The Challenges We Face with Tuition and Fees

A critical goal for KumboKids and the Community is to help children have equal access to education. The upsurge of the Cameroon Anglophone socio-political crisis has put many things at bay, but children's education has suffered the most tremendous blow since the rebels stopped public schools from operating in Anglophone Cameroon. We are thankful that the Catholic Church, through the help of the bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, succeeded, through serious negotiations, in keeping Catholic schools functioning, although under serious difficulties of insecurity, lack of freedom of movement, kidnapping and asking for ransom, roadblocks, and killings. We are thankful to God that we can keep our schools running amidst these mishaps. Thus, due to the hardships brought by the crisis, many students cannot afford basic school needs like pens, pencils, rulers, and notebooks and cannot pay tuition and fees.

Many students at SAMS, Kitiwum are still in need of tuition assistance.

Therefore, it has always been challenging for us to help students with full or partial tuition and fees. We have been able to help ten kindergarten children and 38 Primary School Kids in Saint Martin de Porres Catholic School, Nkanchi, 8 Primary School Kids from Catholic School Misaje, and one kid from Binju-Nkambe Catholic School. Donors have adopted some of these children. We remain grateful to them. We have also helped students at the Secondary and High School Levels. In SAMS, we were able to help 15 students with full tuition and fees and ten others with partial tuition and fees. We are assisting displaced students from Anglophone Cameroon who are now studying in some French-speaking Regions (Francophones) of Cameroon. In Yaounde, we are helping eight children in Secondary School with tuition and fees; in Buea, we help four kids; in Douala, 2, and at the University level, we have supported five students. Education is the key component of the mission of KumboKids and Community because we are giving a future to these kids and helping them to be community builders in the future.

Primary school children in Nkanchi Village.

Despite all the help, many students still need tuition, fees, and basic school supplies. In SAMS, Kitiwum, about 30 students cannot pay fees. Those who struggle to pay some fees do so piecemeal, and when the money is not available in a reasonable sum, it isn't easy to purchase foodstuffs in bulk. When we buy in smaller quantities, we incur a lot of expenses. More than sixty kindergarten and Primary School kids in Nkanchi need assistance. I admire the effort of the sisters of the “Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross” working in Nkanchi for the help they render to kids to have an education. The need continues to be great, while the resources are limited.

Because of all this, I continue soliciting assistance to enable me to help more children. As we have said before, we would be grateful if donors could adopt some kids to help them through Primary school, secondary school, or university. Again, tuition and fees for a Kindergarten and Primary School child are $200.00 per year, $750-800.00 for a secondary and High School student, and $1,500.00 for a university student. These amounts include tuition and fees, books, and uniforms; for those in the university, it consists of some house rents.

Students at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Kumbo.

I am immensely grateful to everyone who is helping me realize these projects. I pray that God will continue to bless you and your efforts. The Bible praises those who take care of the education of the young in these words: “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate (Ps. 127:3-5). I remain incredibly grateful for those who have already taken on board to help us help these children gain one of the most necessities in life – education.

Once more, thank you all for your financial contributions toward the goals of KumboKids and the Community. May God continue to bless and reward you. May Christ’s coming at Christmas continue to fill you with joy and happiness and give you the peace and tranquillity you deserve. May God the Father bless you, God the Son free you, and God the Holy Ghost enlighten and strengthen you. AMEN.

-Fr. Emmanuel Fale Lon, S.D.