Help Build NABO’s First Student Science Lab

Thank you for visiting our fundraising page! The Nana Bouba Foundation Bilingual School Complex (NABO) is a multi-lingual and co-educational institution located in the Etoudi district of Yaoundé, Cameroon that serves over 1,600 students from nursery to secondary school. NABO’s academic structure is built on Arabic, English, and French educational subsystems and illustrates the cultural diversity of Cameroon. NABO’s science curriculum is taught at all levels and includes Biology, Computer Science, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics. While the school has qualified teachers and a growing student body, it does not have the resources required to build out a science lab. As a result, most coursework takes the form of lectures and textbook readings and students do not have consistent access to hands-on learning experiences. The goal of this fundraiser is to build the infrastructure required for NABO to expand their science program and inspire students today and for years to come.

My connection to this project comes via my friendship with Idris Tatah, whose children are students at NABO and who hosted me in 2012 while I participated in an undergraduate research trip to the North-Western town of Kumbo. Idris was previously the Principal of the Islamic High School of Kumbo and the purpose of the trip was to measure solar and wind energy resources in the area as a potential avenue for providing reliable power to the school in support of its computer literacy program. While the research itself was successful, the conditions required for installing a renewable energy system at the school have unfortunately not been met. Since 2017, The Ambazonia War of Independence in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon has made the environment too dangerous for developing this project. Idris and his family became internally displaced and were forced to move to Cameroon’s capital city of Yaoundé where they are now integrated with the NABO community.

Today, the students at NABO must travel to other institutions to complete hands-on science education. Compounding this challenge is an expanding student body and a drop in financial assistance from the United States, which between 2024 and 2025 decreased by nearly 90% (source: ForeignAssistance.gov). As someone who works as a Nuclear Engineer, I cannot understate the importance of STEM education and guaranteeing access to it for young learners. Investing in these programs helps to inspire individuals and expands the capacities of entire communities.

This fundraiser aims to significantly broaden the educational experience for the 1,600 students at NABO. Specifically, it will fund:

The total cost of this investment is $30,000 USD. NABO is committing 20% of this and I am reaching out to family, friends, and my peers in the STEM community to fundraise the other 80%. The attached video from NABO’s YouTube channel provides an overview of the fundraiser and additional information, including course syllabi and a breakdown of the costs for the lab, can be downloaded from this Dropbox folder:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3cjq4w6fzvuboym81y8xm/ANSGyCb6EXGkBOZyakTaOG0?rlkey=p4r1rwd9a4s3usykj13b61jkx&e=1&st=xgvpssj7&dl=0

Thank you for your time, support, and trust!

River