Thanks to the installation of a 2KW solar electrification project by the NDES FOUNDATION, the problem of constant power outages is now a thing of the past for the Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind famously known as the Bulu Blind Center Buea. This comes off the heels of a Memorandum of Understanding entered into on the 02nd of September 2019 between the two organizations.
During the official launching ceremony of the project, which took place on the 06th June 2020, Mr. Godfred Anutemeh, the Director of the Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Social Affairs thanked the foundation for such a humanitarian gesture. It is worth noting that RIB is a specialized institute under the Ministry of Social Affairs preoccupied with the rehabilitation and reinsertion of the visually impaired into the mainstream of the society. The center which was created in 1967 is the sole government institution for the blind in Cameroon and currently plays host to some 39 visually impaired persons of age 6 to 35 years. “With the 2KW solar energy system, all the units of the center such as the health unit, the ICT unit, the girls’ and boys’ dormitory as well as the poultry farm will now boast of constant supply of electricity. And this is great for us” the Director said. The ceremony was equally an occasion for the Head Nurse of the Health Unit Mrs Njikang Christy to express her immense joy. She explained that the health unit which serves over 200 patients per month in the entire Bolifamba community has greatly suffered from power outages that made it difficult to store vaccines or to use the Autoclave and microscopes. This was thus a big boost to the health care of not just the blind trainees of the center but for the entire Bolifamba community. Mr. Achu Quadiga Benard, the Livestock Instructor was keen to state the importance of the solar system in providing uninterrupted supply of electricity to the poultry farm with a capacity of over 600 birds.
The 2KW Solar energy project is jointly realized by the Ndes Foundation with the support of the Meta Cultural and Development Association (MECUDA) France. Speaking during the ceremony on behalf of the President of NDES FOUNDATION, MR. Stanley Enyih, the Vice President Miss Ruth Sakwe acknowledged the importance of boosting the quality of life of the blind trainees and expressed her joy at the realization of the project. She equally noted that though this was a great realization, more is still needed as the system can be scaled up to supply electricity to the staff quarters and borehole. Mrs. Lizette Ikwoh while representing the President of MECUDA France, Mr. Henry Fortu expressed the desire of MECUDA France to carry out more such humanitarian gestures and is pleased to have partnered with the Ndes Foundation to realize this project.
The ceremony was animated by one of the visually impaired kids, Brian Ayuk, a pupil of Class Six who displayed his amazing skills at the piano. Brain equally took the team to the ICT center where he demonstrated his savior faire in typing and computer technology.
The NDES FOUNDATION is proving to be a reliable charity foundation coming to the assistance of the underprivileged in Cameroon and this is just one of the many projects the foundation has in its pipeline for the underprivileged as it gears up to celebrate its maiden anniversary coming up in July 2020.
