With your help, we are reaching out to our communities planting seeds of hope, change and opportunity.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Plant A Seed has been working with communities in Cameroon for more than ten years. Our current project involves building a clean water well for Alfred and Sarah Bilingual Academy in the South Region of Cameroon. If you're interested in learning about upcoming trips, fundraising opportunities and volunteering, contact us on our website: Contact
We raised over $2,500 in our campaign to try to get 2000 people to donate $2 each. 100% of these contributions will go towards building a well at the Alfred & Sarah Bilingual Academy in Sangmelima, Cameroon.
Now we are reaching out to other NPO organizations that build wells to try to get them to complete the project and working with the school to see if we can start building the well using the funds we have (the designs they have call for about $5000 to build the well). We are still accepting donations. The rainy season is coming so the well can't be built for a few more months. We will update as soon as we have have knew information. Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped to spread the word!!
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, you can paypal planta_seed@yahoo.com! Please select "gift" under personal tab so all of it comes to Plant a Seed! Or visit Donate Page
Kids playing at the wing even though the sun is high and hot. Kids will be kids right? The sad thing is they have already run out of water brought from home at this point.
For pictures of our December trip, Click Here
Back to School Projects fall under our Educational Program. These projects encourages, motivates and supports kids from poor families in the village of Babanki Tungo right before the school year starts. Plant A Seed hosts games and other activities (funding permitted) and at the end of the activities, gives all participants note books, pens, pencils and cash prices that will go towards their education. Sometimes the parents participate and take home prizes for their young kids who are not old enough to take part in the games. This project typically sponsors 150-200 kids every year.
Visit our News & Media page for videos. Our #1 goal for 2013 is to provide note books, pens, pencils and cash prices to at least 250 kids. This day of activities gives the kids a chance to do something in exchange for what they are getting. It also gives them something fun yet rewarding to look forward to during the summer break. Equipping these kids with the necessities for school is the first step towards breaking the circle of poverty and illiteracy.
He was burned in a fire as an infant and now he's 12 years old. He hasn't been to a doctor since the accident happened. At the time of the accident, he didn't get any major surgery because he fell ill and then the mother had to return to the village. Other than his injuries, he's a pretty normal kid and the other kids are very nice to him now. While visiting him
December 2012, he said that his eye is painful and lately has started to bleed. We will not be showing the full image but you can see it on our website. The right side of his face and eye is also very burned. We need your support as we start the process of looking into hospital, doctors or foundations to help provide him with reconstructive surgery.
Money will be used for communication between Plant A Seed and his parents in Cameroon, passport, visas, forms and fillings to facilitate and speed up the process of finding help for him. We are looking at $500 to cover all these for the moment.
Jespa helping harvest vegetable with his good arm.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
It's time to go and see the impact we've been making.
Although school has started for the year 2012-2013, there are still over 25 kids in need of sponsorship. We am hoping that with your support, We will be able to raise the $7500 needed for all of them. As always, your donations of any amount will make a difference and will be greatly appreciated.
It has been 10 years since I last attended a Plant A Seed activity in Cameroon. Rashel and I (who will be going for the first time) are very excited for the opportunity to go back and see what all of our hard work and donations have accomplished.
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We're currently in the planning stages for a number of Fundraisers and we could use your help. To learn more about how you can volunteer or become a board member, please email Ruth
Please consider supporting Plant A Seed on a monthly basis. There is always a kid that needs help and we do not have enough funds. In addition to supporting our projects, we could use a small amount, at your discretion, for helping with administrative costs such as fillings, fundraising and other office related needs.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Hello friends and family,
Sponsor A Child – For the 2012-13 school year, we started with 10 kids. As of today we have 30 kids and it is possible that this number will increase before school starts in mid-September through October. These are children of single mothers, are orphans, or their parents cannot send them to school without outside help (see some the kids below). All these kids are from my village of Babanki Tungo.
Ngong Jespa is 12 years old and a son of a single mother, Lustina, who is a farmer. At the age of about 10 months old, his parents left him with his brothers and sister who also were children to go to the farm. There was a big fire in the kitchen where the baby was sleeping set up to dry newly harvested corn (Imagine a flaming hot camp fire except inside a small building). While the parents were at the farm, the younger ones went off to play leaving baby Jespa alone in the kitchen with the blazing fire and heat. When they remembered to check on him, he was in the flames. They tried to drag him out of the fire but not being old or strong enough, they could not pull him out. They ran out, cried out to the neighbors for help. When the mother and father finally came home and rushed him to the nearest health Center which was miles away, he had sustained third degree burns. Unfortunately, Health Centers are not equipped to deal with such severe burns and his parents did not have money to take him to a better hospital for further treatment. The father died soon after, bringing any hope of helping Jespa to an apparent end. He has bravely attended school for the past six year and is in class 6 at C.B.C primary school Chucku. It will be wonderful to not only help him educationally but medically. If you know any doctors/organizations that might be interested in this case, please forward this to them or contact us through our website.
