BOCODA AND BAI INITIATIVE FOR ABICHIA PRIMARY SCHOOL

​Government School Abichia Village Enhancement Initiative A Betterways Africa International (BAI) and Bonazah Community Development of Africa (BOCODA)
Community Support Partnership Initiative
 
BACKGROUND
Following a request from the Abichia village community for organizational and financial and management support and assistance for the construction of minimal school facilities for its only primary school, Betterways Africa International, a non-profit organization based in Bamenda, Cameroon responded favorably. The Project beneficiary is Government School Abichia, Ngie Subdivision, in the North West Region, Cameroon.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Abichia is a remote village in the Ngie subdivision in the North West Region of Cameroon in West Africa. The inhabitants of Abichia village are mostly subsistence peasant farmers, and are not able afford capital investment such as buildings for the school on their own. They people are peace-loving and hard-working community and are hardly reached by development opportunities.  Despite Government efforts over the years, the schools infrastructure mainly consists of two recently constructed classrooms, and dilapidated mud and palm front huts.  There is no portable water point for the school.  See pictures attached. The recent efforts of the Government in constructing two new classrooms creates a positive context  and paves the way for successful implementation this project to complete the revitalization of basic primary school facilities for the over 300 children and Abichia and neighboring villages.   
 
Overall Project Objective:
The projects involve the construction and equipment of five classrooms, two toilets, and a portable water facility for Government School Abichia, over the next 5 years. Following initial preparations, BAI launched in partnership with the beneficiary village community and moral encouragement of the local area Andek Council in December 2015.  This project will supplement the efforts of the Government which constructed two classrooms for the village in 2014, making a total of 6 classrooms and a shared office space for the teachers, a separate space for the Head Teacher, and a portable water point. The school facilities aim to give services to 300 primary school children from Abichia and neighboring villages. It will enhance access and quality of education for children in this remote, rural community, and increase the attendance rates. With a population of about 300 primary children of school age , the people who themselves expressed a desire for this project have been seeking for a prospective infrastructural face-lift of the school and are willing to invest their own time and effort for the construction.
 
Current Status of the Project
Following various preparatory initial resources provided by the Founder of BAI, the construction of two classrooms was launched in late 2015.  Progress achieved included:

• Provision of necessary financial and technical support and assistance to the Abichia community for the  collection of locally-available materials such as sand, stones and wood;
• The preparation of the Project site;
• the purchase and transportation of the initial lot of building materials including 30 bags of cements,  to the project site: See pictures attached
• Support for the laying of blocks for the construction.
• support for the laying of the Foundation. See pictures attached

Project expected outcome:
Given the forward-looking momentum created by the construction of two classrooms by the Government, this project seeks build to contribute further to the creation of:

• an improved environment with  basic learning conditions and resources  for children of Abichia and neighboring villages,
• increased retention and completion of primary education, and reduction of delinquency and vulnerability of children and youth;
• enhanced uptake of girls in particular and successful completion of primary education  which will have multiplier effect on the development of the community;
• Greater awareness within the community of the importance of education.

 
Total estimated budget including (including contingency): The total budget estimate of entire project is about 35 millions frs CFA, (USD 70,000). The local beneficially will provide all manual labor for the project, therefore demonstrating their ownership and commitment to the education of their children.
 
Partnership with Bonazah Community Development of Africa
In January 2016, Bonazah Community Development of Africa (Bocoda Inc.) a non-profit organization based in the United States gained awareness about the Project and joined forces with the initiator, Betterways Africa International (BAI) for the process forward toward successful implementation of the next phases of the project. This vital partnership is expected to significantly boost efforts toward implementation of the project, notably through:

• Building a stronger resource mobilization and reporting efforts in support of the project process;
• The strengthening of the  local management support base for the project;
• The broadening of the local support base of the project and sharing of best practices ;
• The strengthening of efforts to identify local and international volunteers for the project.

 
 HOW YOU CAN HELP!

• Join the initiative as a promoter or sponsor;
• Support specific component of the Project;
• Donate financial or in-kind or technical support;
• Recommend the Project  to relevant actors for support
• Contact us for more information, and any questions for clarification.

 
For further information about this project, please contact:

• BAI at email: infocenter@bwafricaint.org,         
  

          Phone: Cameroon :+237) 6 7710 2126
                       

• BOCODA at email: Admin@bocodainc.com

          Phone: U.S.:1-877) 998-6999
          International: (1-315) 804-9491
 
Sustainability and Maintenance
The project will seek to develop the capacities of the School Maintenance Committee to ensure permanent upkeep and maintenance of the facilities to be developed.
 
This Committee will be made of all interested and resourceful parties, the school Head master, representatives of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Chief of the Village and skilled parents. It will be responsible for and creating community awareness of school issues, fundraising, and conduct of maintenance work. Its composition and role will be finalized in consultation with the school.

---