Two categories of children are targeted in this program:
- Children from 6 months old. Providing women friendly facilities such as Day Care / Nursery center to enable women in divers professions, be able to combine productive / reproductive roles, for the economic empowerment of the family is one of the concerns of this program.
- Children of primary school ages. Providing them with basic learning facilities in divers domains including arts / culture, health, environment, citizenship, sports, agriculture and gender aware education.
AMEF is honored to be one of Together Women Rise's featured grantee for 2022.
AMEF and Together Women Rise are partnering to provide support to adolescent girls, teenage mothers and women through the provision of formal and non-formal education as well as vocational skills considering that they have been out of school for several years due to the ongoing socio-political crisis affecting the country, precisely the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.
Together Women Rise is a powerful community of women and allies dedicated to global gender equality. They have hundreds of local chapters across the U.S and members come together to learn about and advocate for gender equality issues, give grants to organizations that empower women and girls in low-income countries and build community to forge meaningful connections that increase our strength and collective impact.
AMEF remains Grateful #togetherwomenrise #amef
C & J Memorial Bilingual Nursery and Primary School
Cecil and Joan Memorial Bilingual Nursery and Primary School abbreviated C&J: Mebinaps was founded by Mr Niger Thomas Moses a seasoned educationist and a pedagogic Inspector and Dr/Mrs Margaret Niger Thomas, a social Anthropologist and lecturer at the University of Buea, Cameroon. In its inception in September 2008, C&J registered 15 pupils (boys/girls) housed in its imaginatively converted Hotel facility to a resource center. The population has increased within the past years ranging from nursery to primary pupils. In 2016, C and J extended her educational environment by opening a second campus within the same town of Kumba.
C&J Mebinaps is child centered and ensures that each class does not exceed 25 pupils unlike government runned schools that have very large teacher – pupil ratio. C&J has adpoted the Montesori /Approach to education which is a child – centered method by which children are trained to be creative, explorative, communicative and innovative, while the teacher remains the guide. C&J Mebinaps distinguishes itself by providing food for its pupils as the administration realized that most pupils come to school without eating, thus in order to learn effectively, children need to have energy.
Programs
Apart from a radically different approach, C&J Mebinaps also offers innovative additional programs to facilitate its pupils in learning and personal development. Among these are the availability of the kiddies corner, Holiday program, “one book a week” library project, school bus system, special days inclusive are celebration of the Human Rights day, Environmental Day, Sports Competition, Christmas Jamboree, Nursery and Primary Graduation and the C&J Mebinaps Parents Teachers Network.
C & J
Reading Day Festival
The reading festival of CECIL and JOAN MEBINAPS, for primary schools in kumba I, Meme Division, S.W Region was the first of its kind in the division. It was presided over by the divisional delegate for Basic Education in Meme Division, Mr. Nicolas Nkwong.
The occasion featured 10 primary schools (government, professional and lay private) randomly selected. Attention was paid more to the peripheral schools of kumba I pedagogic zone. A total of 90 pupils, 10 head teachers and 20 PTA representatives and a host of other guests took part in the ceremony.
The stake-holders of the program were CECIL & JOAN MEBINAPS (Host), BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY Pennsylvania (lecturers and students) and the INSPECTORATE OF BASIC EDUCATION, kumba I. ST JOHN CATHOLIC primary school and Government primary school Bongwana, Kake I were active collaborators. The proprietors of CECIL and JOAN primary school and their partners from Bloomsburg University Africa – America study abroad program Coordinator, directed the program.
C & J
Parent Teacher Network
Teachers and Administrators workshop – Dr. David Walker, in his session on “Developing Literacy Enhancement activities in school”, stressed on using important language skills e.g. talking about pictures and the activities in the text books. To demonstrate the reading culture in the life of a family, after the workshop, Prof Dr Ekema-Agbaw illustrated a family reading session in plenary. For about 15minutes, pupils read to parents, parents read to pupils, pupils read to teachers etc. Bloomsburg University faculty members observed the exercise while their university students monitored the quality of work done.
In other to include the parents in the holistic growth and development of their children, C and J instituted the C and J Parents Teachers Network where by the parents are encouraged to watch and follow the performance of their children, and in their annual meetings make suggestions to the school administration. However, there is also a suggestion box for criticisms and new ideas, always welcomed by the administration.
C & J
Annual Graduation
Gradation day for C&J Mebinaps is held in June each year and it involves performance by the pupils in drama, music, and dance, rhymes, debate and culture parade. The nursery 2 pupils receive a diploma as they graduate to class 1. The administration awards prizes to the best pupils and the founder of C and J makes a “bag-pack gesture this consist of a new school bag, books, pens and pencils to the poorer pupils in view of the new school year as well as scholarships to some very desperate cases and very brilliant pupils. Criteria to determine scholarship program see the AMEF DONATION programs.
Special Sensitization Campaign against CHOLERA
organized by the Program Head for kids and pupils of C&J MEBINAPS on Thursday 22nd March 2018. Considering the fact that the month of March is the peak of the mango season and children are prone to diseases related to poor hygienic conditions in handling fruits around the school campus and other foods even at home, it was timely to have such a talk. During the talk, sub themes for discussions were highlighted, Definition of cholera, what causes cholera, How can cholera be prevented, How does it spread, Its symptoms etc. It was quite participatory as the pupils and teachers discussed and gave examples of situations lived and need for a healthy environment within the school campus. With regards to mango trees around the school, pupils were advised on how to handle it, for example not to eat them unripe, dirty, not to liter the pilings and attract flies when there are dustbins around the campus etc. The importance of a clean environment was reiterated.
INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN GEOGRAPHY
The book covers chapters on; Climate change, Drought /desertification, Pollution, Flood, Deforestation, Soil erosion/conservation, Concept of economic development and more. Plus case studies to buttress each chapter and quick GCE revision questions.
Author: Niger Thomas Moses Asuqua.
- Retired regional pedagogic inspector (RPI) for geography S.W. Region, Cameroon. Secondary /high school geography teacher for over 25years. Regional and chapter president for, South West ASSOC. of geography teachers (SWAG) for many years.
- Full member geographical ASSOC. (GA) ,Sheffield, England.
This is book is a knowledge bank for students in the secondary / post-secondary as well as Vocational level of education. It's sold at 6500cfa. Contact us at AMEF to grab your copy now, or purchase it at Continental Bookshop, Kumba, SWR. CLICK HERE TO GRAB A COPY NOW.
