A delegation of the First Lady's association handed over medical and agricultural gifts to the population of the area lon July 3, 2014.

There is no area in Cameroon that is too far from the heart of the First Lady of the country, Mrs Chantal Biya. That is why last Thursday July 3, 2014, she sent a delegation of members of the Circle of Friends of Cameroon (CERAC), an association she founded, to Nkondjock Sub-division (some 400 km from Yaounde) in the Nkam Division of the Littoral Region, with medical and agricultural tools for the villagers.

The personal representative of the First Lady at the ceremony, Mrs Catherine Esso, Vice President of CERAC, bravely headed a score of members of the association through the equatorial forest of the Nkam Division to Nkondjock not only to hand the gifts but also to commune with the villagers.

As early as 5:00 am on that fateful day, Mrs Catherine Esso and her team left Yaounde for Nkondjock. The CERAC delegation traced its path to the enclaved locality of Ndocksamba in the Nkondjock Subdivision to commune with the people. Besides medical equipment for the health centres in the area as well as farm tools for rural women in Nkondjock, the First Lady also sent a special parcel for the Ndocksamba Integrated Health Centre.

This comprised of an incubator, motorbike, refrigerator, a complete laptop and a television set. CERAC also carried out major carpentry and rehabilitation work in some sections of the health unit, constructed borehole, provided a generator, hospital beds, delivery kits, mattresses, pillows, ventilators and cleaning equipments amongst others.

Over five speakers lauded the kind gesture of CERAC and its founding president. The Head Nurse of Ndocksamba Integrated Health Centre, Ghislain Foko Notue said the centre did not have water, electricity or equipment. But thanks to Mrs Biya, they now have equipment to improve the quality of healthcare given to patients coming from villages such as Madip, Matin, Ndock-bonné and Dékoulé. "We take an engagement to make proper use of the gifts for the good of patients," Ghislain Notue noted.

The Sub-divisional delegate of agriculture, Samuel Ntogue said Nkondjock is an area where farming is more than a religion with more than 19,000 people getting up as early as 4:00 am each day to go to their farm lands to cultivate cocoa, coffee, banana, yams, groundnut and fruits, amongst others.

While benefitting from CERAC's largesse which shows proof that farmers in the area are not orphans as many people might have imagined before now, Samuel Ntogue in profound gratitude said the rural world in general, particularly rural women in Nkondjock were happy to go to their various farms with new working tools and seedlings.

On behalf of the First Lady, Mrs Catherine Esso, said CERAC, over 19 years is out to reinforce the capacity of rural women as well as to improve the medical care given to all Cameroonians so that they become veritable elements for the development of the country. She called on all parties concerned to put the gifts at the service of the population particularly the most vulnerable groups in the village.

In a festive mood, villagers in Ndocksamba and Nkondjock sang and danced in joy while the Governor of the Littoral Region, Joseph Beti Assomo and the Mayor of Nkondjock, Jean Marie Manga and other dignitaries joined in festivities.