23/07/2021
OVERVIEW:
SMART BRAIN INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY is a MOTHER MARGARET FOUNDATION, a non-profit and a non-governmental organization aimed at enhancing the education and vocational training of children and youths of Ediki vicinity in Mbonge Sub-Division of South West region of Cameroon.
Barely two months after the school was opened in September 2016, a strike by Teachers
and Lawyers in the English speaking regions of Cameroon which was high jacked by
citizens of their respective areas, protested the unfair use of the French language and
unjustified appointments of French speakers in their territories. The situation had
spiralled out of control and developed into a fully-fledged separatist war with both
Government forces and Separatist now bogged down in a conflict that observers say,
can only be resolved through dialogue.
The people of Ediki witnessed their buildings, schools and church building went on
flames as the crisis came to a boiling point. They had no option than to flee in the
bushes for safety. Children and schools are increasingly being used as weapons of war in
these regions. Much is therefore needed to be done to protect the education in these war
zones.
The population of Ediki like many other region of the English speaking regions of
Cameroon is gradually turning against any violently enforced schools boycott as schools
started normally with growing interest in educating children who have been in the
forest for over 4 years without access to basic education living in fear of being attacked
by gunmen specialize in striking schools and taking children away, demonstrating just
how difficult it is for children in Cameroon’s English speaking regions of North West and
South West regions to pursue education. For the past 4years, there have been repeated
attacks of schools kidnapping of children and teachers and even committing murder as a
way of enforcing the school ban.
The most gruesome act was the 24th of October 2020, when gun men stormed the
Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba in the Country’s South West
region, killing seven children and wounding thirteen.
The foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Congress on the 8th of September
2020 introduced Resolution 684 on the crisis of the English speaking (North West and
South West) regions of Cameroon which was further adopted on the 1st of January 2021.
They called on the Government of Cameroon and the Separatist armed groups in the
English speaking regions of North West and South West to put an end to all violence, to
respect the human rights of all Cameroonians and to pursue a truly inclusive dialogue
with a view to resolving the ongoing civil conflict in the English speaking Cameroon.
This resolution also condemned the abuses committed by the State Security forces and
armed groups in the English speaking regions of Cameroon and affirms that the United
States continues to hold the government of Cameroon accountable for safeguarding the
security and constitutional rights of all its citizens, regardless of region, religion or
political opinion.
The United Nation says more than 2 million English speaking Cameroonians are in dire
need of humanitarian aid and the Biya French Cameroon war has also taken a heavy toll on the British Southern Cameroon’s Infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools and
businesses.
Education plays a vital role in rebuilding conflict and crisis affected communities and
prepare residents for a peaceful future. Smart Brain International Academy (a Mother
Margaret Foundation) quickly accesses the unique needs of educational systems in
these situations and collaborate with the communities, officials and private sectors to
develop sustainable strategies that provide access to quality education in safe learning
environment.
VISION:
Our vision is to empower children and youths to acquire, demonstrate, articulate and
value knowledge and skills that will support them, as life-long learners, to participate in
and contribute to the global world and practise the core values of the school; respect,
tolerance and inclusion and excellence.
We believe that education should take place in a fully inclusive environment with equal
opportunities for all and that all children and youths should learn to value religious and
cultural differences. Smart Brain International Academy strives to be the centre of the
local community with positive and effective links to the wider and global communities.
We aim to ensure that the children are provided with high-quality learning experiences
based on a broad and balanced curriculum.
MISSION:
Our mission is to provide a safe haven where everyone is valued and respected. All staff
members, in partnership with parents and families are fully committed to children’s
post-primary and career readiness. They are empowered to meet current and future
challenges to develop social awareness, civic responsibility and personal growth.
We are dedicated to a continuing tradition of excellence in an ever changing world.
Within a safe and supportive environment, we provide a relevant, high quality
education to prepare our diverse children body and youths for future endeavours.
We also honour achievement and promote pride in ourselves, in our school and in the
community at large.
