Health Improvement Foundation of Cameroon (HIF-CAM)

Dear Valued Friend,

There is something very special I want to share with you about our organization. Health Improvement Foundation of Cameroon (HIF-CAM) is a nonprofit organization incorporated under Cameroon law in June 2003. Its head office is located in Limbe, in the Southwest Region of Cameroon.

Brief History

Chief Lewindia Nicholas, the Executive Director of HIF-CAM, founded the organization following the research findings of a U.K-based N.G.O - “Health Project Abroad” - which revealed that 80% of the common endemic diseases (notably Malaria, Diarrheal diseases, Pneumonia, Anemia, Malnutrition, etc) are the highest cause of death and illness in South West Region of Cameroon (where the research was done). The report underscored the fact that about 75% of the population lives in rural areas and lacks basic healthcare services, educational facilities, safe drinking water supply, and improved hygiene and sanitation. Health services and health health resources are concentrated in the cities and towns to the detriment of of the rural populations. Appalled by this report Chief Lewindia Nicholas held several meetings with other health personnel and planned how some of these problems and health needs can be addressed. These planning meetings led to the creation of The Health Improvement Foundation of Cameroon (HIF-CAM) in June 2003.

Mission and Vision

After brainstorming the following mission was unanimously adopted: “We provide quality and affordable healthcare services to everyone in marginalized underserved rural communities, making sure no one dies of disease”. Our vision of a better world is for everybody to attain a level of health that enables him or her to realize his or her dreams. We are committed to fighting the injustice of concentrating healthcare services in urban areas at the expense of rural communities, where 75% of the population lives.

Our Core Values

HIF-CAM operates on the core values of compassion, innovation, collaboration, social justice, gender equality, environmental sustainability, transparency, and empowerment. We believe that we — and you — can change the world for good.

Programs and Services

To attain its mission HIF-CAM provides the following programs and services:

v Trains relevant categories of health workers to provide affordable and quality healthcare services in underserved rural communities.

v Constructs and equips health units in deprived communities.

v Engages qualified health personnel, including doctors and volunteers, to provide quality and affordable healthcare services.

v Empowers the rural poor, especially women, in agriculture and business, aimed at alleviating poverty.

v Provides clean drinking water and improves the hygiene and sanitation of needy communities.

v Runs an integrated medical Center that provides the following core healthcare services: Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Curative Care Services (CCS) and Community Outreach Preventive Services (COPS).

HIF-CAM’s Project Team

HIF-CAM is managed by a team of six full-time employees and five part-time workers. The project team comprises the following experts:

Ø Chief Lewindia Nicholas - the Executive Director and coordinator of all project activities.

Ø Dr. Elong Felix – Gynecologist and Specialist Consultant at HIF-CAM.

Ø Mr. Fonju Aleanu Oliver - the Program Manager and project evaluator.

Ø Mr. Fobisong Bens Monyele - the Accounts Officer - managing all project funds.

Ø Mr. Tebou Zakaria - the hydrologic engineer – executes all hygiene, water, and sanitation projects.

Ø Mrs. Teleh-Amoh Theresia - the General Service Supervisor – is responsible for community mobilization, sensitization, and training.

HIF-CAM’s Track Record

In spite of financial constraints experienced, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic, HIF-CAM has executed the following projects:

(a) Over 150 primary healthcare workers were trained, equipped, and deployed to their respective rural communities where they are currently serving.

(b) Eight health centers were constructed, staffed, and equipped with medical equipment and medicines.

(c) Four spring catchments and six boreholes have been constructed to supply clean water to needy communities.

(d) Over 30 Water and Sanitation Committees have been empowered to manage water supply and improve community hygiene and sanitation.

(e) Following the outbreak of the HIV/AIDS pandemic over 500 Local HIV/AIDS Committees were created and empowered to fight the disease.

