Ni Gabriel Njinimbot
Fellow
brothers and sisters, few months ago, after my historic school visit in an
effort to encourage our nephews and cousins, brothers and sisters to pursue
their educational dreams, I was moved by the many responses and enthusiasm
expressed my Mbonbani across the planet. I cherished your thanks, wishful
thoughts and willingness to undertake a similar course, all in an attempt to
help open the doors of opportunity to the children in Bali. I am hoping
that, all the gazillion emails was not just cheap talk. Now here I come again
knocking at your doors.
I will like to make two promises, one, I will try to be brief and secondly I
will try not to educate you on the issues surrounding the Education of
children, our brothers, sisters, cousins and nephews in the village we so love,
There is nothing you don't already know especially because most or all of us
reading this article have some connection with Bali Nyonga, you have seen the
pictures, you know the numbers, you know the urgency and you know how bad this is
likely to get.
I am teaming with the Education committee of BCA-USA, to represent, the
voices of these kids in Bali who cannot speak for themselves, the hundreds of
kids who have not been able to afford an education in the past years, the
hundreds who have no relatives abroad to look up to as role models, or for any
form of moral, financial or material support to shape their quest for
knowledge, to represent that category who have no uncles, aunts god fathers and
god mothers in our broken ministries in Cameroon who can get them connected to
job opportunities, or higher educational institutions despite their
intelligence, to represent many more who's educational journey was cut short
because the crops in the farms didn't do too well. And even most importantly
hundreds of kids who just like some of us had the willingness, the drive, the
grace, the thirst,the ambition, the enthusiasm, the faith in simple dreams, the hope of
becoming a doctor, a lawyer, teacher, a small business owner, an IT engineer or
even a president. We are also here representing thousands more parents who just
like some of our parents had no chance to an education but had the faith and
hope that one day their children could one day be that difference in the lives
At the same token we are not very naive either, We understand how much
difficult tasks we have ahead of us either as individuals parents, groups,
families, associations, each needing great care and attention, but we are
Mbonbani, As a community We have to decide what is most urgent. We have the
destiny and the future of our beloved village in our hands to protect, It is
our responsibility and our opportunity. My job here today is to beg
you on behalf of the hundreds of children in Bali who have already dropped out
of school and the ones who will be dropping out of school and make no mistake
more will be dropping off the wagon if some measures are not taken.
Of course this is complex but when you see the entire village littered
with children of five, six, seven and twelve years of age in a 90 degree
temperature parading the streets of Bali with plates on their heads selling
peanuts and cola nuts during school hours like the case of many I met selling
three cola nuts for 25frs each then all complexities disappear and it comes down
to right and wrong. when you see children scrambling for mere pens and pencils
and books
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLHgUWwTKWs)
,
you wonder how what else can be done. It is not getting better, it is
getting worse and worse and it is only you and I, who can answer the call.
Every year during our conventions we spent enough money to pay the
tuition, PTA fees, buy school materials such as books, readers, work books,
pens pencils, to the entire school population in Bali, and enough left to open
7 Pharmacies filled with free prescription medication for the entire village.
Fellow Mbonbani, this is our moment, this is our time, to open doors of
opportunity for our nephews, cousins and nieces in Bali, What I started some
months ago in the dusty, muddy and roofless classrooms at Mbeluh, Tikali,
Mantum, Nakah vilage can not end with mere talk, but it gives us a chance to
transform these dusty, muddy and roofless classrooms into 21st century classrooms,
It gives us a chance to know that all things are possible if we make it a
priority, But these cannot happen if we misdirect our attention to pet projects
that has no effect on the ordinary child in Bali. It can't happen without you,
without a new spirit of sacrifice. without a new spirit of patriotism,
responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work hard and look
after not only ourselves but each other. It is not enough for just some of us
to prosper. we rise and fall as one people. Let's resist the temptation of
pettiness, negative criticism, bureaucracy that has poisoned and held back
the progress and development of our village. The Village we so love.
In every way you look at it, the success and development of our brothers and
sisters and of Bali as a whole is on our radar screen and at our watch, how we
deal with it will remain our legacy. We are their United Nations, their United
Nations Children Education Fund( UNICEF) their World Health Organization,(WHO)
and just like the UN, Bali as a whole believe in us so strongly, they
need us so badly, We have come so far, but we still have so much work to
do. If it is not us then who? If we don't take some measures now, sooner
than later they will not need us, they will not need our contributions, our
hospital beds, our medication, our microscopes our syringes etc. when push
comes to shove all they will need is a six foot deep grave, a white linen
cloth, shovels and a coffin to bury them, because our hospitals and
schools are in the worst of shapes. Time is of the essence.
For those of you who wonder how we are going to achieve this, who wonder how
possible this effort is, I say YES WE CAN. All you need to do is find a
place in your hearts and minds , then deep your hands into your spirit and
Will, then there will be a way, YES YOU CAN. Now we have a goal, to raise
$10.000.00 for the race to help educate children in Bali. We have set up a PayPal
account to accept online donations. VISA, Master card, American express, and electronic Checks are all accepted.
Please click on the button below to
make a donation. Your contribution will make a difference in the life of
one person. We shall over come..........For those of you who doubt us and what
we are capable of doing, like Obama says: I will respond with that timeless
creed that sums up the spirit of people...YES WE CAN
Thank you very much. God bless you and God bless Bali Nyonga.
Gabby Njinimbot
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