Comprehensive Vocational Academies International

The last two weeks of July, Jayne and Bob Dambman will be in Cameroon  with CVAI founding board member Les Williams. Les is a dear friend we first worked with in Nigeria beginning in 1979. I refer to Les as an Africa expert, who has worked along with his wife Maxine in several African countries for many decades. They currently have a ministry to youth in Ethiopia (Hope for Youth, Ethiopia). CVAI sent a team to work with them for one week in Ethiopia in 2010.

During the 2015-16 school year, BCHS Njinikejem celebrated their 50^th anniversary. Over the past few years, their enrollment has greatly increased. They now have 916 students, and are expanding the campus buildings.

Emphasis of work in Cameroon for July 2016

• Strategize for future involvement in Cameroon
• Visit and consult with new agriculture initiatives at school including flock of 200 hens and coffee harvesting.
• Consult on building expansion of campus.
• Seek a grant for upgrade to electrical service to school and wiring of buildings.

Donations are requested for our travel and work at the school.

Projects completed in 2015 at BCHS Njinikejem, Cameroon

• Expansion and renovation of electrical lab and program
• Training of electronics teachers with new equipment; (Both of the above items were made possible by a grant from New Life Thrift Store, Glenside.)
• Interviewed BCHS graduates so that we could learn how they have been impacted by the workshops that CVAI has renovated over the past few years.
  

  New Test Equipment 2015

  

  Fabric Design Teacher 2015

  

  Reading Training in Library 2015

  

  Electronics Training 2015

  

  Certificate of Training

  

  Jayne and Bob Dambman with School Leadership 2015

  

  New Electrical Components 2015

  

  New Electrical Training Components 2015

  

  Fabric Design Lab 2015

CVAI Connection – Winter 2013 Edition

Click to download and read news from our July 2012 trip, and our future plans.

It is so nice to report that our passports with entry visas to Cameroon arrived today. We are in the packing mode and thankful the air conditioning is working at home. We have many books to take for the computer training.

Please continue to pray for our trip and our work in Cameroon. Travel dates are July 12 – Aug. 3.

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This July, we will be leading a team on our 3rd trip working at Baptist Comprehensive High School, Njinikejem, or BCHS, a vocational/secondary school near Bamenda, Cameroon. The school is one of 12 boarding high schools in the Baptist education department. We were so pleased to learn that the enrollment of BCHS has doubled to over 500 students during these 2 years. We praise God for these accomplishments.

TEN3 trainers from the U.S. will be working at BCHS at the same time we will. The TEN3 trainers will be training the Baptist high school principals, vice-principals, and computer teachers in their Bible based curriculum. The CVAI team will do some work in the computer lab, but primarily we will work to train teachers in the use of some donated power tools from the container and rejuvenate the struggling woodworking and carpentry lab, drafting lab, and school library. As in the previous two years, we continue to collaborate to make a difference in the lives of the students and staff of this school for the Glory of God.

Our supporters who know of our goal of building our first “flagship” Christian Comprehensive Vocational Academy may wonder why we are involved at BCHS. The Lord has not currently provided the funds to build a new school. Providing training and equipment to BCHS, fulfills CVAI’s mission and vision and blesses an existing school that is receptive to innovative teaching and is glorifying God.

Thank you for standing along side of us, and CVAI as we continue to work towards training and equipping our brothers and sisters in Cameroon who desire to provide the best Christ-centered vocational training possible.

 

Bob and Jayne Dambman

Click the link to download our trip newsletter.

CameroonTrip2012CVAI

It was quite an exciting day today! It was a memorable day at the Baptist Comprehensive High School in Njinikejem, Cameroon. While the painters were painting the walls and putting the second coat on the ceiling, we carried the tables, CPUs, and monitors in a “parade” from the former computer lab to the freshly renovated computer classroom. Many staff from the school helped to carry the loads. Two Cameroon computer technicians attached all the cables and an electrician installed the voltage regulator. The electricity stayed on while we were setting up and the rains stayed away while we were carrying the hardware across the campus. Everyone is very, very happy and excited about this new computer program and lab that will be ready for students this September. It has been wonderful working alongside the Cameroonian educators and technical workers. The combination of their skills and resources and ours were a wonderful blend.

Before today, A team of three computer technicians were installing operating systems and educational software, performing repairs and were able to purchase 5 CPUs in the city of Bamenda, nearby. We had enough monitors, keyboards, and mice. We are are yet to set up a printer, scanner and projector.

On Tuesday July 26 there will be a formal dedication of the lab. The principal and computer teacher will be traveling to Jos, Nigeria in early Aug. For TEN3 training in the new curriculum. 

We are grateful for what has been accomplished so far and what will come in Sept. When school resumes. [flickr id=”5962155616″ thumbnail=”thumbnail” overlay=”true” size=”medium” group=”” align=”none”]

Making progress- July 16

Today marks one week staying at Mbingo Baptist Hospital, and working on the computer lab at BCHS Njinikijem in nearby Belo.

The ceiling was in before we arrived, and much of the electrical work was done. This week the window glass was installed, the concrete bock walls were plastered and the tables, and security window bars and metal doors were delivered. The ceiling should be painted soon, electric completed, and security bars/doors installed so we can begin setting up the room.

The electric service at the school is sporadic so we set up the generator we had in the container – but the carburetor needed to be cleaned and now it runs well. 

Thursday was very frustrating at the school. The software was not loading right. It requires a lot of command lines. We decided it would be better/easier to install software here at the hospital. Today was much better.

We needed 6 RAM modules for some of the older computers. It is pre-FedEx, pre-credit cards here so one of the technicians had a local shop order the RAM in Douala, 6 hours south, wire money to Douala, that day, the package was put on the overnight bus to Bamenda and the technician picked up the RAM the next morning. Very efficient in a cash society.

Today our hosts will show us how to roast local coffee, 100 lbs. worth.

Bob

We had a great team accessing computers, repairing them, and installing them. The universal cry of technicians is “we need more RAM memory”.
So we sent someone to get RAM for 5 old computers and will resume installing on Wednesday. Twelve of the thirteen computers we shipped are working! :-) the five working school computers need the memory.
Room preparations are coming along. The ceiling, wiring, and lights are in. Walls should be plastered this week.