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Aliyu Miriamu is 13 with no arms. Her parents have managed to put her through elementary school in a special needs school where she has learned to use her toes to write and take care of her basic needs. Her father came to Plant A Seed for assistance with her secondary school education. In her father’s words, “I feel bad to drop this child from school. She will become useless and miserable”. She also needs a sponsor. |
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Asongwe Titus is 10 years old in Class 4 (4rd Grade). His father died a few years ago. Titus is a sickle cell patient which alone is costly for a single mother in Africa. He has three other siblings and his mother can only afford to keep one of them in school. Plant A Seed was able to keep Titus in school for the second consecutive year. |
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Shembom Solange: 18 years, form 4. She takes care of herself and her education. She came to Plant A Seed because she got in an accident on her way to buy goods for her small business. She sells small food items during the summer to pay for her school needs and also by participating in the Plant A Seed Youth Activities and Book Drive. Unfortunately, she got in a car accident at the beginning of the summer on her way to buy her merchandize. All the money she had for the business was used to pay her hospital bills. As a result of this accident, she not only lost her capital for business, but also she could not participate as a handball player at the Plant A Seed Youth Activities and Book Drive where she usually wins a cash price and takes home notebooks, pens, pencils and rulers to help with her expenses for the school year. She hopes you will help her through this year and possibly the years to come so she can complete her education and become an Accountant. |
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Firdawsi is 15 years old. She is an orphan and lives with her grandmother. We started helping Firdawsi in October, a month after the school year had started. One of our volunteers found her crying because all of her friends were in school and she wasn’t. In most village families, a girl’s education is not a priority. She is now in Form 2 thanks to those who donated last year. We hope you will help us keep her in school this year also. |
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Hassan Adulia: 12 years, class 5. Guardian: grandmother. Occupation: Farming |
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Wuwih Boris Bigah: 13 years, Form 1. Guardian: Auntie. Occupation: Farming |
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Phungeh Favour: 4 years, class 2. Guardian: mother. Occupation: PTA (PTAs makes less than $30 a month in the villages) |
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Maqondo Chia: 10 years, class 4. Guardian: mother. Occupation: Farming |
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Magmi Zita: 9 years, class 4. Guardian: sister. Occupation: Farming |
We are looking for individuals to sponsor and correspond with these kids. One year sponsorship for elementary school kids is $300 per kid per year or $25 a month; secondary school is $420 per kid per year or $35 a month. These are the two levels we focus on. High school is $600 and college is $1800 a year. All donations are highly appreciated and will help us break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities and hope for a better future and change in their lives and that of their families. Your help will also save the parents/guardians of every one of these kids money which they can use to buy food, clothes, medicine or support other members of their families.
An average, a family in my village makes less than $1 a day. Most households have to save for no less than three months to have $10. Say the harvest was good and they saved $20, they will have to spread this around. For instance: 5-10 notebooks (elementary school), a pair of uniform, a pen or pencil then use the rest of the year to try and make money for school fees ( $30 or more depending on the school). Some schools allow parents to pay the school fee in two or three installments but if they do not finish paying by February-March, the kid is sent home. After this has happened to a student a few times, most of them get frustrated and drop out thus ending their education. Other reasons kids drop out is because of a handicap, like the story of Miriamu born with no arms or the story of Ngong Jespa and Shebom Solange from an accident. It is amazing that these kids keep striving to achieve an education. They deserved your help. Please visit our website and click on the Donate button to help out these kids or Sponsor a Child from our list. Your help of any kind is greatly appreciated.
With Gratitude,
Ruth Akumbu
- Ruth Akumbu, Founder: Plant A Seed Planta_seed@yahoo.com
Friday, July 13, 2012
Hello friends and family, lots of news this month!
Plant A Seed Youth Activities and Book Drive is a yearly project which encourages, motivates and supports kids from poor families in Babanki Tungo, Cameroon.
My name is Ruth Akumbu, The Founder and CEO of Plant A Seed. I started Plant A Seed here in the USA after working with Seek Ye Multipurpose Group - Cameroon for 10 years as the Founder and CEO. Plant A Seed has been in existence since December 3, 2010 and is officially an exempt foundation under 501(c)3 of the internal revenue code. As a startup, our challenges are mainly financial, and that is why I am compelled to write and ask for your support for the Plant A Seed Youth Activities and Book Drive.
