Send Joseph to school and help his community

My name is Joseph and I live in Cameroon. My passions lie in educating people in sustainable agriculture and promoting rural development. Therefore I want to deepen my knowledge with studies in Agriculture and Rural Development at the University of East Anglia, UK, to support the local farmers in my home country Cameroon. To do this I need your help! I was accepted for a graduate course 2014/15, but without your help I will not be able to pay the fees. So please give me the chance to become an ambassador for more environmental protection, better living conditions of farmers and sustainable agriculture in Cameroon and donate now for my studies! I thank you very much for your support, yours Joseph.

 

Who is Bongajum Banla Joseph

If you stumble upon me as I write, you would find a Cameroonian many would say is short, 35 years old, with black hair and brown eyes. I was born and bred in one of the prettiest villages in West Africa. It is the tiny village of Shiy, high in the beautiful mountains of the  Western Highlands of the North West Region of Cameroon. About 99.9% of the inhabitants are farmers. I have lived in this place long enough to obtain my primary education from class one to seven. I then moved to Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon to follow my Secondary and College Education.

In 2012, I enrolled for a course in Rural Leadership in Japan which focused on sustainable agriculture and rural development. After graduation from this course, I took a job as a Community and Extension Facilitator with a grassroots non-government organization called Rural Transformation Center (RTC) working with local communities in Cameroon.  In the course of my work, I encounter many challenges such as shortages of water, food, unhealthy environment and degraded farmlands. These resources are fundamental to our well-being. According to the UN, “70% of the world’s poor who lives in rural areas, agriculture is the main source of income and employment. But degradation and depletion of land and water poses serious challenges to producing enough food and other agricultural products to sustain livelihood”. It is due to these challenges that I decided to further my education in Agriculture and Rural Development.

I feel privilege having been admitted at the University of East Anglia in UK.  This University has the unique course (MA in Agriculture and Rural Development) that I think could not be seen elsewhere. Attending this course will be a very big achievement in my professional career. It will allow me to build on the skills I've already gained in Japan and help me to better address the needs of farmers in my community. It will improve my analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as teach me more advanced techniques in rural development. This will help me to creatively address the problems facing my community and help build a better and brighter Cameroon. Please “help me to help my community”

 

What We Need & What You Get

·       To start my study I need to raise $6,820.

·       The sole purpose of the $6,820 will be to pay my tuition fee (to be paid upfront before the 31st of July 2014 in order to guarantee my visa to UK), buy my visa to the UK, secure the first semester of room and board and transport to the UK. The University of East Anglia requires all of this to be paid before the start of the course in September.

·       While in UK I can apply for funding to complete my tuition, living cost and other expenses which I am confident that I will secure. But first I have to get there. 

·       To be honest: it is difficult for me as a student working mostly on voluntary bases to offer you much in return but I am sure that you will gain a lot of merit by supporting me. Also I will set up a blog where you can follow my progress and keep in touch during and after my study.

 

The Impact

 With your help and generous donations, I shall be able to put myself through school and acquire the skill; knowledge and experience needed to face challenges in less develop countries. The world beholds such numerous challenges requiring one to overcome these hardships. Also, enduring my own challenges of financial constraints, and difficult coursework, I have the necessary strength to persevere and learn from these arduous challenges. As the UEA Agriculture and Rural Development program presents challenges in the demanding coursework, I am optimistically looking forward to facing these challenges and become successful in order to help rural communities grow. 

Strengths that I will bring to my abroad experience include exemplary servant leadership and social skills, refined through a successful leadership training program I underwent in Japan and my voluntary service at the Rural Transformation Centre and Shisasay Foundation Germany. I have occupied numerous prestigious leadership positions both in intercultural international and national levels. These traits will allow me to succeed in diverse situations while studying my masters in UK.

 

Other Ways You Can Help

Every little contribution counts!! If you donate;

-       $1.00 every day will amount to 40$

-       $5 every day will amount to $200

-       $10 every day will amount to   $450

Please, if you feel inspired and are unable to donate, you can still help asking your friends or family folks that you think could contribute by getting the word out and sharing or posting the link to my campaign on your FB pages/twitter/email etc.

Thank you for taking your time to check out my campaign! I truly appreciate all the encouragement and support!