WWW.CAMEROONFDP.COM
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Equipment Count From Pittsburgh
Wow! Many thanks are due to Emilie, a Dorseyville Middle Schooler who recently engaged her family, friends, classmates, and neighbors in a soccer gear collection project for her bat mitzvah!! We just completed an inventory of all of the equipment donated by the Fox Chapel and surrounding Pittsburgh Communities!!
Here is what we got:
84 pair of soccer shoes
84 pair of soccer socks
78 soccer balls
51 individual jerseys
43 shin guards (used)
22 shin guards (brand new)
5 goalie gloves
4 complete uniforms (includes 12-14 matching jerseys and shorts)
One Mission: Improve the lives of African Youth.
We do not intend to accomplish this simply by handing out soccer equipment!!
Pittsburgh's soccer gear will facilitate weekly after school soccer sessions which incorporate life skills and health education in 10 schools in Kumba, Cameroon during the 2011-2012 school year.
Pittsburgh's soccer gear will reward youth who excel on the soccer field and who are engaged in discussion with their peers. The gear will be leveraged as an incentive to encourage individual participation and community involvement.
Pittsburgh's soccer gear will empower youth who may never have played the game with shoes or shin guards.
Salud-o, Yinzers!!!
Look at all those shoes!!!
Here is what we got:
84 pair of soccer shoes
84 pair of soccer socks
78 soccer balls
51 individual jerseys
43 shin guards (used)
22 shin guards (brand new)
5 goalie gloves
4 complete uniforms (includes 12-14 matching jerseys and shorts)
One Mission: Improve the lives of African Youth.
We do not intend to accomplish this simply by handing out soccer equipment!!
Pittsburgh's soccer gear will facilitate weekly after school soccer sessions which incorporate life skills and health education in 10 schools in Kumba, Cameroon during the 2011-2012 school year.
Pittsburgh's soccer gear will reward youth who excel on the soccer field and who are engaged in discussion with their peers. The gear will be leveraged as an incentive to encourage individual participation and community involvement.
Pittsburgh's soccer gear will empower youth who may never have played the game with shoes or shin guards.
Salud-o, Yinzers!!!
Look at all those shoes!!!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Construction of CFDP Office Near Complete
It’s Official! CFDP will have a place of business in the Kumba Main Market by the end of the month! A local businessman in Kumba has converted a portion of his warehouse into an office for CFDP. A project which began in December 2010 – constructing dry-wall dividers and knocking out an own entryway from a concrete block wall – will soon be complete!
I first met Mr. Josephat Nweke while working on the Barombi Water Project in 2008. I had just arrived in Cameroon after graduating from UD (most of my classmates were at Dayton 2 Daytona) and upon connecting with Mr. Benjamin Feh, our local water engineer contact, we jumped right into things. Our first concern was materials – pipes, appurtenances, cement, gravel, sand, and tools for construction. Benjamin knew exactly where to go. He led me to the Kumba Main Market to one shop which sold plumbing materials and sink fixtures. I would soon come to learn the proprietor, Mr. Nweke, had a long history of working in rural water supply. The wealth of knowledge between him and Benjamin was far past my own as a novice civil engineer and their involvement in the Barombi Water Project was vital to our success.
Nweke sold us pipes. He most certainly gave us the best deal in town on top-quality materials. He soon became a very good friend to me and the other civil engineering students who were a part of the project. “The Hardware Man”, as we affectionately referred to him, was involved in our activities throughout the two months we stayed in country. He was a part of the team.
When I returned to Cameroon in July 2010, I made sure to pay a visit to Nweke at his store in the Main Market. Once he learned of the objectives of the Cameroon Football Development Program, he immediately wanted to get involved and I could see the wheels turning in his head during our first, short sit down.
I met up with Nweke on the last day of my very short, two-week stay in Cameroon. He invited me and Peter over to his house for dinner. Beaming, he then proposed his idea to give CFDP an office, rent-free, for a few years as we gain momentum. Needless to say, I was speechless.
Soon our management team in Cameroon will have a place to do business, like any other serious non-government organization (NGO). No more waiting in line at the internet café for a computer to use. No more trekking across town with all types of paperwork to make copies or use a printer. We will have a place for our organization and people to call HOME and a foundation for a great and sustainable future in Cameroon.
