Philanthropy - Rethinking Stereotypes Stella Patcha-Adamu, President - The Patcha Foundation Joanness Yimbesalu, CEO-Hope for Children Cameroon Denis Foretia, Co-Chair, Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation
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rs. Stella Adamu of the Maurice and Patcha Foundation and Joannes Paulus Y of the HOPE for Children Foundation along with the moderator, Denis Foretia, chair of the Denis and Lenora Foundation, exchanged with the audience the need for philanthropy in our society and communities. The panel discussed more on the work of each foundation in the field. Mrs. Adamu from the Patcha Foundation gave a short overview of the history of her foundation and how it was founded and later focused on her recent Medical Mission trip to Cameroon in May 2013 with a team of doctors and specialist. This medical mission performed surgeries, consolations, and donated medication in some rural hospitals in the South West Region of Cameroon with the assistance of some Cameroon-based medical doctors, nurses, and student volunteers. The work of the Patcha Foundation includes cancer screening, especially breast cancer and cervical cancer screening, hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. There was a massive turn out at the various district hospitals and the medical mission offered health services to over 5000 people. Joannes Paulus from the HOPE for Children Cameroon presented on the work currently done by the foundation on education. Hope for Children Cameroon is an NGO founded in 2010 with the main goal of “Educating Every Child One School or Village at a Time”. Joannes started his presentation with a short video of the work they have been doing which was then followed by a short history of the organization, which was influenced by some of his personal experiences encountered during his visit to one of the poorest communities in the North West Region of Cameroon.
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HOPE for Children Cameroon serves mainly orphans and underprivileged children who will never have the opportunity to go to school especially in a world were over 61 million children can’t go to school. The foundation presently works in 3 communities in the North West Region and hopes to extend to other communities across Cameroon. HOPE for Children Cameroon is currently in its “back to school” fundraising campaign which aims at raising over $3,000 to help send an additional 75 children to school this academic year. The audience had a very positive impression of the great work done by the panelists and urged them to keep doing more charitable works for Cameroon.