To strengthen nutrition: Helen Keller Int’l donates, powers schools, councils in West Region.

The humanitarian organisation, Helen Keller International, has donated a consignment of medical supplies to some 28 secondary schools within 14 municipalities in the West Region.

The donation exercised in Bafoussam last Friday June 30, was the high point of a ceremony to mark the close of the second phase of the project dubbed Lokale II.

The second phase of the project which aimed to strengthen local health systems in the areas of immunisation, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and nutrition, was jointly fronted by Helen Keller Intl, the Ministries of Secondary Education and Public Health, as well as the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM amongst other partners.

The consignment were handed to the school officials by Finance Manager at Helen Keller Intl Cameroon, Fabrice Kappu in the presence of the West Regional Delegate for Secondary Education, Dr Ngabnya François and a host of other officials.

The items donated included bleaches, detergents, registers, soaps, coolers, hospital beds, hygienic towels, stethoscopes, medical thermometers, surgery boxes amongst others.

In his address, the Helen Keller Intl’s Finance Manager said the targeted schools for this project were chosen according to a certain number of criteria, and for which the councils played a major role in expressing the needs.

“One of the most important of these criteria was the school's commitment to do everything possible to ensure that the equipment was used properly,” Kappu said.

Speaking about the LOKALE Project, he said Helen Keller Intl has carried out a number of activities with local authorities to promote health, nutrition and well-being.

“The happiness and well-being of the people of Cameroon is constitutionally entrusted to decentralised territorial authorities, including the councils,” the Director said.

He explained that Helen Keller has built the capacity of local elected representatives and managers in health promotion, nutrition and vaccination; supported local authorities in drawing up local projects to promote health and nutrition; provided equipment and materials to strengthen the vaccination system and vaccination system and improve the cold chain as well as raise awareness among local and school authorities about the importance and challenges of sexual and reproductive health of adolescents at school and community level community level.

Partnership with Helen Keller Intl saluted

According to the West Regional Delegate for Secondary Education, Dr Ngabnya François, the partnership between the government and the America humanitarian organization is an exemplary and to the interest of the population, especially learners.

“The partnership between the government through the Ministry of Secondary Education and Helen Keller is laudable. The government which is charge with education, is receiving support wherever need be in youth education,” the delegate said, adding that “it’s an exemplary partnership that should be sustained”.

Going by the delegate, education is the bedrock of any society and the American organisation, conscious of the importance of education, is investing in it by making available several materials at the disposal of educational establishments to improve the hygiene and sanitation of the learners.

Lessons drawn from project

The Mayor of Foumbot, Njoya Inoussa, said they are satisfied with the completion of the first and second phases of the LOKALE project implemented in Foumbot and other localities in West, East and Adamawa regions.

“Helen Keller is torch-lighting on the principal role of municipal magistrates, one of which is to assure the health of the population. An unhealthy population is the downfall of the community so we thank Helen Keller Intl and all those partnering with them to accompany us and our population,” the mayor said.

Speaking about the lessons drawn, Njoya explained that: “We have discovered things around us that we didn’t know which was dangerous for our population. We also realised that noise pollution is dangerous for the population while some farmers in quest of making more harvest, cultivated their farms with pesticides and chemicals that we did not know are harmful to the health”.

He further specified that the health of children are very important since they are the future of the communities and the country.

“You have to consider their health, vaccine and to follow them up not to have unwanted sexual encounters and pregnancies. We think that the first phase was as important as the second phase” he added.

Genesis of LOKALE project

The project stems from health statistics which showed a low rate of vaccine coverage and population adherence to the vaccination campaigns. Studies revealed that not all health facilities, especially those in the suburbs, have functional cold chain for drug storage while very few secondary schools have an equipped infirmary adapted to the needs of adolescents. Also, more than 40% of adolescents aged between 15 and 19 are anaemic and over 10% are undernourished.

A component of the Family Planning and Health System Support for Resilience in Cameroon Project, ProPASSar of the German Cooperation through GIZ, the LOKALE project has been implemented in two phases in the council areas of Dir, Ngaoundal, Tibati, Ngaoundéré and Dang in the Adamawa region, Atok, Bertoua, and Garoua-Boulai in the East region as well as Bafang, Bafoussam II, Bakou, Bana, Bangangté, Bandjoun, Banka, Batié, Bayangam, Bazou, Demdeng, Dschang, Foumbot, and Tonga in the West region.

