Donga Mantung: Here is the Untold Success Story of Donga Mantung Scholarship Fund

 How DOMASF Rekindled Back to School and Hard work 

As part of efforts to reawaken back to school in the entire Donga Mantung Division and equally reward excellence and hard work, the Donga Mantung Scholarship Fund-DOMASF is entering into records for outstanding achievements. Launched in August 2019 at the eve of back to school with the sum of FCFA 18 million, DOMASF has reached out to thousands in it's drive to build human resources and encourage education, ignite excellence and hardwork. The success story of DOMASF is one worth emulating. 

During the official launching of DOMASF during the 2019 back to school, its initiator and promoter, Dr, Fuh Calistus Gentry said the scheme was put in place to mobilize communities to send children to school, support Parent Teachers Association to recruit teachers and to honour, encourage and reward excellence. 

Last week, over 200 students and pupils from the Five Sub Divisions that make up Donga Mantung Division received scholarships ranging from FCFA 25.000 to FCFA 150.000. In addition to the awards of excellence, school bags and exercise books were distributed to the needy to instill back to school. The coordinator of the scholarship fund, Tarlishi Oliver Yinyu, says DOMASF has created a huge impact in the entire Donga Mantung since it was launched on August 19, 2019 at the eve of back to school. In a retrospective, Tarlishi Oliver says in 2019 back to school campaign, over 1000 students and pupils (mostly Internal Displaced) benefited from school fees allocations and didactic materials. According to Tarlishi Oliver, each sub division received funds to sensitize parents and guardians to send their children to school. More so, Tarlishi Oliver also revealed that 38 Parent Teachers Associations (PTA) received FCFA 200.000 support from the scheme to recruit teachers in areas where they were lacking. Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, DOMASF also included in its programme, the distribution of covid 19 kits to instill government measures to combat the spread of the virus with schools milieu. Face masks and hand-washing buckets 

On October 7, the coordination embarked on the last phase of the distribution of scholarships to high performance students and pupils at the 2020 official examinations. Three centers were chosen to host the distribution of scholarships, GBHS Misaje hosted students and pupils from Misaje Sub Division, Government School Ako for Ako Sub Division while GS Ntumbaw for students and pupils from Nwa sub Division, Nkambe Central and Ndu Sub Division respectively. The prizes handed over to laureates for their performance in the various official examinations ranged from FCFA 25.000 to FCFA 150.000. The Pupils and students were rewarded following their excellent performance in the First School Leaving Certificate, CAP, General Certificate of Education (Ordinary and Advanced Level). Beside the scores that were awarded, schools bags and didactic materials were also shared to basic and secondary education schools of the subdivision. Considering the new normal to instill government measures to fight the COVID 19 pandemic, anti COVID 19 materials were also shared to schools. 

Education Stakeholders, Pupils and Students Applaud Dr. Fuh Calistus in Misaje 

 Parents, teachers, students, pupils and local administrators of Misaje Sub Division have canonized Dr. Fuh Calistus Gentry for his initiative to support education in Donga Mantung Division. H.E. Dr. Fuh Calistus received the applause during the official launching of the third phase of the Donga Mantung scholarship Fund, which is aimed at encouraging meritocracy and back to school in the entire division took place at GBHS Misaje under the patronage of the Divisional Officer for Misaje, Tchayah Thomas. 

Speaking at the official handing over ceremony, the Divisional Officer for expressed gratitude and thanks to the promoter of the Donga Mantung Scholarship for the timely gesture that will go a long way to boost back to school and instill hard-work, excellence and meritocracy.  He said Dr. Fuh Calistus has never failed to extend a hand of fellowship to the needy. Tchayah Thomas reiterated that the scholarship distributed to students and pupils is an additional impetus in Misaje sub Division. 

Sammy Mgbatta Nforkemba exploded that the scholarship distributed to students and pupils is just an iceberg of what Minister Fuh Calistus has been doing for many years. Sammy Mgbatta said the initiative to boost the resource base of the sub Division has enabled many children to enter into professional schools. It is the best in terms of human investments he added. Harping on the 2020/2021, the mayor of Misaje was optimistic that this year is going to be the brightest in the entire sub division as compared to the last four years. 

In Misaje sub Division, students and pupils who performed well in the last official examinations were rewarded. Nine students, and three pupils , who had the best results in the entire sub division received scholarships ranging from FCFA 150.000 to FCFA 25.000. About 200 others were handed school bags and didactic materials. 

Euphoria in Ako

When DOMASF delegation stormed Ako Sub Division on October 8, with goodies to encourage back to school and reward excellence, the euphoria was at its peak. Prospects as to whether schools will resume this year were high. The massive turn out by education stakeholders to witness the distribution of scholarships to distinguished pupils in the 2020 First School Leaving Certificate examination, Common Entrance and didactic materials was described as the highest crowd pulling event in the passed four years. Fuh Calistus was canonized for promoting education and encouraging back to school. The Divisional Officer for Ako, Mbingno Abraham reminded parents to make sure that they send children to school. He applauded DOMASF and its promoter for the timely gesture which will go a long way to boost back to school. 