Thank you, Mr. Josephat Nweke!
I first met Mr. Josephat Nweke while working on the Barombi Water Project in 2008. I had just arrived in Cameroon after graduating from UD (most of my classmates were at Dayton 2 Daytona) and upon connecting with Mr. Benjamin Feh, our local water engineer contact, we jumped right into things. Our first concern was materials – pipes, appurtenances, cement, gravel, sand, and tools for construction. Benjamin knew exactly where to go. He led me to the Kumba Main Market to one shop which sold plumbing materials and sink fixtures. I would soon come to learn the proprietor, Mr. Nweke, had a long history of working in rural water supply. The wealth of knowledge between him and Benjamin was far past my own as a novice civil engineer and their involvement in the Barombi Water Project was vital to our success.
Nweke sold us pipes. He most certainly gave us the best deal in town on top-quality materials. He soon became a very good friend to me and the other civil engineering students who were a part of the project. “The Hardware Man”, as we affectionately referred to him, was involved in our activities throughout the two months we stayed in country. He was a part of the team.
When I returned to Cameroon in July 2010, I made sure to pay a visit to Nweke at his store in the Main Market. Once he learned of the objectives of the Cameroon Football Development Program, he immediately wanted to get involved and I could see the wheels turning in his head during our first, short sit down.
I met up with Nweke on the last day of my very short, two-week stay in Cameroon. He invited me and Peter over to his house for dinner. Beaming, he then proposed his idea to give CFDP an office, rent-free, for a few years as we gain momentum. Needless to say, I was speechless.
Soon our management team in Cameroon will have a place to do business, like any other serious non-government organization (NGO). No more waiting in line at the internet café for a computer to use. No more trekking across town with all types of paperwork to make copies or use a printer. We will have a place for our organization and people to call HOME and a foundation for a great and sustainable future in Cameroon.
Thank you, Mr. Josephat Nweke!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
A Story of Cameroon
Today I want to take some time to write about a very close friend of mine and tell of the amazing things she is doing in Cameroon right now.
I met my sister Nina Ngassa back in 2006. It was my first time in Cameroon and I lived with her family for five weeks in the Fiango neighborhood of Kumba. I was working with the Organisation for Sustainable Rural Infrastructure (OSRI) whose office is opposite the High Court. It was something like a 9 to 5.
When I wasn't traveling to remote villages to meet with traditional leaders and water management committees or trekking through the bush (jungle) to identify potential sources for water supply, I spent much time in the Ngassa compound on All For God Street. The 12-foot high concrete wall surrounding the grocery store proprietor's home provided security from the sometimes-rough surrounding area of Fiango. Inside the compound, I found a new home in the conversations with my brothers and sisters. Natalie and Nina were finishing up high school and preparing to attend the University of Buea. Junior was a very intelligent and very stubborn young man of about 10. Even at that age, he was a nationalist and did not let me forget what 'my fathers' did to his African ancestors. Terrance, or Small T, was a young teen who lived with the Ngassas and cherished any time spent outside of the fortress-like compound...talking to neighborhood girls and sneaking in sweets when he could. He is tall now. Big T, their older brother named Terrance, was away at university so I did not see him all that much. He now lives in the United Kingdom.
I learned much about family from our conversations. Nina was a rebel. She followed suit when she had to, but never hesitated to voice her discontent with anything her Mom required of her. Ma Ngassa doesn't play either. She runs a tight ship. Nina and I had an instant draw...I guess because we both aim to be revolutionaries... Our conversations went deeper and we shared our dreams with eachother. Wide-eyed as we were - and still may be - we both saw our futures in Cameroon.
Nina studied Law at the University of Buea in the Southwest Region. She graduated in 2009. Her Mom and Dad encouraged her to enter another training school to pursue a position within one of the Ministries of the Government. Nina wanted to make movies. About a year ago - right about the time I started talking to Peter and Brian about starting CFDP - Nina began writing a screenplay for her first feature film.
