Activités
EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT - PROFESSIONAL TRAINING - CRAFT WORKSHOPS - CULTURAL EQUIPMENT - RESIDENT WRITERS - ENVIRONMENT - HEALTH AND SOCIAL - COLLECTIVE TOURISM
The Jean-Félicien Gacha Foundation offers educational support and materials to schools in the region. In distributes equipment generously donated by its donors.
It is provided in several different ways.
The “Education for All” program provides a second chance for the young people of the village of Maka, a neighbor of the Foundation, who have dropped out of school. The Foundation offers young people the opportunity to catch up in school. Literacy classes are also offered for adults.
In partnership with the University of the Mountains, The Foundation offered school support to students who feel they need or want extra help, especially during exams.
Access to education in Cameroon is a real issue , the resolution to which is complicated by the fact that many children, especially from the Bororo community, do not have birth certificates, a requirement to register for exams.
The village of Maka is a historic site of action of the Foundation in the field of education. The donations of Réna et Jean-Louis Dumas were fundamental in the construction of the school, and since its creation in 2005, hundreds of children have attended the school.
In 2012, the Maka Primary School was handed over to the State Ministry in basic education. It remains, nevertheless, under the protection of the Foundation, which continues to assure support.
In 2014, the Foundation financed the construction of a primary school in Manoré which allows more than one hundred children to go to school without having to travel to Maka.
In 2016, the majority of children in the villages of Maka and Manoré attended the schools supported by the Foundation, allowing a large part of them to complete primary school.
Other primary and preschools in the region are not forgotten by the Foundation and occasionally receive support to develop their projects.
Throughout the year, short courses are offered by the JLD Cultural Center. They allow young people to work on professionalism and access to qualifying training. The training is provided by volunteers from the French association AGIRabcd.
The JLD Cultural Center is a private training center (CPF-JLD). In 2010, the Foundation was approved by the Ministry of Employment and Professional Training (MINEFOP) of Cameroon. Practical training here is validated by the State for specialties: Clothing Industry, Agriculture and Livestock, Secretarial and Office, Basketwork, Masonry, Plumbing, Carpentry, Metal Work, and Beadwork.
The Foundation works to transmit cultural, artistic and technical know-how in domains specific to Cameroon. The JLD Cultural Center does this through its craft workshops and cultural programming.
Beading Workshops
Ironwork Workshops
Sewing Workshops
Carpentry Workshops
Masonry Workshops (plaster)
The Foundation organizes and hosts educational and cultural activities and makes equipment available for young people and different local communities: film screenings, photography workshops, poetry workshops, story telling for the children, Scrabble contests…
The “Useful Holiday” summer program animates the Foundation every year in July and August with fun activities and workshops designated for children and young adults in the region.
In partnership with the French Institute of Cameroon, the JLD Cultural Center welcomes writers to stay at the Villa Boutanga for their writing projects. Conferences and writing workshops are offered at the JLD Cultural Center as part of their stay.
Julien Blanc-Gras and Guillaume Jan, residents in 2017
Cajou Matumbo, resident in 2016
Maud Basan, resident in 2015
Arno Bertina, resident in 2014
Joel Raffier, resident in 2014
Sami Tchak, resident in 2013
In the environmental field, the Foundation raises awareness about sustainable agriculture and carries out training activities in agriculture and livestock.
The foundation raises a herd of dairy cows in order to achieve some food self-sufficiency and possibly sell its agricultural products.
The JLD Cultural Center organizes family planning discussions for women. The Foundation also provides, often at the request of a local actor, presentations to raise awareness in different themes: education, young girls, early marriage, child nutrition, cholera, etc.
Through its network of partners and donors, the Foundation has distributed medical equipment to different hospitals of the Department and Integrated Health Center Bangoulap for many years. The general assemblies are often an opportunity to donate.
The Foundation has a guest house with 26 rooms and suites: the Villa
Boutanga. Holidaymakers can enjoy a top-quality site in the heart of the hills, surrounded by nature, and discover Western Cameroon and its artistic, culinary and landscape traditions… Since its opening, Villa Boutanga has welcomed thousands of visitors from all over the world.
This equipment has enabled the Foundation to contribute to a number of important events in Cameroon’s cultural life: the Bangoulap Tour, a tourist and cultural trek designed to promote the sites of the Ndé region, the Traid du Cameroun organised by the Club Sportif Automobile du Littoral, etc.
This venture allows the Foundation to highlight important aspects of cultural life in Cameroon: the Bangoulap Tour, cultural and tourist journeys to promote the sites of the Ndé region, the Traid of Cameroon company, organized by the Automobile Sports Club of Littoral.