Some 42 White Cains, four medical beds, four mattresses and a dozen reams of Braille paper were recently offered to 30-visually impaired students of the Buea-based Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind, RIB. The donation was evaluated at FCFA 2.2 million. The gifts were from staff of the Buea Regional Office of the National Community-driven Development Programme, PNDP.

Led by the Regional Coordinator, Dr. Atenchong David Nkem, the staff were continuing with celebrations of PNDP’s 10th anniversary that started last December in Yaounde. Receiving the guests, a representative of the blind students reminded them that though they lack one of the most important human senses (sight), they needed encouragement, not pity. The gifts were befitting as the beds are for the sick bay, the White Cains will ease movement and enhance the blind people’s status in traffic, while Braille paper will boost education.

In the presence of the Regional Delegate of Social Affairs for the South West, the gifts were handed over to the Director of Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind, Nkwelle Jerry Ewang. According to Dr. Atenchong David Nkem, who handed over the donation, the visually-impaired were models for many Cameroonians. On his part, the Director of RIB promised to make judicious use of the gifts, pleading for the donation of a school bus.

The Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind was created in 1967 by a British Missionary, Peter Becken, 20 kilometres from Muyuka. Because the centre was situated near the Bavinga Prison, it was moved to Buea in 1968 and was recognised by government in 1980 as a public utility institution. The school has so far trained 440 visually-impaired people, including renowned musicians Talla Andre Marie and Coco Bertin.

Although only five years old in Anglophone Cameroon, the PNDP began in 2004 in six other regions and now boasts a country-wide coverage with 2,903 micro projects, 2,239 of which are already completed. Of this number, 251 council development plans were concluded in 25 councils in the South West Region, mainly in the domains of energy supply, roads, water and education.