BERUDA

HELPING THE POOR TO HELP THEMSELVES

BERUDA is a grassroots not-for-profit development organisation with a mission to eradicate poverty and raise living standards for its local community.

It specifically focuses on women, youth and the disabled to secure livelihoods in Boyo Division, North West Cameroon.

BERUDA provides training and associated support, which stems from local and traditional knowledge, to create an economically sustainable income-generating activities.

BERUDA was founded in 1997 by Ngwainmbi Simon, Cameroon’s first expert in beekeeping and honey production.

In May 2014, John Pepper (an ex Hornsea resident now living in Perth, Scotland) formed a link with BERUDA and took on the voluntary post of Project Manager and has initiated a number of income generating projects through working closely with the team on the ground in Cameroon.  John is a fully qualified (ex BP) engineer of many years experience and has been able to implement the following projects:

1.  Supervise the building of a bio gas plant to convert animal waste to fuel.  The introduction of bio gas for cooking means the women and children no longer need to spend hours chopping down trees and transporting the wood to their homes.  Also the use of bio fuel helps eradicate the eye/ chest infections caused by burning of wood for cooking.

2.  Providing further education for seven young girls to become teachers or start home grown industries such as the rearing of animals for sale at market and using the profit made as sustainable income.

Chantal, an orphan who is being looked after by Father Teh,  can now train as a teacher thanks to BERUDA

 

3.  Installation of solar panels in the local church so that the children can complete their homework during the hours of darkness.  This also enables the local minister, Father Tey, to write and prepare his sermons!

Solar lighting has been installed in other buildings and home as money has become available.

 

4.  Initiate a fish farming project so that fish can be sold at market.

5. Undertaking repairs to properties in the isolated villages.

6. Provision of warm blankets and lighting for elderly, isolated people.

7. Provision of essential medication.

8.  Continuing the rescue of abandoned children by placing them with local foster families and providing money for their education.

9.  Providing sufficient food so that the elderly isolated groups could enjoy food and friendship by holding a series of Christmas Parties.

A link was made with Hornsea United Reformed Church (through John’s sister Sarah Darlington an Elder of HURC) and the project was adopted as part of the HURC’s overseas mission at no direct cost to the Church. 

Through the generosity of the HURC allowing fund raising events to be held on the premises and promotion of these events, a total of £1,170.00 was sent to BERUDA by the end of 2014.

This money (which included a very generous donation of £500.00 from Katie and Mandy Hood) was initially used to provide further education and training for children and women in the Belo area but was later extended to include providing support for the elderly and isolated in the hill villages in the area.

Every single penny or pound raised in Hornsea goes direct to BERUDA and can be accounted for in the support of the above projects.

Through the generosity of HURC and the people of Hornsea it is hoped to send £2,0o0.00 by the end of 2015.  Fund raising to date for 2015 stands at £670.00.

If you would like to support or volunteer to help at any future fund raising events please speak to Sarah Darlington.

For more information click here: www.afri-link.org/projects