SOBA Montreal’s main objective from inception is about bringing Soban’s together from all works of life. We are open to welcoming soban’s who arrive in Montreal and Canada in general. We assist each other on several domains and daily remain our brother’s keeper.
We have been instrumental in several major fund raising in Montreal to impact the lives of needy kids back in Sasse college. These projects have been extremely successful and has expanded for the past several years.
SOBA Montreal is a major contributor towards other associations with any benevolent projects in Montreal. Mainly these associations are ex-students from several institutions from Cameroon or different cultural sub groups within Canada. Empowering these associations provides the platform for us to impact others unrelated to the SOBAN family.
We were a major contributor to the Sick Bay project in Sasse College as detailed amongst other projects done as an integral part of SOBA America as illustrated below.
PROJECTS CARRIED OUT WITHIN SOBA AMERICA.
Sick Bay/Victor Anomah Ngu Health Center Assistance
The health of students is very important. Over the past several years, SOBA America has partnered with SOBA UK to address the issue of poor access to healthcare for the students of Sasse College. The Sick Bay project that was aimed at revamping the old, dilapidated sick bay was spearheaded by SOBA UK. SOBA America played a significant role by contributing funds towards the project. SOBA America has also contributed supplies and equipment to replace the outdated supplies and equipment in the sick bay. The sick bay was recently named the Victor Anomah Ngu Health Center, in honor of the late SOBAN Professor Victor Anomah Ngu whose work in healthcare and clinical research was pioneering and highly commendable.
We still have a lot of work to do. The building of a new sick bay has stalled. We still have outdated equipment and a dangerous shortage of basic and critical supplies needed for the sick bay to meet the healthcare needs of the students. SOBA America will focus primarily on helping out with basic equipment and supplies including medication that are a critical need. We will continue to work with SOBA UK and Sasse College authorities on the building project.
Please click on the DONATE tab now to make your tax-deductible gift towards this sick bay/Victor Anomah Ngu Health Center initiative. Your gift will go a long way towards helping a young child get badly needed healthcare. Your gift will help save a life.
IT Project
This started out originally as a Soba America project to put Sasse into the technology age after Dr. Ebie started the computer lab. Buea Diocese joined in the project to provide internet to the entire Diocese. Dr. Enongene was Soba America’s lead on the project and Valentine Itor was the resident engineer in Sasse. Dr. Enongene travelled to Cameroon numerous times in the early 2000s to meet with the Internet Project Committee, the PTA and Bishop Pius Awah.
It was resolved that to get the program rolling, the computers in the computer lab needed to be upgraded to at least Pentium II or III to enable compatibility. Soba America contributed 4.5 million Francs CFA to the internet project. 1.5 million Francs was used to buy refurbished Pentium II computers and 3 million Francs was used to set up a teaching lab for the start of computer science classes. With another $10,000 donated by Soba America, a VSAT internet system was installed in Sasse and went live in November 2005 connecting two teaching labs, 12 offices and the Father’s house to the internet. Sasse was into the internet age.
Water Project
During the 1990s the population of Sasse increased two folds and so did the population of the surrounding villages of Tole, Biyoko and Small Soppo. Not enough water was getting to Sasse after the villages below made use of it. For the first time in its 55 years history there was water shortage in Sasse.
Soba America took up the challenge to provide Sasse with the water it needed. Henry Efamba, a civil engineer was selected to lead the project. He travelled to Cameroon and identified the problem and reported back to Soba America. The solution was to install new bigger pipes from the catchment basin in Woteke to Sasse. More than $30,000 was raised by Soba America and we were able to re-pipe the system to bring water back to Sasse.
Marching Band Project
On the same day that the Geremiah Mba Ebie Memorial Computer Laboratory was being commissioned, then Soba USA president, Dr. Nick Enow was in Sasse to present the college with a 45 piece set of marching band and laboratory equipment from Soba USA.
The marching band helped Sasse to continue to maintain its position as the premier secondary school band in the South West Region of Cameroon. S.J.C Sasse band is always the first choice in assisting in 11th February and 20th May festivities national festivities in the region. The laboratory equipment assisted the students to maintain an edge in the sciences.