Marists help poor people to receive a good education in Tatum
The Marist presence in Cameroon belongs to the Province of West Africa. There are four marist communities, working in 4 schools, two marist and two diocesans. The crisis in two English speaking Regions of Cameroon has affected education greatly. We share here a testimony of a student, Shakiratu Nyuykonghe, from St Pius school in Tatum which is a Catholic School run by the Marist Brothers with circa 298 students and 23 members of the staff.
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This is my third year in St Pius school in Tatum which is a Catholic School run by the Marist Brothers. However, I have faced many challeng-es because I am a muslim. One good thing is that I have learned more about the Catholic faith and beliefs. I have also learned a lot about the Bible since I was more familiar with the Quran. To tell the truth, it has all been a good experience.
Through the Marist Brothers I have been helped financially with my school needs and it is my wish that I may be assisted again in the coming years. It has been a wonderful experience for me, and I promise to repay this favour by studying hard, helping my parents with house chores, helping my friends who aren’t as intelligent as I am with their studies and above all being respectful to my teachers and elders since this is the least I can do at this level. In future, I may be blessed with the means to assist other persons in the society. As of now, I can only pray that God may bless and protect all those who are helping me and other students with fees and didactic materials.
In my school there are students of different religious beliefs and family backgrounds and
characters very different from mine and some-times strange. As such it is sometimes not very easy to relate with them, but my parents taught me to always respect everyone, be friendly but avoid bad and destructive friendships. So, I have decided to make friends with those who study hard and know why they are in school.
Another great challenge of my school life is the current sociopolitical crisis in our two English speaking Regions of Cameroon which has affected education greatly. Many schools have been destroyed, students and teachers attacked and some killed. Though our own school has never gone through this type of trial, I still feel scared every day. I keep praying that God will give us peace and protection in these regions so that all students and teachers may operate in a free environment. I equally pray that God may have mercy on those who have lost their lives and receive their souls in His Kingdom.
As it is said, some disappointments can turn into blessings. We do not have enough teachers, but I enjoy the fact that for three years we have been dealing with almost the same set of teachers with whom we are familiar and because of that, we understand them better. This has helped me to understand my lessons better. However, I fear that the few teachers available may be put under the stress of working within the crisis for long and dealing with increasing number of students as many more students keep coming to school.
To conclude, it is really a good experience to be a student and especially in a Catholic School. I pray and wish that my brothers and sisters who have refused coming to school and doing nothing at home may change and enjoy this advantage. I also pray that God may send many more persons of goodwill to support our education.