Plant A Seed Youth Activities and Book Drive is a yearly project we have sponsored for over 10 years which encourages, motivates and supports kids from poor families in the village of Babanki Tungo right before the school year starts. Plant A Seed hosts games and other activities (funding permitted) and at the end of the activities gives all participants note books, pens, pencils and cash prices that will go towards their education. Sometimes the parents participate and take home prizes for their young kids who are not old enough to take part in the games. This project typically sponsors 150-200 kids every year. News & Media for last year’s videos. Our #1 goal for 2012 is to provide note books, pens, pencils and cash prices to at least 200 kids. This day of activities gives the kids a chance to do something in exchange for what they are getting. It also gives them something fun to look forward to during the summer break. Equipping these kids with the necessities for school is the first step towards breaking the circle of poverty and illiteracy.
Our # 2 goal is to provide sponsorship for 10 kids. These ten kids are children of single mothers, are orphans, or their parents cannot send them to school without outside help. Over the past ten years, I have been able to keep one or two kids in school or start them off until someone else takes an interest and decides to sponsor one of them fully. I am looking for individuals to sponsor and correspond with these kids. Learn more about some of these kids and cost of yearly sponsorship on our page: Programs As of now, we need $1000 (an average of $100 per kid) for the year 2012-2013. This sum will provide notebooks, text books, pens, pencils, uniform and shoes for 1 year.
It is hard to put in writing how what we do impacts the lives of the kids, their parents and guardians. Every year at the end of the activities, parents come to my mother with food gifts and sometimes just to say, "Thank your daughter for us." Let me try to put this in perspective for you. An average family in my village makes less than $1 a day. A grade 7 student needs 17-24 notebooks, which is about $10. Most households have to save for no less than 3months to have $10. Say the harvest was good and they saved $20, they will have to spread this around. For instance: 10 notebooks, a pair of uniform, a pen or pencil then use the rest of the year to get money for school fee (no less than $30 depending on the school), maybe a pair of shoes at Christmas. It is no wonder that most kids do not go pass elementary school. This is a good image of what spreading very little looks like. The only thing that shows his a school kid is the blue uniform which is too big for him. His pant and shoes are his daily wear and possibly the only ones he has.
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| Songwe Titus | School supplies |
Songwe Titus is 9 years old in Class 3 (3rd Grade). His father died a few years ago. Titus is a sickle cell patient which alone is costly for a single mother in Cameroon-Africa. He has three other siblings. We had to step in and help him last year because his mother could not afford to keep both him and his brother in school.
Here is how you and I can Plant Seeds of Hope, Change and Opportunity together:
PS: Tipping point amount has been raised. Funds raised above the goal will be used to add the number of notebooks each student will be receiving or help pay school fees.
Plant A Seed will use these funds to:
The tipping point of $500 will enable me to host the day of activities and also provide 2-3 notebooks to 200 students.
When I reach my total goal of $2,000, I will not only be able to provide 3-5 notebooks, pens, and pencils for 200 students, host the day of games and activities for 250 children and parents, but I will also be able to sponsor 10 students for the school year. Above all, I will be able to keep Titus in school for one more year. Videos of last year’s activities can be found on our page: New & Media
Best Wishes,
Ruth Akumbu
- Ruth Akumbu, Founder: Plant A Seed Planta_seed@yahoo.com
Friday, June 1, 2012
Hello friends and family,
What do you do when you can’t sleep at 3 in the morning? Right now please walk with me…
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Cameroon 2002 |
Cameroon 2012 |
As many of you know, I left Cameroon in 2002 with a burning desire to help out these seven young girls among many other underprivileged in our communities. I look at these girls and my heart breaks into pieces. What have become of them? These were 12-15 year olds whose parents had no choice but to marry them off to the first suitor partly due to cultural aspects and partly because they could not afford to send them to secondary school. I weep for these girls not only because I could not afford to support at minimum wage while sponsoring our yearly sports program but also because they like must underprivileged girls, got married and had babies before they turned 18.
Why does this particular situation bother me so much? I remember at the age of 9 a girl in my class was pulled out of school and married off to a rich man who already had many wives. Also, at the age of 13 while I was packing my bags to go to secondary schools, my dear cousin was being carried away kicking and screaming into a marriage she had no say in. She was about 15yrs old. The memory of that night still hunts me. I couldn’t help them then no matter how bad I wanted to. So when I got the opportunity, I starting thinking of ways I could change the faith of as many as there are in my community and surroundings. In ten years, I was only able to help a few stay in school and help one almost through secondary school until a suitor came by. She was able to graduate secondary school at the age of 18, giving her a fighting chance in life. Even though we lost touch, I know whatever little seed I planted made a difference in her life but I hurt for the rest of them.
Now, look at the second picture above and see the little children in the photos. Some of these children belong to young girls like the girls in picture number one—girls who don’t have an opportunity, a chance, a real shot of making something of themselves. Many of these girls have never had someone tell them that they can be more. Now, look at the older kids in the picture. When I left Cameroon in 2002 they were the children I wanted so badly to help. In this picture most of them are at the Plant A Seed Youth Activities not for themselves but for their children. Thus goes the vicious circle. Children who bear children who turn around and bear children without much hope for what the future holds—a future they didn’t get. What will they pass on to their children? I pray that what breaks my heart will break yours…not only for the young girls but for all underprivileged kids.
