2012 Project Update - Remarkable Progress!

Wow, we have had our socks knocked off with the latest photos that Peguy has sent us from Bazou. There has been incredible progress made this year, and the 2012 project is almost finished! And we have more good news - the school and the parent council have worked together to come up with an initiative that will help the school generate more income without raising school fees. More on that below, first here are the photos.

These first photos show the portions of the school before this summer's rehabilitation work.

There has been a lot of work done already this summer, and everything should be ready in time for the new school year. Here are some photos of the work being done. The first photos show the building rehabilitation.

Those of you who have been following the projects know that last year we constructed new latrines for the school. We also connected a water supply (which you can see in the 8th photo above, counting up), and this year they are constructing the handwashing station!

One last finishing touch to the latrines - a grab bar is being installed to make the latrine accessible.

As mentioned above, the school and parent council have come up with a way that we can help them become more financially secure. They have asked us to help them buy a tent, generator, sound system, and chairs so that they can rent this equipment to folks in the community for different funerals and celebrations. We know from first hand experience when we were in Bazou in 2009 for Njacko's parents' funeral that it can be quite challenging to find all of these things when you are planning your event. It can take a lot of work and time to pull all of this equipment together. Almost every weekend in Bazou there will be a different funeral or celebration, and we are really impressed with the school's idea. For our fundraiser this year (May 11, 2013), some of the funds we raise will be going towards this initiative as well as further improvements to the school. Our goal is to have all of the equipment purchased by the end of the five years and to work with the school to help them develop their business plan.

 All of this work and progress wouldn't be possible without all of your support, the support of various schools here in Ontario who have been doing their own fundraising, the support of all of the artists who have been generously giving their time and talents at our fundraisers, and the Gladstone Hotel. On behalf of the students and school in Bazou, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.

Blessings,
Njacko and Val

Project 1 has wrapped up, school is about to begin!

Hello everyone,

We're very happy to let you know that work on the first project has wrappedup! From the photos below, you can see that a lot of work has been done to replace an interior structural wall of the school, new windows and doors provided, and plastering of the school's exterior mud bricks. This was a lot of work, and we're so excited to see that our partners in Bazou successfully completed the project! And we want to thank all of you again for supporting this important work. The school and students at St. Albert pass along their sincere gratitude.

Now that school is starting, we're getting ready to work with the school to start the new music program at St. Albert. Many of the instruments can be made by the school (shakers, bamboo sticks), but we're going to help the school purchase cow bells, drums, and kalimbas. This is an interim mini-project. We'll be having our annual fundraiser on May 21, 2011, at the Gladstone Hotel to raise funds for Project #2!

Here are some photos showing the completion of Project 1:

One video showing a bit of work towards the end of Project 1:

Great progress & a new project for September!

Hello everyone, our friends at Ecole St. Albert Le Grand have been busy for the past several weeks! Here are some photos to show the progress that has been made for the first project with rebuilding the interior of one of the school buildings. The interior walls that were falling down were demolished, and new concrete block walls are being built. Work is going well, and we have sent the second half of the money to complete the project! We expect to see the work wrapped up before the end of the summer. Check back soon for more photos!

We're happy to share the exciting news that we are working with the school to start a music program for the kids. Traditional music is not taught in any schools in Cameroon, and we are working to have a new class for all of the kids. We have found a musician who will teach, and will be raising some money over the end of the summer to help the school purchase some instruments and pay the music teacher's wages. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please let us know! Email: nbacko1121@rogers.com Phone: 416.836.8951