After six months of writing, she assembled a production crew and struggled to find the much-needed financial backing to secure a Nigerian movie star as the lead and cover all other filmmaking expenditures. Pre-production planning began in November 2010 and all things are now in place to begin filming by the end of March for the 10-14 day shoot. Much of the filming will be done in the beach town of Limbe, on the Atlantic coast.
The red carpet premier is planned for May 17th in Buea. With this endeavor, she sets her sights on becomming one of the biggest producers in Cameroon. I only hope we should be so lucky to see a CFDP documentary as one of her future projects. I admire my sister Nina's ambition, persistence, and dedication. This is a story of Cameroon. This is a story of Africa.
Justin
I met my sister Nina Ngassa back in 2006. It was my first time in Cameroon and I lived with her family for five weeks in the Fiango neighborhood of Kumba. I was working with the Organisation for Sustainable Rural Infrastructure (OSRI) whose office is opposite the High Court. It was something like a 9 to 5.
When I wasn't traveling to remote villages to meet with traditional leaders and water management committees or trekking through the bush (jungle) to identify potential sources for water supply, I spent much time in the Ngassa compound on All For God Street. The 12-foot high concrete wall surrounding the grocery store proprietor's home provided security from the sometimes-rough surrounding area of Fiango. Inside the compound, I found a new home in the conversations with my brothers and sisters. Natalie and Nina were finishing up high school and preparing to attend the University of Buea. Junior was a very intelligent and very stubborn young man of about 10. Even at that age, he was a nationalist and did not let me forget what 'my fathers' did to his African ancestors. Terrance, or Small T, was a young teen who lived with the Ngassas and cherished any time spent outside of the fortress-like compound...talking to neighborhood girls and sneaking in sweets when he could. He is tall now. Big T, their older brother named Terrance, was away at university so I did not see him all that much. He now lives in the United Kingdom.
I learned much about family from our conversations. Nina was a rebel. She followed suit when she had to, but never hesitated to voice her discontent with anything her Mom required of her. Ma Ngassa doesn't play either. She runs a tight ship. Nina and I had an instant draw...I guess because we both aim to be revolutionaries... Our conversations went deeper and we shared our dreams with eachother. Wide-eyed as we were - and still may be - we both saw our futures in Cameroon.
Nina studied Law at the University of Buea in the Southwest Region. She graduated in 2009. Her Mom and Dad encouraged her to enter another training school to pursue a position within one of the Ministries of the Government. Nina wanted to make movies. About a year ago - right about the time I started talking to Peter and Brian about starting CFDP - Nina began writing a screenplay for her first feature film.
After six months of writing, she assembled a production crew and struggled to find the much-needed financial backing to secure a Nigerian movie star as the lead and cover all other filmmaking expenditures. Pre-production planning began in November 2010 and all things are now in place to begin filming by the end of March for the 10-14 day shoot. Much of the filming will be done in the beach town of Limbe, on the Atlantic coast.
The red carpet premier is planned for May 17th in Buea. With this endeavor, she sets her sights on becomming one of the biggest producers in Cameroon. I only hope we should be so lucky to see a CFDP documentary as one of her future projects. I admire my sister Nina's ambition, persistence, and dedication. This is a story of Cameroon. This is a story of Africa.
Justin
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Let the Fundraising Begin!
Our Friends in Montreal - FSS Salaberry Coach and Players - are so innovative when it comes to fundraising!!
They recently booked their flights to Cameroon and will arrive in Douala on July 3rd! As a result, the young players (age 19-23) quickly learned how important it is to raise funds for THEIR OWN travel and living expenses while in country.
They wrapped presents at a local shopping mall in December.
As a team,they created a Goal-a-Thon for their Winter Indoor Soccer Season. Each of the players traveling asked their friends and family to each pledge something per goal, usually $1.
They have scored over 50 goals so far.
They are planning a Spaghetti Dinner and have had a "Dance Club Night".
But this is the icing on the cake...
Next Tuesday two FSS players, Simon and Gaelle, are heading into the studio for an interview to be on a game show!
Des Skelettes Dans le Placards (Skeletons in the Closet) is a game show in which three celebrities present what appears to be an embarrassing story about themselves. Two of these 'skeletons in the closet' are true. One is false. Two teams of 25 participants go head to head to determine who is telling the truth. The host asks questions to help the teams figure out which story belongs to which celebrity and vote for which story is not true. The winning team takes home $1000.
