Education Programs

Nursery and Primary Education Programming

FAPEFE supports education during the academic year, through the Bilingual Nursery and Primary Noula School. Additionally, « summer school, » or « holiday school, » is offered during student vacations.

Bilingual Nursery and Primary Noula School

The World Development Report of 2000-2001 indicates that the biggest problem of poverty, besides the lack of food, is the lack of power directly related to a lack of knowledge.  Worldwide, almost 1 billion people lack the basic skills to acquire knowledge because they are illiterate. This is a result of little to no primary education or because the quality of their primary education was too low. Investment in early education benefits the individual, society and the world at large and it is considered one of the most effective means for reducing poverty and inequality. It is for these reasons that the FAPEFE Education Project provides free education for children in NKOMO Awae Maison Rouge quarter, and other surrounding neighborhoods.

The Bilingual Nursery and Primary Noula School opened its doors in September of 1997. Through the generous support of our donors and friends, these children had a completely free education with all necessary school materials provided to them. Since its inception, the school has grown considerably. We seek to provide education to the children of the semi-urban community of  NKOMO Awae Maison Rouge, so they would not be deprived of education based on their locality or family financial circumstances. Most of the foster families and guardians, who already have limited resources as it is, are often not equipped to assist the growing number of these orphans children.

FAPEFE’s wish is to guarantee low cost educational fees for poor families and provide an education for children with the ultimate goal of employability and self sufficiency. FAPEFE attempts to bridge the gap between rich and poor by offering good quality education for the most underprivileged. It is also relevant to understand that this village has no libraries or ICT training opportunities for young people.

Whereas government-run schools in Cameroon focus primarily on memorization and repetition, the Noula School is unique because it values a child-centered education. This means that class sizes are small (no more than 25 students per class), corporal punishment is forbidden, and teachers give individual attention. By focusing on these areas, FAPEFE is attempting to embrace new pedagogical methods that encourage a deeper understanding of the material. As a result of this approach, FAPEFE pupils are able to learn more advanced material than their peers in the public system. FAPEFE distinguishes itself by providing food for its students. Teachers realized that in order to learn effectively, children need to have enough energy. Apart from a radically different educational approach, FAPEFE also offers a number of innovative additional programs to facilitate its pupils in learning and personal development. Among these are the availability of the Corner Room, special learning days, the yearly Christmas celebration, and the summer holiday program. We intend to add more programs as years goes by. Because the children keep increasing every year, FAPEFE is in need of financial help to add more classrooms for the children. For information on the new project and how you can help, see the Special Projects.

Holiday Program

In addition to our work during the school year, FAPEFE teachers and volunteers offer summer classes to interested students from June to October each year. Activities are offered every day from 8am to 12pm. During this time, students practice reading, writing, arts, music, swimming, and play educational games. The Holiday Program is also open to orphans and street children.