Orange Foundation inaugurates 92.5 MFCFA-worth Orange Village in Atok, East Region.

The crowd-pulling inauguration ceremony unfolded under the watchful eyes of the Governor of the East Region, Grégoire Mvongo. 

Also present was the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Joseph Le; other administrative, municipal, religious and traditional authorities and elite of the Region. 

The Orange Village in Atok, which is the first in the East Region, it should be said, was implemented by Orange Foundation’s partner, Plan International Cameroon. 

The facility has been constructed by the company within its ultimate cross-cutting program as part of its constant efforts to contribute to community development.

The move is in line with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR. This is done by boosting access to education, healthcare and drinking water in remote villages in order to improve the daily lives of thousands of Cameroonians. 

Officials detailed that Orange Foundation, invested 78, 907,000 FCFA while its implementing partner, Plan International Cameroon, contributed 15% of the overall budget (13,538,175 FCFA). 

East Governor, Gregoire Mvongo cutting inaugural ribbon as Minister Le, Orange Cameroun DG look on

Orange Cameroun committed to do more

Speaking during the ceremony, Orange Cameroun DG, Patrick Benon, said the inauguration of the facility is a wish that has come true for many. 

Benon saluted the dedication and professionalism of its partner, Plan International Cameroon, and Orange Foundation team as well as the contribution of other administrative, municipal and traditional authorities for their contribution for the project to see the light of day. 

He used the occasion to reiterate the company’s commitment to do more to improve the livelihood of many in rural communities across nationwide. 

“The Orange Village in Atok illustrates the diversity of our actions, and the sensitive nature of the issues we address across the country, as part of an inclusive approach. Whether it is health, rehabilitation or solidarity, the Orange Cameroun Foundation is constant and consistent in its actions, in line with its objective of relieving and helping the most disadvantaged,” Benon said. 

The inauguration, he stated, “… will usher in a new era for the people of Atok and the surrounding area, by improving their daily lives”. 

Orange Cameroun DG speaking during ceremony 

He also appealed to the population to “take ownership of the project, to work with the local authorities, in particular the council, to ensure the operation of the management committees created for the structure”.

The collaboration, he said, will help in the maintenance and thus guarantee the sustainability of the infrastructure offered by the Foundation. 

About Orange Village concept

The Orange Village initiative, which started in 2014, Benon said, was motivated by the desire to provide the most impoverished villages in developing countries where the Orange Group operates with basic necessities like schools, water points, health centres and other facilities. 

He told the population that Orange Foundation, since its creation in 2009, has been dedicated to improving the living conditions of the population of communities by giving them access to quality basic services in the domains of education, health and potable water supply. 

Benon disclosed that the Orange Village in Atok is the 7th already set up nationwide. He said it will benefit some 19,000 inhabitants of the administrative unit, including around 500 pupils from public Primary Schools, young people, community health workers and women of childbearing age among others. 

Orange Cameroun DG & traditional rulers of East Region 

Details on Atok Orange Village

The Orange Village in Atok, Benon detailed, comprises a water point to relieve the pupils and the local population and the rehabilitated old buildings of the public Primary School, constructed on-call house constituting of two apartments for the heads of Atok Group I and II Primary Schools, block of latrines, 120 tables and benches.

He said it also involves equipping the Atok District Medical Centre, training traditional birth attendants and community leaders on the dangers of auto medication and home deliveries, setting up and training school management committees, conducting awareness-raising campaigns on the themes of back-to-school and Stay-in-school as well as building the capacity of healthcare staff in the areas of gender, human rights and child and youth protection.

The Orange Cameroun boss used the occasion to announce that Atok Government Primary Schools will soon receive consignment of tablets and accessories, plus educational content, as part of the Foundation’s Ditigal Schools program.

The programme, he said, aims at enabling pupils to discover a fun way of learning and familiarise themselves with the tools that would facilitate their future ability to adapt to an increasingly digital world.

Other Orange Villages

He cited other localities where Orange Village has been erected including: Bonepoupa, in the Littoral Region in 2014; Nkolbewa, in the Centre Region in 2016; Bangou Carrefour in the West Region in 2017; Mbang Foulbé in the Adamaoua Region in 2018; Batao in the North in 2019 and then Moumour in Far North Region in 2020. 

Governor hails Orange Cameroun 

Speaking at the ceremony, East Governor, Gregoire Mvongo, hailed the commitment and determination of Orange Cameroun, through the actions of its Foundation, to accompany government in its march towards emergence by 2035. 

He said the initiative of Orange Foundation is fully in line with the social policy of President Biya, whose driving force is to improve the living conditions of Cameroonians.  

Mvongo said Orange Foundation pursues the same objective as the state, to make the world more accessible to as many people as possible, and to help bring fellow citizens and the country into the global information society.

“Please accept our congratulations on the contributions you have already made to the development of the Cameroonian economy. Your deployment is proof enough that both Orange Foundation and Orange Cameroun truly believe in the future of a Cameroon,” the Governor said. 

The administrator encouraged the company to continue to be the true citizen company that it has been. He also urged the population to take ownership of the structures now at their disposal, and to ensure that they run smoothly. 

Enter Atok mayor 

Welcoming officials earlier, the Mayor of Atok Council, said Orange Cameroun’s choice of the municipality to host the first Orange Village in the East Region, is a source of pride to all the inhabitants. 

The municipal authority pledged the support of the population for the success of the Orange Village. 

The mayor said the structure will undeniable benefit the needy populations in general, women whose social integration it actively contributes to and children whose schooling it helps to provide.

Officials checking some of the equipment 

About the Orange Foundation 

Orange Cameroun Foundation has been involved in philanthropic activities since its creation in 2009. Its philanthropic activities focus on three main areas: health/disability, education and solidarity. 

In the domain of health/disability, it seeks to improve the autonomy and quality of life of people with autism, visual impairment and hearing loss. 

Through education pillar, the Foundation is involved in the fight against illiteracy; by facilitating and encouraging education and vocational training where social conditions are an obstacle. 

It also uses its Education for All Program to build latrines and supply drinking water to schools, train girl mothers and young people who have dropped out of school.

Orange Foundation’s goal points to the direction of reducing the digital divide through projects like the distribution of digital tablets to pupils in disadvantaged areas and the provision of digitised extracurricular content and digital access for disadvantaged women in search of entrepreneurship among others. 

By keeping in touch with community issues, the Foundation's solidarity actions are giving meaning to the values of sharing and assistance where social conditions stand in their way, and in the event of humanitarian crises.