(f) More than 600 groups were empowered to sensitize and educate their communities on preventive measures and vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Uniqueness and Innovation

HIF-CAM is unique and different from other nonprofit organizations in that:

Ø It conceives, plans, and executes health projects and programs in rural or suburban communities, using a novel approach to executing health projects - the Multi-Community Project Approach (MCPA) - whereby a health project is executed to serve three or four beneficiary communities closely situated. The traditional ruler, the council executives, and the youth and women leaders of each beneficiary community (village) constitute members of a Joint Health Management Committee (JHMC), empowered to OWN and CO-MANAGE the health project or health center with the healthcare providers. This new healthcare delivery system is cheap, sustainable, and effective and can be scaled and replicated in any rural community locally and globally.

Ø Another unique difference is our modification of the primary healthcare system. We train our primary health workers for one year – tailoring our training towards common community health needs. Activities performed by the primary health workers include the treatment of basic ailments and the referral of serious ones to the nearest health center; health and nutrition education; prenatal and postnatal education; the simple and safe delivery of babies; childhood vaccination campaign; family planning; protection of drinking water sources; hygiene and sanitation education, etc.

Ø In addition, the core healthcare services of any of our health units (e.g. the Forfa-ah Medical Center) - Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Primary Health Care (PHC), Community Outreach Preventive Services (COPS) and Curative Care Services (CCS) - are unique and different from services provided by other nonprofits in that these services are integrated and each is managed by a specialist or experienced health personnel.

Board of Directors

HIF-CAM is governed by a Board of Directors (BOD) comprising five members elected to a five-year term of office, renewable. The BOD meets every December to review and adopt financial and annual reports as well as adopt proposed projects and the budget for the coming year - presented by the Executive Director.

Affiliation

HIF-CAM is affiliated with local organizations such as LUKMEF, Green and Better World, and international organizations, including GivenGain, GrantStation, Raisely, VolunteerMatch, Idealist, Network for Good, EU Calls, Charities Aid Foundation - Canada, Charities Aid Foundation - America, etc.

Benefits of Supporting HIF-CAM

Please, consider joining HIF-CAM’s Support Team as a valued member. We will not relent in our effort until we - and you – get the poor, marginalized, under-served, and underprivileged out of the vicious cycle of poverty, ignorance, and disease. Support us in any of the following ways and derive any of these related benefits:

(a) As a donor - we'll protect your investment, partner with you, and make sure you get the desired impact and difference for your money.

(b) As a fundraiser - we'll treat you as one of our special donors.

(c) As a volunteer - we'll provide you with all the resources and benefits you need to render virtual or direct services.

(d) As a partner- we'll work hand in glove with you to achieve our respective missions.

(e) As a change maker - we'll team up with you and other change-makers to innovate the best ideas to address the challenges of poverty, ignorance, and disease afflicting the rural masses.

(f) As an ambassador representing HIF-CAM -

we'll extend our health services to the remote villages of your country.

Please, feel free to contact me and indicate your interest(s) through email:

forfaah@gmail.com or telephone: +237 6777 48273.

Thank you very much for sparing time to read our “Case for support”.

About the Author

Chief Lewindia Nicholas is the Director and Founder of the Health Improvement Foundation of Cameroon (HIF-CAM). He is a senior health technician and holder of a degree in Health Education (University of Ibadan –Nigeria) and has a certificate in health service management (WHO – Lagos). He has served the Ministry of Public Health (Cameroon) in several administrative capacities for 22 years, including seven years of training health workers. He has been awarded Cameroon’s National Order of Merit, following his outstanding achievements as the CEO at HIF-CAM. Chief Lewindia is also the Traditional Ruler of Nveh village in the Njenawung clan Lebialem Division (Cameroon), ruling over 2,000 subjects (hence, the title “Chief”). He is married with five children.

Warm greetings.

Say Hi to your family and stay blessed and safe.

Chief Lewindia Nicholas

Executive Director at HIF-CAM

P.S.

• You are the hero we need right now to support our big urgent project – The Forfa-ah Medical Center Project (FMCP). Please, click the following partner secure link below to read about the project and Donate any Amount or Fundraise for HIF-CAM – deriving the above benefits. We’ll appreciate you a thousandfold: https://www.givengain.com/camp...

• You could equally donate for any of our programs listed above through PayPal’s Donation Link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

dy communities.