Bonaberi, Douala IV: Elite, Cleatine Asongwe, donates didactics to 100 underprivileged pupils.

The didactics comprising school bags, backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils and other essential materials, were distributed to beneficiaries on Saturday, September 28, 2024.

This was during an event held at the Palace Hall at Grand Baobab, in Bonaberi, Douala IV Subdivision, where excited children and their families had gathered to receive much-needed school supplies.

The heartwarming community initiative, the benefactor said, is aimed at empowering the future by equipping learners with the tools necessary for academic success.

Speaking at the ceremony, Cleatine Asongwe said the initiative not only addresses the immediate school needs of the children but also fosters a sense of hope and motivation among them.

"We believe that every child deserves access to quality education and the materials that support their learning journey," Asongwe said. 

The inspiring community mobiliser added that: “It's heartening to see the smiles on the children’s faces as they receive these supplies”.

The initiator of the initiative used the occasion to express gratitude to “friends and volunteers who made it possible". 

Beneficiaries express gratitude 

The event featured engaging activities, including educational games and motivational talks from local educators. It aimed at inspiring the young pupils to strive for excellence in their studies. 

Community members, parents and local leaders who lived the event, doffed their hat for the initiative. 

Parents overwhelmingly thanked the initiator for thinking of less privileged pupils in the community. 

"This donation means so much to us. We often struggle to provide our children with basic school supplies, and this support lifts a huge burden off our shoulders," said a parent. 

The event ended in a jovial mood with an atmosphere filled with laughter as the pupils proudly carried their new backpacks filled with school needs back home. 

Hints on more donations in future 

Cleatine Asongwe Dhin Kangue, it should be noted, is committed to continuing his efforts to support education in the community.

He has plans for future donation drives and programmes aimed at enhancing educational and social opportunities for underprivileged children.

The initiative, keen observers have stated and rightly so, serves as a reminder of the power of community collaboration and the impact of kindness in transforming lives. 

He holds strongly the view that “together, we can pave the way for a brighter future for our children”.

Cleatine Asongwe the education advocate

Versed with the power of education and how it can unlock the doors for many, Cleatine Asongwe has used different occasions to preach the need for children to be educated. 

This is the case with the conflict-hit North West and South West Regions of the country where he has added his voice to those of the clergy, diplomatic services and other civil society actors to drum the need for children to be allowed to freely go to school.

“The crisis in the North West and South West Regions alone has disrupted education for more than 700,000 students. A further 150,000 school going children are unaccounted for and each of those figures represent a life altered,” Asongwe stated, while appealing to authors of school boycott calls to have a rethink. 

“That is why I think we must act now, and the best way to act is to hold to account all those who have violated the inalienable right to education to end this vicious circle,” he stated categorically. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3245 of Monday September 30, 2024