The Foundation for Education, Culture and Health donates medical equipment to Douala Archdiocese

Interviewed by Grace Ongey

On November 3 the Douala Archdiocese witnessed a memorable event. The adviser of the Foundation for Education, Culture and Health,Marie Ebie, handed over the keys of two ambulances and other medical equipment for the Catholic Hospital in Logpom, to His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi. The ceremony took place at the premises of St Peter and Paul's Cathedral Parish. L'Effort Camerounais caught up with Mrs Ebie and this is what she had to say. Excerpts:

What actually motivated you to donate theses ambulances to the Douala Archdiocese and not to any other archdiocese?
My husband, my son Kenneth and Jennifer made a trip to Cameroon and during the trip they spent about three days with  Christian Cardinal Tumi in Douala. He was their host and  has become a family friend. We met in Chicago three years back when he came in for the ordination of a Cameroonian deacon.

When my family came here, they spent time talking with him as they went visiting the Douala Archdiocese. They saw the need for some assistance. So, some months later, the Cardinal visited the United States and spent a couple of days in our home and in talking he expressed the need for some help; We had  to assist him in getting some ambulances for the hospitals in Douala because they were in dire need of a means of transportation for their patients.

How do you expect these ambulances to be used?
I cannot say how they are to be used. What we did was give them to the Cardinal and he will decide together with the rest of the diocese and the hospitals how to use them. He knows his needs better than I do. So, he will put  the ambulances into the best possible use, I believe .

Can you present your organisation in greater detail?
FECH is a very young organisation. It was started by our son  Kenneth Ebie after a year’s work and stay in Cameroon in 2001/2002. He came back from Cameroon and he was so moved by the people of Cameroon and their great need in the medical, cultural and educational arenas that he started the foundation FECH.

The foundation is still very young and there are just three officers. Kenneth is the president, Jeremy, his brother, is the vice president and he is the one who negotiated for these ambulances from the City of Chicago and Jennifer Ebie is their secretary. It is a very small foundation made up of family members.

FECH stands for Foundation for Education, Culture and Health. We are more like middle men who solicit funds and send them to Cameroon to help organisations that are already on the ground to further their work. For instance, the Douala Archdiocese is already in existence and they have been doing a lot of work. We are just helping them to facilitate and also expand their services.

Should the archdiocese of Douala be expecting more of such donations from your organisation?
I think that is something I pray for and ask them to equally pray for us that as we solicit funds and get greater response from our donors. We will help in even bigger ways. Certainly the archdiocese will be receiving more assistance from us as we get more funds from our donors.

Has FECH been of assistance to other groups or associations?
Yes, we are simultaneously helping another Youth Development Foundation in Yaounde (YDF) right now with monetary gifts. We have not sent any equipment to them yet. I would not say how much, but they will use this money in furthering their mission. Kenneth worked with this group when he was in Yaounde and saw their need.

We have the US Presidential Elections coming up tomorrow, any comment?
I am running back home to cast my votes so I will be participating in this election. I am very excited because this is a very important election. I hope my candidate wins. I am a democrat and I hope  my candidate wins. I am whole heartedly voting for my candidate, Senator Barack Obama, hopefully the new president of the United States of America.

Comments

[Ferdinand Ndum -Chicago]

I wish the FECH oRGANISATION for their efforts toward the Donation to help people back in Camerron.Actually, I was One the Driver who drove the Ambulance to the Container.I will God's blessings.

Ferdinand Ndum

[Ferdinand Ndum -Chicago]

I wish the FECH oRGANISATION for their efforts toward the Donation to help people back in Camerron.Actually, I was One the Driver who drove the Ambulance to the Container.I will God's blessings.

Ferdinand Ndum

[Saint Lawrence]

I am really amazed by what these young Cameroonians have been able to accomplish, working just within the confines of their family. May the almighty shower them with His abundant blessing, that the good Lord considers Ma Ebies’ wish (to “middleman”, I mean “middle-woman” more of such events in the future), and fires up this NGO to keep riding the wave of success.
To Doc, Ma and the kids, more “minyanga” on your elbows.

[Susannah Mondoa]

The Ebie Family -- thank you. You also selected the right place to make these important donations.