About Aumazo
The Project
Schooling is compulsory in the African nation of Cameroon, but Education is not free. Although a valuable asset to the present and future of the country, girls in Cameroon and in many developing countries continue to suffer the effects of educational neglect. Only few families can actually bear the burden of tuition and fees. According to the World Bank, 51% of Cameroonians live on less than $2 a day due to lack of fixed and stable income. The financial picture is even bleaker for rural inhabitants, who rarely have any incomes.
Presently, seeking a high school education requires moving to urban areas, where girls are challenged / threatened by hardships such as physical or sexual abuses. These experiences of social dislocation and no personal safety lead most to eventually drop out. The secondary education rate for girls in rural Cameroon is 17%. One viable solution is to develop community-based schools with free tuition. Project Aumazo is providing rural girls with such an opportunity.
Aumazo, Incorporated is a nonprofit organization designated 501(c) (3) by the Internal Revenue Service. Aumazo is determined to make a difference in the lives of the girls it will serve. The organization recognizes that, if given the opportunity, women and girls are often the engines of transformational economies in developing nations. Therefore, its primary goal is to make high school education and vocational training a viable option for girls in rural areas. The primary beneficiaries are rural girls in the west francophone Cameroonian village of Bankondji, where it is still uncommon for women to be educated and trained beyond middle school.
Founded in 2005, the organization intends to:
- Decrease rural exodus
- Stimulate girls' interest in the entire education process
- Promote educational programs that strengthen girls' resolve to pursue secondary education
- Provide organizational and curricular support to program administrators
- Counsel groups and individuals on the best strategies for furthering their educational goals
About Aumazo
The Boarding School
In our new high school, girls will learn and thrive in an environment that recognizes their needs and untapped potential. Moreover, family and community involvement are central to the process.
Aumazo, Inc. is introducing a new tradition in rural Cameroon by extending secondary education to include high school for girls. We are proposing a curriculum that emphasizes the importance of literacy and gives special attention to the development of critical thinking skills. Moreover and given the economic challenges faced by rural communities, and in keeping with our commitment to social justice and environmental awareness, Aumazo's pilot boarding school will also include a curriculum that helps students find gainful employment upon graduation if they do not continue higher education studies. Alongside the national curriculum, we will also include vocational education such as:
- Ecotourism
- Information Technology, with Internet Usage
- Agricultural Production & Food Processing
While nurturing their intelligence, our academy will also create new community leaders and positive role models with an enhanced sense of cultural pride and responsibility.
Using her own funds and with the help of some investors, Jacqueline Audigé (founder) has kick-started the construction of the new school building in Bankondji (click here for News and Updates). Currently, we are raising more money to complete the tuition-free boarding high school for girls. Our goal is to raise an additional $200,000. This will help pay for construction materials, furnishings, equipment, school supplies & books, and the first-year operating expenses.
By Fall 2011 and with your help, we will open the school doors to the first 50 girls.
About Aumazo
Our Mission
Aumazo, Inc.'s mission is best summed up by former Harvard President, Derek Bok: "If you think that education is expensive, try ignorance." Specifically, we want people to understand the importance of educating girls in rural Cameroon and other countries in africa. The organization's mission is to empower girls in Cameroon with educational opportunities to attend high school in order to enjoy more successful lives as young adults. We will help girls stay in school by providing them with an environment conducive to learning. An environment where they are constantly reminded that their actions make a difference in their lives and that of their community. Also, we will introduce an adequate and appropriate instructional program with the necessary support.
About The Aumazo Team
The Founder - Jacqueline Audigé
Founder and CEO, was born and raised in Cameroon. She moved to the United States in 1991 with her family. While raising five children, Jacqueline successfully completed both her bachelor's degree in Marketing at Robert H. Smith School of Business and her master's degree in Education with specialization in International Education Policy at the School of Education at the University of Maryland College Park. With an extensive training at the Foundation Center in Washington D.C, she has founded and served as the Executive at Aumazo since 2005. In June 2009, she graduated from Leadership Montgomery, a nine-month program during which she learned, shared, grew, changed, and strengthened her own leadership skills. She has acquired skills in Nonprofit start-up and Management, Quickbooks Software, Web Management, Project Management and Sustainable Tourism Destination Management.
Aumazo, Inc was inspired by her personal experiences. Jacqueline once walked in the shoes of the girls she is determined to help. Growing up, she suffered the lack of any real opportunity for advancement. Unlike nowadays where school buildings are sprouting everywhere in Cameroon, many villages lacked the appropriate educational institutions in the 60s. At age 8, Jacqueline's parents sent her to live in the city and pursue her education. This was a common practice among village parents. In search of better future for their children, they were confronted with such a heartbreaking and difficult separation decision. The heartbreaking was shared both by the parents who felt powerless and disarmed before their no-choice decision and the children who were forced to grow up too fast.
