HOTPEC ORPHANAGE, Buea, South West Region of Cameroon

by Tangwing Pius

HOTPEC ORPHANAGE, Buea, South West Region of Cameroon

The HOTPEC orphanage is an orphanage that was created by an individual to take care of the orphans and the less priviledged children in and around the Fako Division of the SWR. It is recognised by the government.

Unfortunately, it does not receive any support from public institutions. It is sustained from donations (goods or money from individuals, some churches and national and international organizations

Children brought into this orphanage range from age a few days old up to a maximum of 26 years. This children are either identified in homes and brought there or are found at their gates early in the mornings or late in the evenings.

The children are catered for by feeding, providing health and education.

The centre needs basic food items such as cooking oil, salt, sugar, milk, soap, washing powder which must be bought to suit the condition of the children.

There are paid staff members who teach and take care of these children and the costs like the salaries for the teachers and workers, school fees and school uniforms for all school children, clothes, costs for doctors and hospitals, electricity and water are what they require from members of the public.

The centre is managed by the director, Mrs. Mbaye Njang, (living in the orphanage compound with the children)

The centre’s most urgent needs are: foodstuffs, financial assistance for the running costs and for the realisation of some important projects.

At the centre there is a dormitory which requires extension, baby cod for babies and beds for the bigger children. There is also need to fence the compound to avoid children going to far into the farms of other people, and

also to avoid people from neighboring compound from coming in and picking some things belonging to the children.

Food for the orphans is cooked on an open fire in a large wooden structure. They are looking forward to building a new kitchen of good and favorable conditions.

They have a small building serving as toilets and washing facilities for the children in the orphanage. They also conduct Sunday church services in one of the classrooms for the spiritual up-bringing of the children.

Found everywhere in the compound are stables for pigs, goats, geese and chicken, used for self subsistance. A large area of the land is used to grow plantains, yams, beans, fruit trees and other which are used to feed the children.
The children found in the centre are of different age groups and are responsible for certain tasks like: cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, helping to care for the small children, caring for the domestic animals and working in the gardens and fields.

The centre also runs a primary school right up to the level of completion. The school is opened to members of the general public just to raise funds to pay the teaching staff. Those children who are above the age of primary school are sent to secondary schools in the neighborhood whose responsibility is that of the centre.

For those that are sick, first aid medication is administered to them at the centre, but should the situation persist, they are taken to clinics and hospitals nearby.

Though attending school out of the campus, the children still live in the centre.

There is therefore need to offer some help for the daily care of these children.

HOTPEC ORPHANAGE, Buea, South West Region of Cameroon