The charitable association of the First Lady, over the weekend donated gifts to rural women, women empowerment centres and health institutions in the division.

“It is generally said love is expressed by giving. Mama Chantal Biya, First Lady of Cameroon, you have shown us great love by giving us farm tools and agricultural inputs as well as equipment to health institutions and women empowerment centres. We are immensely grateful....thank you.”

This is an excerpt of the message from the people of Momo Division in the North West Region on Saturday April 16, 2016, as they received a delegation of the Circle of Friends of Cameroon (CERAC) with gifts from their Founding President, First Lady, Mrs Chantal Biya, who is also UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Social Inclusion.

Over the weekend, the Mbengwi Municipal Stadium was crowded with people from all the nooks and crannies of Momo Division. The inhabitants had come to welcome a CERAC delegation. The Personal Representative of the First Lady at the event was, Linda Yang, General Coordinator of CERAC. Mrs Linda Yang and her crew arrived Mbengwi with gifts for 50 groups that comprised rural women, health and women empowerment centres in all the sub-divisions of the division (Batibo, Mbengwi, Ngie, Njikwa and Widikum).

Like the wise men in the Bible, Linda Yang, on behalf of the First Lady handed farm tools such as cassava, maize and garri mills, trucks, sprayers, wheelbarrows, tuber and maize fertilizers, spade hoes, carton of insecticides, axes, cassava graters, beans, potatoes and maize to the rural women. CERAC also handed medical equipment to the health centres amongst which were, delivery beds, refrigerator, wheel chairs, delivery and surgical kits, baby’s scale, stethoscope, electrical generator, blankets, blood pressure apparatus, beds sheets and mattresses.

Furthermore the benevolent association also handed sewing and zig-zag machines, a computer, printer and stabilizer to the women empowerment centre in the Momo Division. Madame Linda Yang said it is not the quantity of the tools and equipment that matters but the philanthropic spirit of the Founding President of CERAC and her commitment to the good living conditions of Cameroonians.

“The same spirit had taken CERAC to remote localities in all the 10 Regions of the country for the past 22 years” Linda Yang added. The Personal Representative of the First Lady said, without the support of all segments of the society, it will not be possible for the State alone to bridge the healthcare and social gap that exist in a developing country like Cameroon.

The Mayor of Mbengwi, Beatrice Tebe, the Divisional Delegate of Women’s Empowerment and the Family and the Mbengwi District Medical Officer took turns to laud the First Lady’s gesture which will definitely improve on the livelihood of the communities.

In grand style, a royal dance (Menderre) from the Fon’s Palace in Mbengwi added prestige and honour to the event which ended with a display of the know-how of agricultural and handcraft works of the people of Momo.