Jacqueline endured severe hardships as a child such as home-sickness; coming home from school countless time to a food-less house, and tending to endless domestic chores. She encountered the bitter taste of a lack of financial and emotional support, all the while striving in school. Unfortunately and like many girls in her situation, and despite her willingness to succeed in school and pursue a Higher Education degree, she was forced to drop out of high school.
Jacqueline claims that her late parents, who were both illiterate and perfect representatives of not-well-to-do parents, were instrumental in her education. This is not unusual; most financially poor parents have high expectations for their girls and want them to go and succeed in school. In Jacqueline's case, her parents' unconditional love, encouragement and belief in her educational potentials stirred her passion in Education and her desire to take advantage of the endless educational opportunities available in the United States. And so, she courageously pursued her education with one goal in mind: giving back to other rural girls who still lack the financial support necessary to fulfill their educational potentials.
About The Aumazo Team
The Team
Shelvin D. Longmire serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Aumazo. He is a Washington DC-based Consultant in Global Enterprise Strategy, International Business Development, and Commercial Diplomacy and Protocol - with a focus on Africa's emerging markets. In addition, he is the US Director of "Afrique Expansion, Inc.," an International Consultancy and Media Relations firm based in Montreal, Canada. He has served as the Vice President of an entrepreneurial IT & Management Consulting firm, with a portfolio of blue-chip clients: Price Water House Coppers, the US Department of State, the US Federal Communications Commission, etc. Prior to this, he was the US Managing Director of an international Charter Airline that provided customized flights between the US, South America, and Europe. He has also been Project Manager at the Northrop Grumman Corporation, a Fortune 500 industry leader in aviation and technology. He is the chairman of the executive advisory board for the African Business Club at Howard University's School of Business, and a member of the Center for Global Leadership at McDaniel College. He holds a degree from Troy University, a diploma in Global Business Strategy from Georgetown University, a Global Entrepreneurship diploma from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and a diploma in Program Management from the American Graduate University. He is also an alumnus of the Foreign Service Institute, the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, the US Army Management Engineering College, and the US Air Force Special Operations School.
Abbe Fessenden, M.A. is a Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Aumazo. She is a principal and co-founder of Value-Add, L.L.C, with more than 35 years of international development experience. She has worked on design, oversight and evaluation of technical assistance and policy reform activities, primarily in West Africa, including Cameroon. Her work often involved integrating institutional and organizational assessments into project design and evaluation as well as strategic planning. As a program/project development officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), she took a leading role in design and evaluation of many projects in agriculture/natural resources, economic growth, economic and marketing reforms, health, and infrastructure in nations throughout Africa. Among her assignments were developing the Africa Bureau's Non-Project Assistance (NPA) guidance, working for Africa Bureau's Project Development Office, and managing the Southern Africa Regional Program portfolio. She holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs (African studies, Economics), from the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington D.C., and a B.A. (Political Science, History), from Barnard College, Columbia University, N.Y.
Francis Gilbert, Ph.D., is founder and principal of the consulting group under his name, specialized in interpretive development and exhibit consulting. He is a program development specialist with broad background in business management, strategic planning and program implementation. His experience in nonprofit organizations includes designing and implementing environmental outreach programs; fostering positive national, international and cross-institutional cooperation, and managing all development phases of complex projects. Among his projects are development of a strategy for interpreting the National Marine Sanctuary System's multi-faceted holdings, and serving as Director of Development of the Sonoran Sea Aquarium project in Tucson, where he spearheaded plans to develop a facility focused on Arizona's rivers and the Gulf of California. He is active in MetroDogs, a newly formed canine urban Search and Rescue organization in the DC area, and serves on its board of directors. A native of France, he has traveled widely. He holds a doctorate in Cultural Studies, and a master of arts in Francophone culture, both from the University of Arizona.
Carol (Gegia) Matteini, M.A. is a widely traveled linguist fluent in French, Italian, and English, with knowledge of Spanish and Russian. Her commitment to improving lives through education has been expressed in service as a language teacher, and as an interpreter and translator for the Smithsonian Institution. As an amateur musician, she is the member of several choirs. She grew up in a European family in the heart of New York City, participating it its rich cultural life, something that greatly broadened her human education and encouraged her travels. She has lived and worked teaching language in Europe (Italy, England) and Africa (Cote d'Ivoire). She has lived in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the U.S. She now lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two almost grown children. She works as the personal assistant to the president and CEO of America Speaks, a non-profit organization which promotes citizen engagement in governance. She received her M.A. in Cultural Anthropology and Education from Teacher's College at Columbia University, and her B.A. in Art and Architectural History, with a minor in French language and literature from Oberlin College.
