Yaounde: The Mutah Foundation supports IDPs with school materials.

The donation to these vulnerable children was made ahead of the 2024/2025 academic year which kicks-off next month.

The laudable humanitarian gesture was effectuated during a ceremony on Sunday August 11 in Yaounde. 

The back-to-school donation took place under the theme: “Ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all”. 

The school materials handed over to the children consisted of textbooks, exercise books, pens, pencils, school bags, drawing materials and other school kits.

The Mutah Foundation donated school materials to some selected 30 most vulnerable children. 

Primary school pupils from class two to five, secondary school students from forms one to five and students of the technical system of education were the main beneficiaries of the huge donations.

According to The Mutah Foundation, the objective is to ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all children. It was an opportunity to put smiles on the faces of these children who, due to the armed conflict in North West and South West Regions, live in precarious conditions, lacking access to basic necessities including education.

Speaking at the end of the event, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of The Mutah Foundation, Jude Mutah, said it was an opportunity to give back to the community and support children who are in dire need of education.

Mutah said education remains the key to success, but regretted that for these IDPs it was rather a farfetched reality due to their conditions.

The assiduous CEO told the children that the donation was proof that The Mutah Foundation has not forgotten them. He added that it was a gift to provide them with the necessary tools to succeed in school and beyond.

“…every child deserves to learn, grow and thrive…they are the future. If they do not go to school, what becomes of them tomorrow?” Mutah rhetorically said.  

He went further to add that: “I am doing this because I am very concerned about what is going on in the North West and South West. This is just a gesture to say that we at The Mutah Foundation are thinking about these young people and let’s just support in any way that we can. It is a very small step. We hope that as time goes on, we would be able to do more”. 

Beneficiaries urged to take studies seriously

The CEO of The Mutah Foundation told the IDPs not to give up and to continue to hold on to their dreams. He said they have a chance to become leaders and change-makers in future.

Mutah encouraged the children to “go to school and focus”. He urged them to “forget about all the challenges they face at home. Once you are in school, know that it is the key to success".

Mutah also said that the children should embrace education because “it is the key to a good life and to become a better person tomorrow”.

Enter RHOH scribe

Reacting to the donation, the Secretary General of the Rescue and Hope Giving Organisation, RHOG, Mundi Victorine Teche, expressed heartfelt appreciation to The Mutah Foundation.

Mundi said the donations will go a long way to assist the children in their studies. She said that the donation from The Mutah Foundation will play a vital role in increasing their zeal to learn.

"We are very grateful because the children are going back with some kind of excitement. We have been with them all these while, each time they bring donations to them, there is some joy in their hearts. Many of them are school dropouts and some didn’t have the hope to go to school this year,” Mundi said.

Mundi seized the occasion to clamour for more help to assist the children. She revealed that they also face difficulties in enrolling some of the children in schools. She added that sometimes they have to plead with authorities to register these children, especially in public schools.

It is important to note that the RHOG association has been existing for three years now. According to Mundi, they are accommodating more than 2,500 IDPs as adults, excluding children. They received the children who fled the crisis in the North West and South West Regions.

The Yaounde-based organisation has so far received widows, orphans, the elderly, teachers and also nurses.

About The Mutah Foundation

The Mutah Foundation started in 2011. Initially, it focused on the North West and South West Regions. It had started some initiatives in some areas but the conflict came so the organisation had to relocate.

Due to the relocation, The Mutah Foundation was forced to pause on some of its activities in several areas where it was actively involved.

According to the CEO, the activities of The Mutah Foundation focuses on conflict resolution, the conversation series, as well as democracy and good governance. It is an apolitical organisation and aims to build stronger communities. The organisation has plans to extend its activities to the rest of Africa.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3198 of Tuesday August 13, 2024