Miyamba Remedial Education For Cameroon
About Us
Miyamba Remedial Education For Cameroon (MREC) is a U.S based non-profit organization created to integrate children with disabilities and special needs into the mainstream educational system of Cameroon. Miyamba means “thank you” in one of the dialects of the Northwest Region of Cameroon. We thank all who contribute for supporting inclusive education in Cameroon. We are also very thankful and appreciative of our blessings and want to express this by giving back to our community in our own way. With our passion for educating and assisting Adults and Children with Disabilities and Special Needs we became inspired to start the project of building an inclusive school in Cameroon that will provide quality education for children with Disabilities and Special Needs. Our goal is to create a learning environment where all the children are loved, nurtured, and assisted despite their learning abilities.
In 2006, we started the project of building an inclusive school setting. Funding has been solely from our income and savings. However, we have been collecting educational materials like textbooks and educational toys from well-wishers who have heard of our project and want to support. In addition, every weekend my wife visits garage sales, rummage sales, and thrift stores where she had been shopping for discount school items. We built a storage shed behind our residence for packing of these items and intend to ship these materials when the school is completed. Since 2006, each time we save some money we travel and commence work on the project (work stops until we can save more money). It’s an uphill struggle but we strongly believe that with perseverance and support from others we will get there.
Miyamba means “Thank you” in a dialect of the North West Region of Cameroon where I grew up. Each time a person contributes to our our organization, a big “thank you” is being sent back from the children and their families for the generous act. My wife and I are also very thankful and appreciative of our blessings and want to express this by giving back to our community in our own way. With our passion for educating and assisting adults and children with disabilities, we decided to start this project of building an inclusive school.
Our Story
A Message From Our Founder:
For the past 16 years, I have been working with Hammer Residences, a nonprofit organization that provides services to adults and children with disabilities. Prior to this, I was an ESL teacher in Cameroon for 10 years where my average class size was 80 students. There were no arrangements for children with special needs and disabilities in the school. My wife works with children at our home daycare and has a tremendous love for children. She has an Associate degree in Early Childhood Development and has experience working with children with special needs. With the experience that I have gained from Hammer comes the inspiration to help children back home in Cameroon. We believe that all children should be able to spend at least 6 hours a day in an inclusive, safe, friendly, and happy environment.
The school which is currently under construction will educate children with special needs and disabilities and their non-disabled peers in an environment where all the children can learn, be loved, nurtured, and assisted despite their individual ability level. MREC will focus primarily over the next five years on the construction to completion of the school and the hiring and admission of teachers and students. The day school, with an average class size of 30 – 45 students, can enroll between 600- 700 students at full capacity.
On behalf of the children whose lives you impact, I thank you all.
William
