The Director of AFAS Foundation, Gerbern Eversdijk, in a Liliane Foundation led team visited the Baptist School for Public Health (BSPH) on June 17, 2022 as part of their visit to Cameroon to witness ongoing activities on the Rehabilitation Compass for Inclusion (RCI) Project, funded by the AFAS Foundation through the Liliane Foundation. The RCI project focuses on the training of Physiotherapists, Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) workers, and Occupational Therapists. This is to ensure the availability of Trained Professionals in these cadres of specialization that have been limited in numbers and training in Cameroon.

The Liliane Foundation/AFAS Foundation team accompanied by the Programme Manager of the Empowerment and Disability Inclusive Development (EDID) Programme of the CBC Health Services, Mrs. Agho Glory, made its  first stop at the BSPH which is currently hosting a 2-year Rehabilitation Technicians course.

The team was received in Mutengene by the Dean of studies of BSPH, Mr. Nkuoh Godlove and Mr. Ngang Paul, the Administrator of the Health Services Complex (HSC) Mutengene. They took the visitors in a tour of the classrooms at BSPH, a construction project at the Health Serves Complex which is supported with funds from AFAS Foundation. The tour also included walks to the skills lab at the Baptist Hospital Mutengene, and at the new site intended for the construction of a school to train Occupational Therapists and other professionals to render better services for children, youths and adults with disabilities in Cameroon.

The height of the tour was the visit to the construction site of the school at Mutengene-Ombe road in the South West Region. Two out of 4 hectares of land owned by the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services has been allocated for construction of the Baptist Training School of Excellence.

The structure will have classrooms, workshop space, a dormitory amongst others.

After the tour, the visiting team was expressly happy. The AFAS Director appreciated all for the warm welcome. He noted that he is impressed with the way the school is being operated and the fact that they have intense faith in God. He reiterated the fact that the AFAS Foundation has the same focus with the CBCHS which is helping the poor and the vulnerable in the world. He reminded everyone of the importance of giving. As a Christian, he encouraged the BSPH and the CBC Health Services as a whole to continue to uphold the faith that God will always provide.

Quizzed about his dream, the Dean of Studies for the BSPH, Mr. Nkouh Godlove noted that his dream is to have a training center for rehabilitation services in Cameroon with the help of the funding partners. He expatiated that this centre will be one of its kind in the country; an integrated centre and one stop-shop for rehabilitation services.

Worthy of note is the fact that the Rehabilitation Technician Course is one of the courses under the Rehabilitation Compass for Inclusion (RCI) Project funded by the AFAS Foundation through the Liliane Foundation. The Liliane Foundation has been working with the CBC Health Services for several years and its support to the wellbeing of children in Cameroon through the Empowerment and Disability Inclusive Development (EDID) program is commendable.

With the new project, the Liliane Foundation has laid all underground work for the effective start of the courses, including the assurance of available professional trainers, course instructors and course material. The passion of the Liliane Funds to realize this project and ensure its sustainability, supports their endless zeal to improve lives in Africa and ensure that all children, youths and adults with disabilities are included in all aspects of live.

Other members of the visiting team included Chiara Beltramini – Communication Officer of the Liliane Foundation, Anna Donker – Head of International Partnerships and Programmes of the Liliane Foundation, Marko Filipovic – Board Member of AFAS Foundation, and Bob van Huet – a Journalist. The Dutch team rounded up its working tour on June 21, 2022.