The Fomunyoh Foundation: 22 Years At The Service Of Humanity
From East to West, from North to South and even beyond the borders of Cameroon, The Fomunyoh Foundation has for over two decades toiled to improve the quality of life of Cameroonians. Beyond assistance to people and organizations committed to the promotion of democracy and human rights, the Foundation has supported sporting events, assisted internally and externally displaced persons from diverse crisis in Cameroon, and more.
PAV brings you some of the activities and engagements that have kept the Foundation and its Founder Dr Christopher Fomunyoh busy in the last 22 years
When Dr Christopher Fomunyoh pioneered a group of dedicated advocates in the national and international democracy community to champion a Foundation that would improve the quality of life of the Cameroonian people, assist and support people and organizations dedicated to the promotion of democracy and human rights, little could they have imagined that their mission would be more significant twenty-years after its creation in 1999. And like the man to whom the Foundation is dedicated, (Bah Agwo Fomunyoh, grandfather of The Fomunyoh Foundation’s (TFF) founder) through courage and wisdom, the Foundation has sought to right the wrongs inflicted on ordinary citizens over the years.
The Foundation is made up of the following components: Foundation Radio: Foundation Radio FM 100 (FR) prides itself on being one of the first in-country pillars of the Fomunyoh Foundation (TFF). FR is the first institutional organ of TFF to go operational within the head office complex in Ngomagham, Bamenda in 2007. FR mission is to share information and knowledge on issues that improve the well-being of Cameroonians. The stations objectives, programs, grill and editorial codes are within the guiding principles of TFF’s vision, and the norms of Cameroon and International Journalistic Ethical Standards. Foundation Library: The Foundation Library is the largest community library in the North West Region of Cameroon with over 25.000 books initially ranging from the kindergarten to university covering the social and natural sciences, health, management, law, ICTs among others.
From this reservoir book donations have been made to schools and other libraries in all ten (10) Regions of the country, Spacious and located in a quiet environment, the library offers an ideal milieu for reading and research. ICT Center: In order to keep pace with an ever-modernizing world The Fomunyoh Foundation had engaged in the installation of modern ICT facilities. Unfortunately, the sociopolitical crisis that erupted in the English speaking North West and South West Region of Cameroon slowed down the process. Foundation Conference Hall: The Foundation has a conference room that can host workshops and seminars of up to 50 persons. It is well equipped with a modern sound system, internet facilities, projector and offices to ease the holding of such events.
The calmness of the setting situated out of the hustle and bustle of the city center makes. Foundation Event Center: For bigger events such as weddings, anniversaries the centre can accommodate close to 300 invitees. Consistency Over the years the Foundation has also been carrying out Civic education and grassroots community programs directed at women and young people all over Cameroon while developing local partnerships with traditional rulers, women, youth and the population at large so as to raise their awareness on development and human rights issues. Small grants, and/or in-kind assistance to needy segments of the Cameroonian population as recommended by the Foundation›s Board of Directors have also been on its agenda of activities.
On Saturday March 17 Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, President of The Fomunyoh Foundation(TFF) made donations to some churches and civil Society Organizations working with Internally Displaced Persons affected by the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon where over One million persons have been displaced. The event took place at the Foundation’s headquarters in Bamenda, North West Region.
Among the beneficiaries were of Youth Outreach Programme, (YOP), Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD), United Youths Organization (UYO), Centre for development, promotion, research and information technology exchange (CEDPRITE).
Four churches were also recipients, Presbyterian Church Nghomgham, the Gebuaer Baptist Church Atuakom, The RAMAH Christian Center and the Catholic Church Nghomgham, all in Bamenda.
The latest gesture was the donation of kind and cash to Persons Living with Disabilities in Kumba Meme Division of South West Cameroon. Humanitarian activities Events in Cameroon in recent years have obliged the Foundation to tilt more of its resources towards humanitarian assistance. The Boko Haram insurgency in the North of Nigeria led to a huge spillover effect on the Far North Region of Cameroon. Over 80.000 refugees were camped under appalling conditions in Minawao Refugee camp. The dreadful conditions could not keep the Foundation indifferent.
Its President Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh was the first prominent figure to visit and donate food items to the camp in the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2014. This humanitarian action took the Foundation team all over Cameroon, visiting and donating as the case may be to schools, hospitals, orphanages. The Anglophone Crisis: Since the start of the Anglophone crisis in 2016, Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, has been very consistent on how to break the deadlock.
According to him this crisis is more than one government can handle and drive it to its logical end. To him a military solution cannot solve the crisis in the country›s North West and South West Regions. «We have to sit back and revise the approach we have taken for this crisis that what we have tried in the past four years has not worked. We have to understand that this issue can only be resolved through dialogue, mediation, negotiations so we can bring the sufferings to an end. Violence only bequeaths violence and right now I am concerned about not just this conflict but the next one.
What people have gone through, close to 70,000 refugees in Nigeria and other countries that people are not going to forget and forgive easily the suffering that they are going through?» Touched by the plight of these refugees in Nigeria a TFF team led by its president in partnership with Community Refugee Relief Initiative (CRRI) spent 2021 Easter holiday visiting and supporting refugees in some localities in Nigeria.
The NGOs distributed food items such as rice, noodles, fruit juice among others to refugee camps in rural, urban areas as well as major cities, including Calabar, Oban, Akor, Adagom I & III, Okend, Ajasor and Basua all in Cross River State; Ikyogen in Benue State and Abuja. Recognitions The works of the Foundation has not gone unnoticed. Twice TFF’s president Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh has named “Cameroon Personality of the Year», by The Eye Newspaper in 2015. The 2015 award ceremony took a different twist when over 15 traditional rulers from Bui and Donga Mantung Divisions led by the over 95-year old Fon of Nkambe, Ibrahim Jabu Nfor, conferred and clad Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh with the traditional title of «Ta›a Nformi Cameroon» – (Hunter for Cameroonians). In 2015 it was Cameroons lone daily English newspaper The Guardian Post, that recognized him with a similar award.
In 2020 The Scoop newspaper voted him as “2020 Most Objective Personality”. The 2020 “Democracy and Good Governance” Award from Guardian Post The Time Media Group for its part rated The Fomunyoh Foundation as “All Round Best Humanitarian and Solidarity Aid Impacting Project Foundation”
Source: PAN AFRICAN VISIONS – MAG 0621 Vol III, JUNE 2021.