New Classrooms for West Cameroon Primary School

Last year, Rotary Club of Buxton contributed £500 towards completion of new classrooms for the Islamic Primary School in Rifem Mbiame, Western Cameroon, so helping Tara Mallinson and Sarah Males join eight other volunteers to work on this important AidCamps International project. At the Club’s first meeting in June, Tara and Sarah showed Buxton Rotarians slides of their part in transforming dilapidated old classrooms no longer fit for purpose into new buildings. The 200 children who attend the school are from several local tribes, some following non-Muslim faiths; they sang with their mothers to celebrate the arrival of the volunteers, whose role involved plastering, painting, mixing mortar and making secure windows using concrete triangular ‘clusters’ formed using a mould. One major highlight for Sara and Tara, among many, was the ceremony where they were presented with beautifully embroidered traditional robes from Bamenda. Then the N'so tribal leader’s representatives placed intricately crocheted hats on their heads to confer the status of 'Shey' (warrior) upon them. Tara and Sarah also spoke of aspects of Cameroon life, including women's groups, health, education, water, agriculture, the environment and what they had gained personally through volunteering: a most interesting presentation. Read more details of their adventure at http://www.aidcamps.org/rifemmbiameips.aspx