CAMEROON : ASSISTANCE TO THE POPULATION VICTMS OF BOKO HARAM TERRORIST ATTACKS.
On Saturday 19th of March 2016, celebrating the International Adventist Youth day, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cameroon brought food and medical items as help to the victims of Boko Haram attacks in the Extreme-Northern part of Cameroon. These items’ value is estimated to more than 40 million FCFA. Attended the ceremony, the Governor of the Region, Mr. Midjiyawa Bakari, the President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cameroon, Pastor Assembe Valère , the President of the Northern Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Hendjena Richard, and of course, the Youth and their leaders.
The esplanade of the Governor of the Extreme-Northern Cameroon Region was the selected place where all the populations of the area gathered, to receive the items that were brought. We could also note the presence of members of the security forces who attended the ceremony. In fact, taking advantage of the International Adventist Youth day titled: ‘’Be the Sermon,’’ the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cameroon brought a message of compassion and hope to the afflicted population. After the welcoming words of the President of the Conference, Pastor Hendjena Richard, Pastor Assembe Valère, President of the Cameroonian Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church condemned the attacks and atrocities of the Islamic faction. And then, the Pastor stated that the Church has come to add to their prayers these deeds and he also assured his listeners, both men, women and of course the youth that came, the support of the Adventist community in Cameroon. Pastor Assembe admonished them by calling on their attention that they have to be confident in the Lord who will soon establish justice. His message was highly appreciated by the population as well as by the administrative and military officials. Among them we could notice the presence of the Governor of the Extreme-Northern Region of Cameroon, Mr. Midjiyawa Bakari, General Brigade, Commander of the 4th inter-army military forces and his collaborators. Translating words into actions, Pastor Asembe Valère and his colleague Pastor Hendjena Richard, gave respectively to the Governor in a symbolic manner, a carton of oil and a palette of pure water. The Governor getting on stage, in the name of the Cameroonian government, sincerely thanked the Seventh-day Adventist Church for their kind gesture they have done in regard to the afflicted population. Mr Midjiyawa on continuing his speech, mentioned the number of victims made by the barbaric attacks of Boko Haram estimated to 1200 people killed in the Extreme-Northern Region with more than one thousand civilians since the beginning of the attacks in 2013.
For the food and medical items that were presented, 18 million were for the injured that the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital of Koza took care of from 2013 to 2016. The remaining items were composed of 1000 bags of corn flour, 100 bags of groundnuts, 300 palettes of pure water, 100 cartons of oil, 600 bags of rice, 100 cartons of mackerels, 100 cartons of soap, 300 bags of salt, 400 bags of sugar, 100 cartons of tomatoes, 50 bags of millet/ sorgho and some stocked fish. All these gifts were estimated to more than 40 million F CFA. After the ceremony, the youth went to in the various hospitals to pray for the sick and bring hope to them as well . The day indeed, was full of compassion and love.
Bakari / Nestor
