May 14th, 2012
There are few things more important than a feeling of self-worth, that you matter and can contribute to your own life and that of others. In Cameroon, life is tough and money is scarce.
The palm oil business established by local charity GMM Africa, with the help of donations from Catalyst Exhibits and others, shows how a good idea can go a long way towards changing the lives of those involved. Read [Palm Oil Business Funds Children’s Education].
The scheme was set up to provide mothers with the chance to start their own small business selling palm oil, which would in turn, help fund their children’s’ education. Since its inception a few months ago more than…..
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Tags: charity, children, education
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May 3rd, 2012
Last week, we wrote about the creation of new scheme among the women in Cameroon [Palm Oil Business Funds Children’s Education].
The DM scheme, as it is known, established by educational charity group, GMM Africa, is designed to allow women to start their own small business selling palm oil, the profits from which will help fund their children’s education.
We here at Catalyst Exhibits are proud to have donated $2,500 to help get this worthy project off the ground.
As promised, Teh Francis has been in touch to let us know how the scheme has been doing in its first month.
“It is now almost a month since we have fully started with our DM project, Children Education through Women Empowerment. Women will sell palm oil to start and later start a small saving and lending business, using the proceeds…
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Tags: charity, children, education, kids
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April 24th, 2012
Giving deprived people the tools and skills needed to help themselves has always been the thinking behind most of the world’s most effective charities. Throwing money at a problem is a short term fix to a long term problem, and an approach which ultimately fails.
In Cameroon, educational charity group GMM Africa has kicked off a new programme that will allow women to start their own small palm oil business to help fund their children’s education. We at Catalyst Exhibits recognised the long-term value in this scheme and were happy to donate $2,500 to help get it off the ground.
The DM scheme, as it is known, is promoting children’s education through the empowerment of women. It involves….
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Tags: africa, charity, children, education
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March 7th, 2012
It seems the motorbike taxis that Catalyst Exhibits helped set up with the GMM Africa charity in Cameroon are going from strength to strength.
The original goal for the first motorbike we donated was to help get teachers around to the local villages so they could teach children that could not travel that far to the schools. And it worked brilliantly. So well in fact that the motorbike became very popular with the locals who paid for it to take them on short journeys.
The money raised help fund extra charity activities, and another bike was then provided by Bekins to act exclusively as a taxi to raise funds.
Rev. Teh Francis has been in touch with an update.
“Good news. Again and again a lot of money is being generated by the motorbike taxi project. When I check over the funds today I discovered that 187 000 FCFA ($375) is left over after paying all the fees for the children at the elementary school at Jinkfuin, helping some students at Acha Baptist College, and Claris again at the Government Bilingual High School at Belo.
Pilate, who we trained for driving is now controlling the fund and through his work the business has grown. We are still undecided on what to do with the leftovers, but we may train an orphan girl at the medical school. We really want to thank you for the help getting us the motorbikes. You might have thought it was a little thing but it has gone a long way to helping us accomplish more than we ever imagined.
Pilate will start work at our mission whenever we get a larger vehicle. Without it we find it very difficult…
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Tags: charity, children, education, kids, motorbike
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February 15th, 2012
The new year for Cameroon’s charities and education projects is well underway and preparations for raising more funds and implementing new initiatives has begun.
Reverend Teh Francis has sent us some greetings and information on what’s going with GMM Africa and the important work it is carrying out with large numbers of under-privileged children.
Dear Sponsors,
Greetings from GMM Africa , Cameroon. We continue to thank you for making life possible for underprivileged children in Cameroon. Without your intervention life would be terribly unbearable for them. Now they have access to a proper education, health and nutrition. Words alone cannot express how grateful we are. It is of great value to us because we live daily with these children and are acquainted with their predicaments.
At the end of this week we are sending the December reports together with the January reports. Some of you are acquainted with the developments here. Dee went back to Ireland and Carine who works with Janet on the child sponsorship program, has been working on her exams as she prepares….
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Tags: charity, children, education, kids, school
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January 17th, 2012
Last year was a good year for helping educate women and children in Cameroon, according to leading charity on the ground, GMM Africa, a group we at Catalyst Exhibits do our best to help.
However, there is no time resting on their laurels as GMM have a lot planned for the coming year, from adding more needy children to the vital education program, empowering women by supporting their small businesses and also increasing the amount of computers they use in their office and schools.
Reverend Teh Francis [far right in above photo] sent us this update, containing a brief summary of 2011 and some of the key targets for 2012.
