The family of the National Coordinator of the Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration Committee, NDDRC, Fai Yengo Francis through the Mayor of Yaounde V Council, Augustin Bala, has assisted internally displaced persons from the North West and South West regions.
The family picked up the bill of basic food items and didactic materials donated to 250 internally displaced families from the restive North West and South West regions living in the Yaounde V council area. A survey, according to a family source suggests the municipality hosts more displaced persons from the troubled regions motivating the choice of Yaounde V. The donations were handed to beneficiary families Wednesday September 7, 2022 at the Gymnasium of the Yaounde Omnisport Stadium, under an initiative dubbed “Back-to-school humanitarian support to IDP families,” launched this year. The ceremony was a crowd puller with government, top state officials, administrative, religious and traditional authorities present.
IDP families went home smiling and heaving sighs of relief. Each family got a bag of rice, bag of salt, 10 cubes of savon, four packets of sugar, five litres of vegetable oil, a bucket, three packets of books, pens, pencils, math sets, rulers and other didactic materials.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Bala said the donation is a sign the beneficiaries don’t walk alone in their difficulties, and testimony the IDPs are Cameroonians. “This assistance is a demonstration of our compassion for our displaced brothers and sisters suffering from the atrocities of the armed conflict in the North West and South West regions,” Bala said. He assured the IDPs of his council’s constant support. He revealed that Anglophones have been employed at the council.
The mayor threw flowers on the Fai Yengo family. “The one who has given some gifts and important financial contribution for the ceremony is called Fai Yengo Emmanuel. I invite you please to give this very generous young man a very special standing ovation,” the mayor said.
Fai Yengo Emmanuel had kind words for the Mayor. He praised the mayor for offering his patronage, time and resources to ease the return of Anglophone IDP children go back to school. “The Lord Mayor has been very instrumental in shaping this idea and helping to make sure that we give what is necessary and helpful to these children,” he said. He encouraged the IPDs to remain resilient and law-abiding while acknowledging the hospitality of the host community.
Several elite from the Anglophone regions attended the event – the governor of the Centre region, Naseri Paul Bea, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of the Commonwealth, Felix Mbayu; the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Basic Education, Dr Asheri Kilo; National Coordinator of the DDR, Fai Yengo, Hon Njingum Musa among others.
An Ecumenical service was said, while traditional dances and performances from musicians graced the event.
Jude VIBAN
