"Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who help the poor honour Him."
(Proverbs 14:32)

Website © 2007-2008 Boys' Brigade UK
www.boys-brigade.org.uk

In June 2006, a visit was made to Cameroon by Steve Dickinson (Brigade Secretary), Robert Botting and Stephen Cowden (1st Woodley and 4th Newtownabbey Companies respectively; both members of the BBUK International Team), to meet with organisers, Officers and Boys in the Boys' Brigade in the country. They listened to their experiences, as well as the difficulties and barriers faced by the Brigade in Cameroon.

Some history of the BB in Cameroon can be found on the background info page. The organisation recognises the need to be non-reliant on foreign aid, so have set themselves the goal of being self-sufficient by the year 2016.

Following the visit to Cameroon, the International Team at New Horizons in October 2006 took the first steps of planning a project to help address the difficulties facing the BB in Cameroon and to help achieve its self-sufficiency goal.

The two main aims of the project are:
- To raise awareness within BB:UK of The Boys' Brigade as an international family that extends beyond the boundaries of the UK.
- To support and assist our sibling organisation BB:Cameroon to achieve their goal of self-sufficiency by the year 2016.

During New Horizons in October 2006, the International Team identified three key areas of the project to help achieve the aims:
- Supporting the national farm project, already initiated by BB:Cameroon, through providing funding to meet the initial investment costs and running costs for the first four years. This farm is then anticipated to generate an income of approximately £750 in year four.
- Assisting BB:Cameroon to review its programme material for Junior and Company Section (which is currently operating from the UK scheme of 1969). We hope to empower the staff in Cameroon to produce their own badge work structure and programme pack. We also hope to address the issue of local award badge production.
- An education/awareness programme for UK members, directed at both Boys and staff. For Boys, the programme will focus on "who is my neighbour" showing that BB is an international organisation. Secondly, we hope to look at what we can learn from BB:Cameroon, focusing on their "faith in action".

Following articles about the June 2006 visit and the planning of the project in the October 2006 and April 2007 issues of the Gazette (which can be found here), the launch of Palm in Palm was in the July 2007 Gazette, which included the first programme pack. A presentation was made on the project at Brigade Council in Bradford in September, and we believe this project will be of great benefit to the Boys and staff in the Boys' Brigade both in the United Kingdom and Cameroon.