GOOD LUCK!!
As we prepare for our own Fundraising Drive this Spring, WE WELCOME ANY IDEAS YOU HAVE!!
They recently booked their flights to Cameroon and will arrive in Douala on July 3rd! As a result, the young players (age 19-23) quickly learned how important it is to raise funds for THEIR OWN travel and living expenses while in country.
They wrapped presents at a local shopping mall in December.
As a team,they created a Goal-a-Thon for their Winter Indoor Soccer Season. Each of the players traveling asked their friends and family to each pledge something per goal, usually $1.
They have scored over 50 goals so far.
They are planning a Spaghetti Dinner and have had a "Dance Club Night".
But this is the icing on the cake...
Next Tuesday two FSS players, Simon and Gaelle, are heading into the studio for an interview to be on a game show!
Des Skelettes Dans le Placards (Skeletons in the Closet) is a game show in which three celebrities present what appears to be an embarrassing story about themselves. Two of these 'skeletons in the closet' are true. One is false. Two teams of 25 participants go head to head to determine who is telling the truth. The host asks questions to help the teams figure out which story belongs to which celebrity and vote for which story is not true. The winning team takes home $1000.
GOOD LUCK!!
As we prepare for our own Fundraising Drive this Spring, WE WELCOME ANY IDEAS YOU HAVE!!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Back To Work!
CFDP was back in action this past week, resuming after-school sessions after a short interim for holiday activities. First it was Bilingualism Day and then Youth Day. Activities included many sports competitions and other festivals. One thing for sure: Cameroonians know how to celebrate! We really enjoy life - making the most of what we have.
CFDP continues to refine our operating model and develop "THE METHOD" as we have just recently started working with another school. Last summer, our local team was equipped with a handbook providing guidance for 12 sessions - each one including discussion topics and soccer drills. We are now working on a year-long curriculum to further our mission and create a sustainable foundation for lift-off during the 2011-2012 school year.
This latest report comes from Government Secondary School Nkamlikum and is provided by Brian.
At exactly 4pm, the session began, after we had done the role call of the students present. Of the total number of students we have been working with, forty five (45) were present. Among these forty five, thirty five were boys and ten girls. More to these, six leaders were present: Brian, Nenne, Caroline, Wallace, Kama and Ashu. Dickson, who has been acting as our camera man, was ill and so he could not be present, thus we had no other means of taking pictures since all our pictures are usually taken by his camera phone.
The program consisted of warm ups, headed by Kama, Wallace and Brian, as the youths were divided into three groups. After the warm ups, we moved straight to the first activity, which was the passing drill. We came back to this exercise because we wanted to find out if they could still master what they had learned from us after our last session. The exercise lasted for over 20 minutes and we took this long because many of them had forgotten how give precise passes. Thus much emphasis had to be laid again on this. We also added another passing exercise known as push pass.
From the passing drills, we moved to our topic discussion, “changes that boys and girls experience during puberty”. Here, many of them were a little bit shy or lukewarm to discuss these topics with us. But since it is our job to make the atmosphere conducive for them, we had to explain to them to feel free and that it was essential for them to know these things, to better understand their bodies. After this, their participation in this discussion was encouraging and very interesting. As usual, whenever they found themselves settled, they always asked interesting questions and felt free and relaxed.
After the discussions of these topics, the session ended at 5:30pm with the dribbling exercises. Here, the youths did dribbling between the cones, passing between the cones and the inside drag. Here, most of them excelled in them, especially the boys and all these were done with the collaboration of the sports teacher of the institution.
We will follow-up with the same activities next week at Kosala.
CFDP continues to refine our operating model and develop "THE METHOD" as we have just recently started working with another school. Last summer, our local team was equipped with a handbook providing guidance for 12 sessions - each one including discussion topics and soccer drills. We are now working on a year-long curriculum to further our mission and create a sustainable foundation for lift-off during the 2011-2012 school year.
This latest report comes from Government Secondary School Nkamlikum and is provided by Brian.