LEGAL SCHOOL STRUCTURE:
CHART OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Visionary
SCHOOL ANTHEM:
We are destine to make impact in our generation
We are the children of Smart Brain Academy
This is our time
Chorus: (I love)
I love this family of youths
So closely neated into oneThey’ve taken me into their midst
And am so glad to be
Am part of this great family
During times of conflict, civilians are affected often to make several life-or-death
decisions:
Questions like where to go to find food to eat?
Whether to flee their homes?
Where to go if they flee?
During these turbulent periods, there is often the danger that other less immediate
areas of concern are neglected, one of which is education.
(What will become of their children’s education if they flee into the bushes?).
Given the surge of refugees and internally displaced persons leaving their homes for
safer locations for safety, this is an issue that has come into particularly sharp focus.
Education during times of conflict can also be used to galvanize societal progress; so as a
result of violent campaign waged by the military and restoration forces, Smart Brain
International Academy has emerged into spotlight as the people in Ediki Village,
Mbonge Sub-Division is in urgent need given that more than 1500 people have been
displaced by insurgents while the UN reports more than 3million for both South West and North West region of the English Speaking Cameroon.
Most recently (July 2020), Smart Brain international Academy launched a program to
provide education to displaced Children age 3 to 17years in Ediki in the following
quarters (kong quarters, Bonge quarters, 3-corners Ediki, Gare quarters, Yaounde
quarters, Ediki town, Mabonji quarters and to those hiding in the forest/bushes of Ediki
farm reserves) and the program continues with a holiday camp for these children.
Despite all these efforts, less than 20% of children in Ediki still have access to basic
education with those living in the forest at a pronounced disadvantage. This academy
year 2020/2021, Smart Brain International Academy managed to enrol 135 pupils in the
following levels, Nursery 1&2, primary (1,2,3,4,5,6), with 10 children writing and making a passed, all in list A of the Common Entrance Examination, thus topping the Mbonge Subdivision with 100%.
The ratio of teachers to pupils is 1 to 50 far higher than the national average of 1 to 30
just because of the war. Teachers also suffer from inadequate training and a lack of
comprehensive infrastructure of learning.
On top of that, most of the children have experienced trauma by the conflict, so Smart brain
international Academy is taking a holistic approach to their learning, including a
psychosocial element along basic education in reading, sounds and word building and
mathematics. In order to deliver these classes, the project has so far set up, non-formal
learning classes like, small study groups, evening and morning classes, holiday classes
and holiday camps.
Smart Brain International Academy works with the community of Ediki village to prepare
the children for their re-integration into formal learning environments. A parent teacher
Association headed by the PTA chairman and its executives oversees the activities at the learning environment, monitor the teachers and learners attendance among other
activities.
Smart Brain International Academy also uses techniques to help promote gender
equality.
The school facilitators are also monitored by State officials like the Inspector of Basic
Education of Mbonge Sub-Division, the PTA executives and the Community and if these
facilitators are not deemed fit for the evolving demands of the role, then their
replacement could be swiftly recommended.
BARRIERS TO PROGRESS, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Looking ahead, Smart Brain International Academy (a Mother Margaret Foundation),
will continue to put resources into developing new ways to make the efforts of all
stakeholders even more effective. The need to build greater capacity for resilient
educational systems (systems budgeted for contingency plans for education in crisis and
can do a better job of weathering when they come inevitably).
Plans to start up with the secondary section is underway as a team of expert trainers are presently on the field conducting a door to door campaign to sensitize parents to send their children who dropped out of school because of this war.
We there plead that you help us meet our target by donating generously so that our goals and vision can me met. We appreciate so far the assistance you made to the children and to the school as a whole to bring us this far. Your financial, materials, moral support took us to the top and we pray that God replenishes your pockets million fold. Once more thanks for the educative toys that made our learning more relaxing.
Thanks once more and we hope to hear from you again.
Proprietor
Nathaniel Nwana