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The humanitarian organisation, Helen Keller International, has donated a consignment of medical supplies to some 28 secondary schools within 14 municipalities in the West Region.

The donation exercised in Bafoussam last Friday June 30, was the high point of a ceremony to mark the close of the second phase of the project dubbed Lokale II.

The second phase of the project which aimed to strengthen local health systems in the areas of immunisation, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and nutrition, was jointly fronted by Helen Keller Intl, the Ministries of Secondary Education and Public Health, as well as the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM amongst other partners.

The consignment were handed to the school officials by Finance Manager at Helen Keller Intl Cameroon, Fabrice Kappu in the presence of the West Regional Delegate for Secondary Education, Dr Ngabnya François and a host of other officials.

The items donated included bleaches, detergents, registers, soaps, coolers, hospital beds, hygienic towels, stethoscopes, medical thermometers, surgery boxes amongst others.

In his address, the Helen Keller Intl’s Finance Manager said the targeted schools for this project were chosen according to a certain number of criteria, and for which the councils played a major role in expressing the needs.

“One of the most important of these criteria was the school's commitment to do everything possible to ensure that the equipment was used properly,” Kappu said.

Speaking about the LOKALE Project, he said Helen Keller Intl has carried out a number of activities with local authorities to promote health, nutrition and well-being.

“The happiness and well-being of the people of Cameroon is constitutionally entrusted to decentralised territorial authorities, including the councils,” the Director said.

He explained that Helen Keller has built the capacity of local elected representatives and managers in health promotion, nutrition and vaccination; supported local authorities in drawing up local projects to promote health and nutrition; provided equipment and materials to strengthen the vaccination system and vaccination system and improve the cold chain as well as raise awareness among local and school authorities about the importance and challenges of sexual and reproductive health of adolescents at school and community level community level.

Partnership with Helen Keller Intl saluted

According to the West Regional Delegate for Secondary Education, Dr Ngabnya François, the partnership between the government and the America humanitarian organization is an exemplary and to the interest of the population, especially learners.

“The partnership between the government through the Ministry of Secondary Education and Helen Keller is laudable. The government which is charge with education, is receiving support wherever need be in youth education,” the delegate said, adding that “it’s an exemplary partnership that should be sustained”.

Going by the delegate, education is the bedrock of any society and the American organisation, conscious of the importance of education, is investing in it by making available several materials at the disposal of educational establishments to improve the hygiene and sanitation of the learners.

Lessons drawn from project

The Mayor of Foumbot, Njoya Inoussa, said they are satisfied with the completion of the first and second phases of the LOKALE project implemented in Foumbot and other localities in West, East and Adamawa regions.

“Helen Keller is torch-lighting on the principal role of municipal magistrates, one of which is to assure the health of the population. An unhealthy population is the downfall of the community so we thank Helen Keller Intl and all those partnering with them to accompany us and our population,” the mayor said.

Speaking about the lessons drawn, Njoya explained that: “We have discovered things around us that we didn’t know which was dangerous for our population. We also realised that noise pollution is dangerous for the population while some farmers in quest of making more harvest, cultivated their farms with pesticides and chemicals that we did not know are harmful to the health”.

He further specified that the health of children are very important since they are the future of the communities and the country.

“You have to consider their health, vaccine and to follow them up not to have unwanted sexual encounters and pregnancies. We think that the first phase was as important as the second phase” he added.

Genesis of LOKALE project

The project stems from health statistics which showed a low rate of vaccine coverage and population adherence to the vaccination campaigns. Studies revealed that not all health facilities, especially those in the suburbs, have functional cold chain for drug storage while very few secondary schools have an equipped infirmary adapted to the needs of adolescents. Also, more than 40% of adolescents aged between 15 and 19 are anaemic and over 10% are undernourished.

A component of the Family Planning and Health System Support for Resilience in Cameroon Project, ProPASSar of the German Cooperation through GIZ, the LOKALE project has been implemented in two phases in the council areas of Dir, Ngaoundal, Tibati, Ngaoundéré and Dang in the Adamawa region, Atok, Bertoua, and Garoua-Boulai in the East region as well as Bafang, Bafoussam II, Bakou, Bana, Bangangté, Bandjoun, Banka, Batié, Bayangam, Bazou, Demdeng, Dschang, Foumbot, and Tonga in the West region.