Catholic Charity Work in Cameroon

The plight of the people in Cameroon is similar to those in the United States as far as their diseases and physical ailments, but they suffer far greater infrastructure issues. People are denied medical care when they cannot pay, children are denied education when the only school in the region is at maximum capacity – or has become unsafe to use! Cameroon has one of the highest infant mortality rates in Africa, and with your support more children can grow up with an education. They will be able to work in hospitals, become engineers, and become the keys to success in their communities.

Explore the tabs below to learn more about our mission in Cameroon.

St. Mary’s School

Their Story

When Fr. Eugen (pictured far right) was young he attended a small school in Nkar, Cameroon called St. Mary’s Primary School. Built in the 1960s, St. Mary’s serves 250 children-but the building is old and dilapidated. Today there are 9,000 people in Nkar and St. Mary’s school wishes it could accommodate more children and provide a safe learning environment for their students. Windows at St. Mary’s are boarded up for safety and the roof is starting to cave into the building. Fr. Eugen, once a child in the village, is now a pastor in Nkar and he is fighting for the children to have a safe and secure future. St. Mary’s currently has no running water, no toilets for the children, and no electricity. The classrooms are more of a threat than an opportunity. Parents are so desperate for an education for their children they send them to St. Mary’s despite the safety concerns surrounding the building!

The villagers have already given Fr. Eugen land for the school and are elated to see the start of the building process! This is where we need you to join in on our mission. With your gift– which will be doubled – the reconstruction of St. Mary’s will be possible!

Deacon Rick Medina and two other gentlemen pose out front of a church

Our Lady of Fátima Water Project

For the first time ever the people of Nkar, Cameroon have clean water!

For years, the locals got their water from a contaminated stream. The children would drink the water but would get so sick they couldn’t even attend school! A clean water source allows the children to attend school without stomach aches or pains; it prevents them from developing waterborne diseases like trachoma and cholera.

When locals approached the local parish priest, Fr. Paul, about having found a natural spring, he was hopeful but concerned they might have trouble getting permission to use the natural spring. But the owner of the property walked up as they were inspecting the site and gave the land to the community!

The locals immediately picked up their pickaxes and shovels to begin digging to the source. Even more people came out to dig a path for piping to the village, and took turns being knee deep in the muddy water to get to the source of the spring.

“It was amazing to see the generosity of not only the Catholic World Mission donors who gave to support this water well, but also of the Nkar people first hand that came out to dig through a muddy, bacteria infested stream to get to the water source and pump it through filtration to bring clean water to the village.” – Stephanie Lange, CWM Operations Manager, June 2016

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is a Beacon of Healing

Work is already being done to uplift this community out of poverty! In the past year, volunteers led by missionary Mike Drapeau visited Nkar to build a medical clinic. The medical clinic, Our Lady of Lourdes, is a beacon of healing. The construction of Our Lady of Lourdes Clinic was the first step in alleviating the suffering of the people in Nkar, Cameroon.

The local hospital is 10 miles away from Nkar, and people travel to it on foot. Many mothers have given birth on the way to the hospital, and then have to carry their baby the rest of the way. Sometimes when people get to the hospital they find out they cannot pay the fees and are cast out. Our Lady of Lourdes Clinic brings hope and healing to families right in Nkar.

In June 2016, volunteers not only traveled to Nkar to help build the school, but medical personnel went with them to help train the local people on how to use medical equipment for the hospital! Teaching local staff how to perform simple procedures and triage sick locals helps the community because many people don’t always know when they should travel to large hospitals to be seen.

Our Lady of Lourdes medical clinic under construction - Cameroon
Our Lady of Lourdes medical clinic under construction - Cameroon
Menu