Church Turned School with No Desks, Fon's Organisation Steps in to Help

An organization known as Fon's for Health, Education and Development (F.H.E.D) has donated 8 new benches worth FCFA 200.000 to Presbyterian School Annex Ku, a village in the Bome zone of the Meta clan, Mbengwi on Tuesday December 7 2021 in Presbyterian Church Ku where the school is temporally operating.

Tracing the history of the school, Rev. Mrs. Ndoh Rose Injoh, the Head Mistress said "It was on the 6th of October that I deemed it necessary to open the school because I found it unsecured and too far for the children to leave from here and go school in Mbengwi central town. As we started, some parents bought the idea and though some kids are still trekking to Mbengwi central, we are happy with the enrolment we have now."

Donors, Parents, Pupils & Teachers Pose for Family Picture with the Benches

The 8 New Benches Donated by F.H.E.D to P.S Annex Ku

Barely about 2 months in existence, the school as at moment has an enrollment of  60 kids with 3 teachers handling all the classes (1 to 6 plus nursery 1 & 2). Makeshift classrooms have been carved out using plywoods in Presbyterian Church Ku and it is here that all the classes are going on. The teaching and learning process is very unfavourable especially as it is just a section of the church that's been carved out as school but nothing separates one classroom from another and it's the pews the kids sit on to receive their lessons.

Informed about this, F.H.E.D immediately came up with a plan to reach out to the budding school. Mr. Fomumbod Derrick is the coordinator  of the organization. Speaking to Mbengwi Online at the end of the donation exercise, he said "I am very satisfied with the turn out of the people from the community and the presentations from the children. We are overwhelmed with all they said about our organization, an indication that what we've done has left a mark in the Ku community." He confirmed that such donations will continue in other communities because the organization's goal is to reach out to all communities in Meta as needs arise.

Fomumbod Derick, Coordinator, F.H.E.D

Rev. Mrs. Ndoh Rose Injoh, Head Mistress, Presbyterian School Ku Annex

Speaking earlier on during the donation ceremony, Pa Awasum Simon, former president of the Ku Cultural and Development Association (KUCUDA) said "I want to thank immensely our Reverend Pastor who's the initiator of this project. I'm very gratified that with the experience she had where she worked before and initiated such a project there, she's also brought it to implant here. What would've happened to these children? Others have escaped with their parents. These ones who cannot escape, what would've happened to them? And so I doff my hat to her and say the rest of the people in this community should wake up from sleep and do something to support this lofty project which is for our interest."

Pa Musi Joseph is the quarter head of Wumfi, Ku. Seating in for the Fon of the village, during his own address, he revealed that when he was growing up, there used to be a Catholic School in Ku that was later closed down after about a year of existence. A Basel Mission School was opened and later closed too and present day P.C Ku is erected on the the exact spot where the school was built. Moris Tagyen Fokob, the acting chairperson of the Parent's Teacher's Association (P.T.A) of the newly created P.S Annex Ku in his speech extended sincere appreciations to the donor organisation. He said "My words alone on behalf of the parents, kids and pupils cannot adequately express our profound gratitude for such an institutional support. To us, this gesture stands taller than our words can describe taking cognizance of the adage which states that 'Anyone who educates a child educates a nation"

Moris Taghen Fokob, Acting P.T.A Chairperson of the School

Pa Musi Joseph, Quarter Head, Wumfi-Ku, Fon's Representative

He also addressed the parents, telling them there's still a lot to be done to ensure that their children have the basic requirements to study  such as procurement of furniture like children tables and chairs, text and exercise books plus prompt payment of their fees which will in turn be used to pay teachers.

Ever since the establishment of the school, the beneficiary population has been very happy but paying of fees has been a great problem according to Head Teacher. "We asked them to be paying in instalments. Some are doing so, others aren't but I like the teachers because they're patient" said Rev. Mrs. Ndoh Rose Injoh. She made a clarion call to Ku sons and daughters at home and abroad to copy the example of the organisation, Fons for Health, Education and Development. In her words "It'll be needless for them to be educated meanwhile their children back in their village are roaming about without any education. They should come to our aide maybe by assisting us to pay the teachers or offer any didactic materials."

Each of the teachers is on a meagre monthly salary of 20.000F that's not even constant while school fees has been levied at 20.000F per child yet many parents still find it difficult to meet up with such even as it is believed ignorance is more expensive than education.

Children Playing During Break

Section of the Church Carved Out as School

Fons for Health, Education and Development (F.H.E.D) is the new name of Fons Against AIDS, created in 2003 with H.R.H Fomuki Patrick Nji of Guneku as founding president. The name was changed because the former was solely to fight HIV/AIDS. The reborn organisation now seeks to not only fight AIDS but other pandemics as well as champion education and vocational training of especially children and needy persons, fight poverty and hunger just to name these few. These, the organisation does through community sensitisation, provision of care and support, development of community libraries and training opportunities, engagement of communities in sustainable income generating activities like market gardening, livestock farming, large scale mechanised farming, small scale business ventures and promotion of social cohesion plus provision of support and care to internally displaced persons (I.D.Ps) and returnees for peaceful coexistence. 

The recent donation to P.S Ku thus fell in line with the second objective of the organisation whose desire is to see that the kids sit and study under favourable conditions. "We saw the pictures and how stressful the children were struggling to learn and we could not remain indifferent" said the organisation's coordinator, Fomunbod Derick.

H.R.H Fortu, Fon of Njimetu

Pa Awasum Simon, Former President, KUCUDA

Fons for Health, Education and Development is an initiative of the Meta Fons with H.R.H Dr. Fomuki W. Ticha of Guneku as President, H.R.H Prof. W. Mbacham of Funam-Bome as Vice President, H.R.H Mukom Daniel of Chenam as Secretary General, H.R.H Dr. G. Fah Fombo of Njindom as Treasurer, H.R.H Njokom A. Awah of Mbengwi as Technical Adviser and Barrister Tamon Olivia as Legal Adviser. The organisation is headquartered in the Guneku palace.

Attendees at the handing over ceremony  were thrilled with intellectual exercises like songs, rhymes and other recitations from the kids to portray what they've been learning. In their welcome song, they sang that "When you go back, extend our greetings to the elites of Bome. Tell them to remember that we need their help. May God bless you all." The lone full fletched fon present at the ceremony was H.R.H Fortu of Njimetu.