Mohamed Kouyaté, M.A., Aumazo treasurer, is specialized in IT management, systems analysis and data management. He regularly conducts community activities and participates in the management of a nonprofit organization. He has created software tools that have improved the Badegna Cultural Center's technology department – based in Silver Spring, Maryland. He focuses on the human component of technology. He takes into account the social dimension of technology as well as the one contributing to the effective management of informational resources. Mohamed has expertise in the fields of finance, telecommunications, and business management. He was born and raised in the Ivory Coast and received his degree in Finance at the University of the District of Columbia and a Masters in Management Information System at Bowie State University.
Robert C. Newland, CPA, is a public accountant in Beltsville, Maryland.
Paul B. Essex, Esq., is a practicing attorney in Beltsville, Maryland.
About The Aumazo Team
Overseas Representative
Sylvester Seuyam Youssa (Lead Field Manager) was born and lives in Cameroon. He became a priest after graduating from the Regional Seminary of Douala-Cameroon in 1997. Successively, he has worked as an Assistant priest, a vice steward of the rural parish of Bakou, a Cure and as a Spanish teacher at the middle school in Bankondji-Cameroon. Father Sylvester is currently the first priest in function at the parish St. Joseph of Bankondji. Father Sylvester carries with him the private pain of losing a mother to ignorance at age 9. After his mother's death, he had to forgo his childhood to help his father raise his three younger brothers. Despite his priesthood, he clearly understands the struggle of single parenthood and a sad reality of losing a mother too early. He strongly believes in female education. He vows to dedicate the rest of his life not only to saving souls, but also to raising awareness on the importance of girls' education.
About Cameroon
Facts and Statistics
Slightly larger than California, the present Cameroon was the result of the merger between the former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon in 1961. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, railways, and a petroleum industry. The official languages are French and English.
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Population 19,294,149 Literacy Rates [age 15+ can read and write, 2003 estimates]: Total population | 79% Male | 84.7% Female | 73.4% GDP with PPP $42.79 billion (2009 est.) Religions Indigenous beliefs 40% Christian 40% Muslim 20% |
GDP - country comparison to the world 180 Population below poverty line 48% (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth 54 years HIV/AIDS adult prevalence 5.1% (2007 est.) Languages English & French (both official) + 24 major African language groups |
Trade & Economy
Cameroon boasts a wide array of abundant natural resources, and its economy is largely dependent on primary commodity exports—notably, crude oil and petroleum products (which make up over half of all Cameroonian exports), timber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, bananas, and cotton. However, Cameroon's economy is thought to perform far below its potential, and socio-economic indicators are poor. Poor economic performance has been linked to weak infrastructure; policies seen as posing barriers to foreign trade and regional integration; regulations and bureaucratic procedures seen as un-conducive to business and investment; and the impact of the global economic crisis.
Cameroon is eligible for trade benefits, including apparel benefits, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA; Title I, P.L. 106-200). The United States maintains a trade deficit with Cameroon, largely due to U.S. imports of petroleum products.
(Source: CIA World Factbook 2010, Cameroon)
About Cameroon
Bankondji and Cameroon
Bankondji is located at about 15km/9.3 miles away from the main city of Bafang recognized as the Ville étape or Gate entrance to the West Province of Cameroon. As the economic bright spot and one of Cameroon's more developed regions, the West Province (14,000 km²) has the highest population and is home to the enterprising Bamileke tribes. Agricultural prosperity and the enterprising traditions of the Bamileke people make the region one of the soundest economic ones in Cameroon. A strong traditional culture still persists among Bamileke who fought hard during the colonial period to preserve their traditions. Many chieftaincies scattered around the region have stood the test of time. They offer a spectacular insight into the lives of the ancestors and are worth visiting.
Bafang, located at about 1,100 m / 3,608.924 feet above sea level, welcomes visitors with a variety of sites: Mouamkeu Falls, Banka Falls, Bankondji Falls, and the most impressive of all is Ekom Falls. All are accessible by car and usually by foot traffic, which leads to a better view. A great panoramic view of the valley of Bana and the visiting of many caverns make Bafang a particular point of attraction.
In the region, the soil varies greatly. The soil throughout is mostly red in color due to high iron content. The entire region is dominated by a few mountains and many high plateaus with large hills, separated by deep valleys. The climate is equatorial with temperatures averaging a cool 22°C / ~73°F during the sunny seasons and moderate rainfalls during the rainy season. Visitors can contemplate the region's magnificent scenery, learn about its diverse cultural traditions, and most of all meet the hospitable and compassionate people.
