DR Fomunyoh launches college lectures
DISAS Douala privileged
March, 2013

Dr. Chris with the Principal of the school

Dr Christopher Fomunyoh was in Cameroon just for a glimpse last February 25th and 26th. With his flight already on the runway, the TFF Board Chairman took the worthwhile risk to attend morning lectures with the children of the Dewey International School of Applied Sciences, (DISAS) Banamoussadi-Douala.

Facilitated by Lawyer Philip Forsang Ndikum, it was the first of a series of College lectures that Dr. Fomunyoh would be giving in a number of Private and Public Colleges and Universities in the days ahead.

Dr Fomunyoh briefed on his school days in Cameroon and the challenges he had braved through, to be where he was today. In fact, his tutorial to students and staff of the institution was inspiring and the reactions and questions than came from the students left the audience spellbound. At the end there was a unanimous satisfaction that the future can be assured of better leaders.

Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh in the midst of the students taking him back to his old days

Below is of what one of the students wrote in the school publication DISAS SAY, after the visit.

Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh - (Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs) visits DISAS

Do you know that the life you live today, the challenges and successes you go through or achieve in life could just serve as inspiration to someone? Our lives are on a stage; we act for an audience; this audience may be visible or invisible to you. The audience may either be built or demolished by the examples we set or by the life we live.

Dr. Chris Fomunyoh, the Principal, the PTA Board Chairman and the Senior Discipline Master of the school

Here is a story of one of such people Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, whose life has impacted the lives of the DISAS community. This bright morning of Tuesday 26th February 2013, DISAS was honoured by this special visit. He was there just for about one hour, but this was an hour of uplifting and hope for the new generation.

Dr Fomunyoh is such an astonishing character in Cameroon, a man who has been able to put his feet in the sand of time. Growing up in the suburbs of the North West Province (Region), with little or no excellent facilities at school and home, when very few children had access to basic education, he break all odds and made it to the great man he is today.

Head teacher introducing the African Director of NDI to her students

He made us to understand that success was not only relative to the riches at our disposal, but was at the level of each individual’s hard work and determination. He said the children should take great advantage of that which was made available to them for their future success.

Being a school mate to Barack Obama, the President of the USA, does not make him the least envious but rather, makes him proud seeing a man of his generation creating so much impact on the world. He told the kids that, they may not know with whom they were studying with at moment, for; there definitely was a seed of success in everyone. He opined that a future President could just be amongst those sitting and listening to him. He made the kids understand that they could break every ton of limitation both in their country and in the Diaspora and become just anything they would want to be.

Again, he assured that change could only start from an individual. With this, he used the examples of Rosa Park, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela who created change in their various communities and that changed lives forever till date. He expressed the confidence that young as their minds were, they could influence and change their communities and the world at large. Corruption, nepotism, segregation and other social ills could come to an end; it needed just one person to initiate the change, he said.

NDI Director giving words of inspiration to the students

Irrespective of the fact that the visit was quite brief, it was so interesting because, it was fun in learning and everyone left the school hall with all smiles and satisfaction. The guest himself was quite happy for the wonderful chance to talk to such aspiring kids and said this was going to be a life-long and unforgettable experience for him.

It was thus a vice versa experience for both the guest and his audience. Our kids now know that they can work hard and also put their footprints in the sand of their time. The feeling in the students and staff since then has been one of love for what they were doing and the assurance that they were the true leaders of tomorrow.

Students listening very attentively to the Director of NDI

To sum up, it is good to live our lives right; this may not only benefit you as an individual but, it may shape the life and destiny of another person; our lives are an open book to be read and appreciated by the world. When you live and fight a just cause Like Rosa Park, Martin Luther and other great people, even at death, you will still live on.

Article submitted by Mr. Tallah of DISAS