Before proceeding to the distribution of scholarships to the over 16 pupils and didactic materials to over 100 need students and pupils, the mayor of Ako Council, Nkanya Nkwai Godlove was categorical in reminding the population that education is fundamental to all children and its a human right. He reiterated the call earlier made by the Divisional Officer for parents to send their children to school. The 16 beneficiaries received scholarships ranging from FCFA 50.000 to FCFA 25.000 per pupil. The timely support by DOMASF will boost latest initiatives by the Divisional Officer and mayor who have been to Kuta area and Tumboh to sensitize villagers to send children to school. 

GS Ntumbaw Hosts Scholarships Award Ceremony for Nwa, Ndu and Nkambe Central

There was trumpet blast at Government School Ntumbaw where students, pupils and other stakeholders from Ndu, Nwa and Nkambe Central sub divisions gathered to receive rewards for their outstanding performances. Considering the magnitude of the event, the award to laureates from the three sub Divisions took place under the patronage of the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung Division, Nkwenti Simon Doh. Addressing stakeholders, the SDO epitomized Minister Fuh Calistus Gentry for constantly extending a hand of fellowship to the needy. He said Minister Calistus Gentrys efforts are worthy of emulation by the elites. While calling on the parents in Ndu and Nwa sub Division to send their children to school, the SDO warned teachers who have been sitting on the fence ever since to resume work. 

In his welcome speech, the mayor of Ndu council, Abdou Borno Kanfom, reechoed the clarion call for parents in Ndu sub Division to send their kids to school. The mayor of Ndu said education is the best thing anyone can ever offer to a child and congratulated Dr. Fuh Calistus Gentry for his initiative to build the future of youths. Over 40 students and 100 pupils received scholarship grants ranging from FCFA 150.000 to FCFA 25.000 while didactic materials were also shared as well as covid 19 kits. .

It should be recalled that last year, secondary schools were not functional in Ndu and Nwa sub Division. At least in the primary education section, some schools were functional in Nwa while Ndu was blank. This year, some schools in Ndu sub Division and Nwa have already opened their doors. This is due to the sensitizations done by the administration and the mayors of the two municipalities who equally received DOMASF support last year. 

That Day of the official launching of DOMASF 

The Senior Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung, Nkwenti Simon Doh officially launched the FCFA 15 million scholarship Fund code named Donga Mantung Scholarship Fund.  Funded by Dr. Fuh Calistus Gentry, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Mines, Industries and Technological Development to the tune of FCFA 15 million, the scholarship fund seeks to support students, pupils and teachers ahead of September school resumption. Addressing education stakeholders, pupils, students and parents at the official launching ceremony, the SDO for Donga Mantung applauded the benevolent gesture by minister Fuh Calistus Gentry to boost the reopening of schools in the division couple with the fact that many parents who are crippled by the crisis are unable to meet up with the school needs of their children. “We want to say that this is coming at an opportune moment and we want to encourage other elites who have similar ambitions for this fast and important division to also come on board. This scholarship scheme is definitely going to boost the moral of those who are willing to study but the crisis has pulled them down”. He continued that Minister Fuh Calistus Gentry has been offering scholarships desirous pupils and students of Donga Mantung but this year the amount has been raised to FCFA 15 million. “We have seen practically the distribution of the largess to those who merit and I want to use this occasion to also tell the willing pupils and students of this division that the administration will not spare any efforts in helping them where the need arises for effective resumption of schools. The last academic year has shown us that we are up to the task”. He concluded by reminding the population of Donga Mantung that “ there is nothing you can give a child that surpasses education”. Before commissioning into function the members of the coordination charged with overseeing the disbursement of the funds to beneficiaries, the SDO warned that any “mago-mago” wont be tolerated. And as DOMASF ended the 18 million francs scheme, no mago mago acts were recorded.

SDO for Donga Mantung

Madame Ajara, the then 4^th Deputy of Nkambe said that a gesture of such magnitude can only emanates from an intellectual of his caliber. She added that wherever the development of the mind passes, all other forms of development follows, she emphasized. She concluded reiterated that the “seed that was sown in Misaje some years back has gradually covered the whole division and we pray that it has come not to go but to stay until our illiteracy rate heats the highest level in the North West Region and why not Cameroon”. She concluded even before the crisis it has been the general wish of everyone to see such a gesture. 

Tarlishi OliverYinyu, the Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education and Coordinator of the scholarship fund in a presentation disclosed that the programme will be in three phases.  He said the second phase will be disbursed when schools have resumed while phase III will be encourage and reward outstanding teachers, students and pupils. In his statement, he was categorical that education is the key to the world. He said a child without education is like a bird without feathers given that education doesn’t only prepare the youths for a better future but it is life in itself.  He expressed gratitude to the funder, minister Fuh Calistus for his philanthropic gesture and added that those who give never lack.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)