Cameroon Well Project

The Global Mission Ministry Team has been working for several years to set aside funds, do research, and select a partner organization in order to build a well in Cameroon.

Our biggest effort in 2011 related to Cameroon was our continued work to build a well.  During 2010, we identified and carefully vetted an organization called L’Eau C’est la Vie with significant well building experience in Cameroon to build a well in Tchekos, a village with which we have had an on-going partnership. We funded the well in October 2010. In November 2010, we were devastated to learn that well building efforts in Tchekos were unsuccessful due to unsuitable soil conditions (significant rock). As a result, the well building efforts were transferred to the nearby village of Bokito. Unfortunately, efforts in Bokito were also unsuccessful.

Discussions with L’Eau C’est la Vie continued, and we ultimately decided that the well supported by our contribution would be built in a village called Nkol Melen (our remaining funds – those not used in the failed attempts in Tchekos and Bokito – along with other funds from L’Eau C’est la Vie ultimately funded this well).

We are pleased to report that the well building efforts in Nkol Melen were a success! Battokok Bityeki (current Elder for Global Mission and Cameroon native), along with PCUSA mission worker, Jeff Boyd, were able to visit Nkol Melen to see the completed well and meet the people of the village. We learned that during a cholera outbreak in the surrounding area, the people of Nkol Melen were spared, presumably because of the clean drinking water from the well. While we are saddened that this project did not bring a well to our friends in Tchekos as originally planned, perhaps it was God’s will that there be clean and safe drinking water in Nkol Melen. We were blessed that L’Eau C’est la Vie was an honest and faithful business partner during this difficult process, and we were blessed that Battokok was able to be in Cameroon during so many critical times in the life of this project.

Written by Betsy Weingarten