At exactly 4pm, the session began, after we had done the role call of the students present. Of the total number of students we have been working with, forty five (45) were present. Among these forty five, thirty five were boys and ten girls. More to these, six leaders were present: Brian, Nenne, Caroline, Wallace, Kama and Ashu. Dickson, who has been acting as our camera man, was ill and so he could not be present, thus we had no other means of taking pictures since all our pictures are usually taken by his camera phone.
The program consisted of warm ups, headed by Kama, Wallace and Brian, as the youths were divided into three groups. After the warm ups, we moved straight to the first activity, which was the passing drill. We came back to this exercise because we wanted to find out if they could still master what they had learned from us after our last session. The exercise lasted for over 20 minutes and we took this long because many of them had forgotten how give precise passes. Thus much emphasis had to be laid again on this. We also added another passing exercise known as push pass.
From the passing drills, we moved to our topic discussion, “changes that boys and girls experience during puberty”. Here, many of them were a little bit shy or lukewarm to discuss these topics with us. But since it is our job to make the atmosphere conducive for them, we had to explain to them to feel free and that it was essential for them to know these things, to better understand their bodies. After this, their participation in this discussion was encouraging and very interesting. As usual, whenever they found themselves settled, they always asked interesting questions and felt free and relaxed.
After the discussions of these topics, the session ended at 5:30pm with the dribbling exercises. Here, the youths did dribbling between the cones, passing between the cones and the inside drag. Here, most of them excelled in them, especially the boys and all these were done with the collaboration of the sports teacher of the institution.
We will follow-up with the same activities next week at Kosala.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Meet the Pen Pals - Part II
So...you have met some of the Cameroonian youth who are participating in CFDP's Premier Pen Pal Program (See Blog Post Below). It's imoprtant to learn more about the players from FSS Salaberry - the soccer club in Montreal - who are partnering with these boys and girls for this fantastic cultural exchange.
The senior players representing FSS Salaberry will spend two weeks in July in Cameroon. They will stay in Kumba as their home base, play LOTS of soccer, travel to a few other cities and suburbs in the Southwest Region, and spend some quality time with their Pen Pals. Did we mention they have organized for an ENTIRE SHIPPING CONTAINER to be filled with donated soccer equipment ?!?! Contributions ranging from soccer balls to entire team sets of jerseys have been donated from people across the North American Continent - from Montreal to Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh to Minneapolis!! But I digress...
Working closely with their WONDERFUL coach, we have been able to match the Pen Pals according to their interests.
For example, Isabelle (medical student in Montrael ) is connected to Kelda (see below :0).
Nadine (Montreal) and Tambe (Cameroon) have a few things in common besides soccer. For example,they are both African!! Nadine is half-Egyptian!!
Gaëlle (Montreal) and Janet (Cameroon) both love MUSIC!!! They will have no trouble enjoying the beautiful sounds of Makossa, of Cameroon, and Coupé Décalé, of Côte d'Ivoire.
The Pen Pals have been Introduced. The FSS players have written their first letters and the Cameroonian youth are forming their responses now!
The senior players representing FSS Salaberry will spend two weeks in July in Cameroon. They will stay in Kumba as their home base, play LOTS of soccer, travel to a few other cities and suburbs in the Southwest Region, and spend some quality time with their Pen Pals. Did we mention they have organized for an ENTIRE SHIPPING CONTAINER to be filled with donated soccer equipment ?!?! Contributions ranging from soccer balls to entire team sets of jerseys have been donated from people across the North American Continent - from Montreal to Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh to Minneapolis!! But I digress...
Working closely with their WONDERFUL coach, we have been able to match the Pen Pals according to their interests.
For example, Isabelle (medical student in Montrael ) is connected to Kelda (see below :0).
Nadine (Montreal) and Tambe (Cameroon) have a few things in common besides soccer. For example,they are both African!! Nadine is half-Egyptian!!
Gaëlle (Montreal) and Janet (Cameroon) both love MUSIC!!! They will have no trouble enjoying the beautiful sounds of Makossa, of Cameroon, and Coupé Décalé, of Côte d'Ivoire.
The Pen Pals have been Introduced. The FSS players have written their first letters and the Cameroonian youth are forming their responses now!
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