The alumni of the 1989 batch of Government High School (GHS) Bokwoango, Buea in the South West Region of Cameroon have shared fond memories of their time as students of the institution decades after they graduated. The reminiscence was during the Annual General Assembly meeting of the alumni in the nation’s capital, Yaounde. The association’s president, Mokase Abel, chaired the come together at the Conviviality Hall of the National Museum on November 30, 2024.
“We are classmates from 1989, it’s a big deal…Everybody is excited to be here to grow our association,” Arrey Abunaw, Vice President of the alumni exclaimed in joy.
Besides remembering the past and thinking back to the happy stories when they were still schoolchildren, the Yaounde AGM was an avenue for the former students to look and give back to the institution that molded them. In this light, they took an engagement to assist their alma mater by lending a humanitarian hand to brilliant and vulnerable students currently enrolled in the school.
Mull over creation of microfinance
‘Batch 89’ of GHS Bokwoango as the group is fondly called, already operates a loan scheme that benefits members. During the Yaounde meeting, members were unanimous that the scheme be upgraded into a microfinance to be opened to other members of the society. This, they said, will fetch more dividends for the association, which will be used to assist their alma mater.
“The loan scheme would gradually graduate to a micro finance in future,” Mokase told the press. The president of the 1989 batch of GHS Bokwango explained that the aim is to give back to their alma mater. “So, we would have some funds that we would take from our coffers which we would use to develop our alma mater,” he said.
The president of the alumni elucidated that the association will identify students who are doing well, yet vulnerable and assist them. “This school is located in a crisis zone and we have a lot of IDPs and children who do not have parents again and who are coming from areas highly hit by the crisis and who do not have the means to go back to school. Next year we would extend a hand of love to such kids,” Mokase expounded.
‘See you in Bafoussam’
Earlier, the Yaounde Chapter President of the alumni, Juliette Mbella, praised her former schoolmates for their efforts, including material and financial contributions to the successful hosting of the Annual General Assembly.
Mbella who headed the Local Organising Committee also acknowledged the collaboration of the Ministry of Arts and Culture that gave them access to the venue.
Participants came from various chapters including the South West, Littoral, West, South, and the Centre Regions, while those from the diaspora connected virtually. The members expressed gratitude to the host chapter for what they said was a delightful reception with each of them taking back home a souvenir package.
Before leaving the nation’s capital, members of the 1989 batch of GHS Bokwoango visited the National Museum at the Ministry of Arts and Culture where they explored Cameroon’s rich social and cultural history jealously preserved there in the form of artifacts and monuments.
Their parting words as they left from Yaounde were, “see you in Bafoussam”, where they plan to hold their next Annual General Assembly in 2025.
This report was first published in NewsWatch newspaper No 192 of Thursday, December 12, 2024
