Letter of appeal to help Cameroonian school kids
Dear all,
I am Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Fale Lon, a diocesan priest (SD) from the Diocese of Kumbo in Cameroon, Central Africa. It is my hope and prayer that this letter finds you in good health of mind and body, for I have never stopped praying for you, for your enormous sacrifices and compassion in supporting missionary work all over the world. With this letter, I hope to let you know of all the good that has come about because of your generosity, and all of the good I hope to still accomplish with your continued support.
Most of us met during my visit as a missionary speaker on behalf of the Diocese of Kumbo , though some may remember me as a student of St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, or from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Currently I am a doctoral student at The International Marian Institute at the University of Dayton, Ohio. I was able to visit your parish because the Kumbo Diocese is a participant of the Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP), USA. Through the program, the United States’ Episcopal Conference of Catholic Bishops welcomes us to “make an appeal for [our] missionary cause and ask for the parishioners’ prayers and financial support. Through this program, parishioners also learn more about the missionary work of the Church, which leads to a better understanding of our baptismal calling to share in the mandate of Our Lord: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…’ (Matthew 28:20). By Praying with the missionary and by sharing in the celebration of the Mass, parishioners join their prayers with those of the missionaries and the people they serve” (Mission Statement for the MCP for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, MO).
Speaking on behalf of the Diocese of Kumbo, I mostly have told my personal story in order to relate it to the bigger picture of the diocese. I grew up in a village with no roads, health care, clean drinking water nor electricity. Worse still, we lacked education. Today’s uneducated youth, especially girls, are left vulnerable for abduction, human trafficking, and exploitation.
All this is not because the country is so poor, but because bribery and corruption has eaten into the marrow of the people. Thus, the Catholic Church of the Diocese of Kumbo must aid these people in remote areas. When money is donated it goes to the general fund of the diocese and the Bishop decides which needs are most pressing. Praise God, a lot has been happening. Because of you and others like you fifty villages can now boast of clean drinking water, and health centers are being constructed in several other villages. Thank you!
Today, I would also like to tell you about what I am doing and plan to do personally as an individual when I go back home: I started the Help Cameroon School Kids initiative to help more underprivileged and vulnerable kids in Kumbo get an education. The goal is to provide tuition, books, and fees. As of now, it takes $200.00 to educate one child for a year in a Catholic Kindergarten or Primary School, and this includes tuition, books, and uniforms. Kindergarten is 2 years and Primary education is 6 years, so with $1,600.00, one child will go from Kindergarten through Primary six. This is called giving life to someone. Children will be able to bear witness that education brings light to a community. After good elementary education, the child’s mind is opened to the needs of further education, and he/she can easily be helped at this level to continue. Without these beginnings, the future of these kids remains very opaque.
I humbly write, therefore, to solicit your donations which will go directly to these kids to purchase books and pay tuition fees.
I feel so proud to be a Catholic when I see the faith, the commitment, the love and the willingness to help those in need among all Catholic communities. May God continue to reward you and replenish your efforts with an abundance of His grace.
Sorry for the length of this letter. It is because it is the first one. Once more, thank you for your support.
Gratefully yours,
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Fale Lon