Dear Volunteers, Online Volunteers, Sponsors, Donors, Friends and anyone connected to GMM Africa,
We must thank you again at Goodness and Mercy Missions before we continue with this new year. All your good services and wishes have enabled us to do wonderful things to relieve the plight of the disadvantaged in the past. We have noted that with gratitude and thought we should let you know that you shall always remain special to us. Your labor has not been in vain.
In 2011 many children have been sponsored, computer labs created in 8 secondary schools, 160 women got direct funding to start small businesses to help educate their children, and children continued to receive some computer training at the office.
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Tags: charity, children, education, kids
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January 11th, 2012
There may be no snow, nor Christmas trees, but there was plenty to celebrate in sunny Cameroon this festive season as GMM Africa, one of our favorite charities, celebrated the holiday. The celebrations took place with many of the children the charity helps take care of and educate, and the party was a great success.
Rev, Teh Francis wrote to us about the celebration and sent some photos.
“23rd December, 2011, remains a remarkable day in the history of GMM Africa, Cameroon. We are a non profit registered organization providing tools and aid to disadvantaged people and communities for a sustainable livelihood. This year the Xmas party, organized in honour of the orphans and needy children we sponsor, surpassed that which we have held in previous years.
New things arrived, in particular, a fleet of bicycles bought by our sponsor and partner Gabey in Holland. The children can now cycle at will. The bicycles will also help ferry them to school and back home. This helps lessen the stress that comes with trekking to and from school.
Paul and the team at Catalyst Exhibits, a design company in USA, has been helping in this area too. They provided motorbikes that not only carried teachers to school but helped in transporting the orphan children to hospital every month.
Read more and see some more photos after the jump.
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Tags: charity, children, education, kids
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January 4th, 2012
Life is tough for many children in Cameroon and it is only made easier by the hard work of charity groups and educators like GMM Africa and the sponsorship and donations they receive from external sources. One of the group’s key programs is sponsoring children for a year in GMM Africa’s education program, designed to take underprivileged and at-risk children and teens off the streets and give them an education and, a future. Mildred [pictured] is one of the lucky ones.
Catalyst Exhibits has been helping out GMM Africa for a number of years and its CEO, Paul Stahlberg, is continuing his sponsorship in 2012 of Mildred, one of the kids in the GMM Africa education program. Some new photos of Mildred were just sent over by Rev Teh Francis.
Read ‘Catalyst Sponsors Mildred In Cameroon’.
We here at Area 3 [the charity blog for Catalyst Exhibits] are delighted that Mildred’s life has been changed for the better and that we will be involved in helping her, and other worthy causes, throughout 2012.
Tags: charity, children, education, kids
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December 16th, 2011
It’s been a busy year at GMM Africa and the invaluable work they do with underprivileged kids in Cameroon, Africa. Without them, many children would have no education and be left to fend for themselves on the harsh streets.
Catalyst Exhibits has been honored to be able to help GMM Africa, under Rev. Teh Francis, advance and expand its education and sponsorship programmes. For the past nine months, our CEO, Paul Stahlberg, has been sponsoring the education of teenager, Mildred.
Read ‘Catalyst Sponsors Mildred In Cameroon’.
Teh Francis wrote to us this week.
To our friend, Paul Stahlberg,
Thank you for all your work and care. It has been a year since you started sponsoring Mildred and this has really changed the girls future, I think forever. It has lifted her from the poor state she used to be in and your sponsorship has even helped improve the diet of food the family now live on.
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Tags: charity, children, education
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December 6th, 2011
It’s been a very busy year in Cameroon for GMM Africa and all the kids who have benefitted from their education and job placement activities.
With Christmas coming the group is in the midst of organising the annual party for the kids and their families, many who have little or nothing, outside of the school.
Reverend Teh Francis has been in touch this week to let us know what is planned.
“Thank you for all the help you’ve rendered to help make life easier for orphaned and needy children in this part of the globe. It has been really amazing to see the difference you’ve made in the lives of these children in the area of education, health and nutrition. It is very much appreciated by us at GMM Africa. You are all wonderful people.
This year we are organizing another Xmas party for the orphan and needy children at GMM. For the party, we buy stuff and share it with the children and their families. Stuff like clothes, shoes, toys, bicycles, books etc. We also provide a meal and give soap to the families. It is all a fellowship meal. We love these children and we love you who are helping them.
Send your greetings to these children at the party. You can also send a gift or a donation to make the day great. If interested, we can give you details.
Once again thank you. There are still children pending on the child sponsorship page. You can forward it to any of your friends who may wish to sponsor a child. See www.gmmafricachild.org and www.commit2africa.org.”
Rev. Teh Francis
Tags: charity, children, education, kids
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