the scholarships targeted underprivileged students who are interested in studying but cannot afford school fees.
The Mayor called on the beneficiaries to "use the money with caution and not to relent their efforts."

He promised to continue to keep his promise. He called on the population to be grateful because the benefactors have put in their all in order to attain their objective.
Mbella reiterated that the worsening economic situation was responsible for the drop in the number of beneficiaries.

Talking about the criterion used to select the students, Mbella said it was based on excellence and not tribalism as some people may think. "The beneficiaries cut across the board though it is a Fako-American Scholarship Programme intended to provide educational need for students in the municipality.

Next year's occasion might be as elaborate as that of last year depending on the joint effort made for its realisation," the Mayor stated.He said thanks to the Council's networking efforts, they got in contact with Fako-America that offered to help.

Comments

[rexon]

Those in the diasparo remain the only hope of our families back home. We must do something while we fight to destroy the criminal junta and all their allies that are fighting hard to steal the remaining resources in the southern cameroons.