The NDES Foundation was established in 2019 by the surviving family of Ma NDE Elizabeth and Pa NDE Zacharia who lived in Buea in the South West region of Cameroon. It is in their memory that the Foundation works to help some of Cameroon’s most neglected rural communities with a focus on helping these communities to become self-reliant and ultimately sustainable.
NDES works mostly in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, notably in ‘Buea’, near the family home where the daily struggle for life is one of the most challenging in the world. Communities have faced poverty for generations with limited access to food, water, education, regular work, and basic medical care. During the past 5 years, civil unrest, and poor Governance have compounded the problems such that it is estimated that some 1.5 million people are now in urgent need of support, of which 300 thousand are children – most of whom are extremely vulnerable to kidnap, human trafficking and general exploitation.
Families strive to secure a basic education for their children and a safe and healthy environment in which to live. With one in three schools in the region closed, regular power outages of up to five days at a time, limited access to the internet, and regular lockdowns due to military unrest, the life chances of children across the region continue to be limited which in turn commits them to a cycle of poverty, illness, and poor life options.
NDES aims to provide support in education, health, and infrastructure to empower others so that they can help themselves out of poverty and towards a brighter and more secure future.