Community training on hand washing after toilet, using 'Tippy Taps'.
The women also learnt how to make fly traps.

HOW WE ARE FINANCED

• Membership contributions
• Donations and grants
• Child sponsorship
• Voluntary contributions

RUDEC would like to thank everyone who has enabled us to provide our projects to those in need.

We cannot do this without your help. Our thoughts and prayers are always with you.

Donor organisations

The Project Solution - continued support of our educational work. Thanks to their support, we were able to deliver 12 benches and chalkboards to GS Njinikejem Village this September. We hope to continue working with them in the future.

Google - supplied volunteer Reinoud. And  –  through their GiftMatching programme -  we received $334, which is going towards our Orphan Project.

Individual benefactors

Mary Paige (USA) has brought many smiles,and much joy, to many young children in the community thanks to her contribution of a variety of resources and materials. Thank you!

Rob Russell (Germany) - continued support fundraising through RUDEC Germany and for sponsoring Zidane, Zitezel, Peaceful, Betuel. You hold a special place in our hearts! Thanks to Rob's family for his help to fund Valentine apprenticeship.

Sabine & Fabian (Germany) - continue to sponsor Joy. In doing so they create joy hemselves!

Sian and Philomena (UK) - both began sponsoring children this month. Sian is sponsoring Godbless, and Philomena is sponsoring Sonita.

Sian has already created many smiles by sending a package of goodies to Godbless and his friends. There was much excitement as t-shirts, sweets, wristbands and footballs were given out. Our warmest welcome and sincerest gratitude is extended to both.

Michal and Danuta - sponsoring Harrison and Sandra.

Fran Smith - continual efforts in the creation of RudecUK ­ – we wish you all the best, and are so proud of you for your deter- mination, creativity, and doubtless success.

Partnerships in formation

With My Two Hands Foundation - has expressed an interest in being a partner in our School Project – we hope that together we can provide greater support for orphans in need.

WHAT WE DO

Projects

Community Empowerment Clubs

These are clubs that are made of women in every community that works. These clubs are formed to empower the underprivileged women who are often neglected in community decision procedures, and are often not given the right to ownership of property or income.

These clubs seek ways to help school drop out youths, women, and older people in rural communities who find it particularly difficult to earn incomes, and are thus destined to be poor.

The migration of some younger people to urban dwellings to find jobs has made matters even harder for older people; some youths who drop out from school stay back –  and have no direction  to carry out an activity that could better their lives.

Young girls who dropped out from school are forced to marry, as their families wish to transfer responsibilities – and those who are not fortunate to marry, fall prey to unwanted pregnancies that often result in deaths.

The needs of the different gender groups in rural areas are often overlooked because they do not have the means to communicate their views widely enough to enable them to be heard by the government/other organisations who could assist them.

These gender groups from rural areas have decided together to form RUDEC Community empowerment Clubs (RUCEC), where they share their common experiences of economic hardship.

Although the clubs are open to all, the majority of members are often women.

They work together to find means of increasing their incomes through organic agriculture, animal and/or self-help initiatives which not only benefit them but others in their household who are dependent on them.

One  club starts with an activity that would benefit them as a group like poultry, gardening, guinea pigs, or goats project to begin with.

One of the women clubs began with one chicken that was fed and cared for by club members; the chicken went on to produce healthy chicks and two chicks from each brood are then passed on to other club members to continue the cycle.

These clubs provide vital support to the well being of its members by contributing small sums of money to individuals who are in need, to help in the purchase of important basic needs such as medicine, kerosene, and food.

RUDEC supports these club members by giving advice on income-generating activities, the use of organic manure in backyard gardening, nutrition, and good health of the the members.

RUDEC also focuses on project designs that would benefit the individual families in the communities. Our volunteers provide socio-economic support to these groups according to their needs through participatory need analysis as per community.

These  often develop into a project that would benefit a family as well as the whole community.

Volunteer Teacher Programme

RUDEC School Programme

At present, existing rural schools are understaffed; one government-recruited head teacher has the responsibility for a school with some 300 students, and in a nursery school, three teachers currently work with one hundred young children.

Volunteers are needed to work in schools, with children up to the age of 13, providing additional teaching support in a range of subjects (mathematics, French, English, environmental education, hygiene and sciences).

Volunteers could teach in the school for varying lengths of time, between one month and one year.

Teaching orphans and underprivileged children  

This programme aims to assist children who cannot cope well under normal classroom conditions.

Volunteer teachers would work with these children to provide them with additional support.

This programme also caters for children of mixed ages, but they will be taught together, in a dedicated classroom environment more suitable for their particular needs.

After School/Summer School

Volunteers are needed to provide after-school tuition to children of all ages, in a variety of subjects (mathematics, French, English, environmental education, hygiene and sciences).

Orphan and Destitute Project

Belo in Boyo Division – as with many other Cameroonian communities, suffers from having many orphaned children whose parents have died prematurely due to illnesses such as malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS.

In addition, many children do not have the full support of parents who suffer from disabilities or mental illness.

According to local Kom tradition, these children are cared for by relatives, who often cannot afford to meet their educational and health care needs. As their guardians are often older grandparents, surviving by subsistence farming, the costs involved are rarely achievable.

It is RUDEC's goal to provide educational, food and medical support, like vaccinations, HIV/AIDS screening, dental checks, eye checks, and emergency needs to these families.

The aim of the program is to give children a basic level of support throughout whichever educational route they chose, whether this be school, technical college, or an apprenticeship, enabling them to fulfill their personal aspirations.

Where a child is supported through an apprenticeship to learn a trade, they will be able to reciprocate and pass on their skills to other children in the program. Children graduate from the programme when they leave full-time education with some basic start up tools .

Specifically, RUDEC hopes to provide all our children with:

1. School and exam fees;
2. Essential textbooks;
3. Uniform and shoes if required;
4. An After-School Club to build on children's education;
5. HIV tests: one before the age of three, every four years from age 4-12 and annual tests above age 12;
6. Medical costs when required, including transport, hospital costs and medication;
7. Annual tape worm test and treatment if necessary for children of primary school age.
8. Provide food to children.
9. Apprenticeship fees and start up tools.