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.