Finally, picture a child, someone close to your heart. Now imagine him/her at 10 years of age. Now, imagine him/her 10yrs later. Ten years ago, I left Cameroon seeking for opportunities to help a generation of my friends’ and cousin’s kids from falling into the same dilemma as their mothers. Ten years into this journey, I am faced with the same dilemma but slightly different—it is not for my friends’ or cousin’s kids, but rather their grandkids. This time it cannot wait another 10 years. More so, it cannot wait one more month. Please join me and together we can break this circle:
You can donate online on our website or send a check to or send a check to:
Thank you so much for your support and for walking with me.
- Ruth Akumbu, Founder: Plant A Seed Planta_seed@yahoo.com
Friday, March 2, 2012
As was promised last month, a monthly report on the status of the team will be provided every month. February has been a pretty good month for YBFC and we hope that March will carry the same goodness. We ended the regular season of our first season in the top flight unbeaten. We are currently in the knockout phase where under hard struggle, we made it past the quarterfinal stage. We are poised to take on to the semifinals where we left off last year and hope to get past that into the finals and by the grace of the Almighty and our hard work, win the championship.
School started for many on the team and so far, everyone is doing fine. We haven't had any calls for concern in regards to players' education.
As for work, many have held on to the jobs that they acquired at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. Some of our players were workers at the set-up of the Academy Awards and though it was just temporary, it was an unforgettable experience. We applaud all who are making sure that they keep busy and also commend those who haven't been able to get something to try harder. We are also looking out for opportunities in which we can help one another. We have also been getting some responses from some of the people we gave out the t-shirts to and I am almost optimistic that by the end of April, we will have everything ready.
Last month, at the occasion where some of the team members performed, I can say it was a success as it came as a shock that a lot of the members are very talented.
This is the team situation as of February. While hoping that the PAS family is going well, we remain yours, YBFC
E. C. Mbonifor - Team Manager
Friday, February 2, 2012
Happy New Year (2012) to the Plant A Seed family. The New Year comes with good things as well as challenges. As for the challenges, our soccer team has seen a slight decline in performance as a result to the long holidays. We have tied four out of seven games and only won three in the new season. But we are doing our best to get back on top as we are looking to go pass where we ended last season.
Most of the players have started school and some who aren't taking winter classes should be starting the spring semester next month. To make up for our players who are away at school, we have recruited a few more players and will be doing the necessary adjustments to the roster in due time.
As regards to work, I am glad to say that more and more of our players are getting jobs. This is gradually eliminating "the idle family" which is very good. Many, though individually, will be attending a Cameroon Group occasion on Saturday the 28th where there will be youth talent showcase. Some members of YBFC will be participating in this showcase.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Happy Holidays Friends and Family!
As I watch CNN Heroes highlights, I think of every one of you. You are my heroes! I can’t imagine it has been a year since Plant A Seed came into existence thanks to you. Your listening ear, moral support, time, financial support, prayers and well wishes have not gone unnoticed. We have come a long way in a very short time.
If there is anything we can do for you please do not hesitate to contact us. We sincerely appreciate you. May you and your loved ones get all your heart’s desires this new year.
Best Wishes,
- Ruth Akumbu, Founder: Plant A Seed
Hello friends and family!
Thank you so much for your support, prayers and good wishes.
For your convenience, we have uploaded the video of PAS Youth Event in Cameroon on the website: www.plantaseedafrica.org. We are excited to announce that you can now order PAS T-Shirt for only a donation of $15 or more. Do not forget to order for your family members. Also attached are sample greeting cards and other items we are putting up in exchange for donations. With your support, together we will plant seeds of hope, change and opportunity in the lives of kids in Cameroon and hopefully India in the spring.
Here is a little inside to why I (Ruth) for one care so much. While in school in Cameroon-Africa, we use to love the quote, "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime". Our hope is that with your support, together we can give these kids the opportunity to learn how to fish for themselves down the road. The future of third world countries depends on it.
Please consider us your main charity. Your regular support is highly appreciated.
Thanks again. Sincerely,
- Ruth Akumbu
Friday, July 22, 2011
Plant A Seed Youth Event started on July 20th, 2011 in Sabga-Babanki Tungu and will run for the the next two weeks. Kids in the village will participate in games (especially cross country and soccer), workshops, and community service. At the end of the event, the winners will be given financial aid and supplies that go towards their education.
Our hope is to give our youth something fun, exciting and educational to do during the three months summer break. Please support this effort by making a donation.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Marquetry Construction Inc.
Friends and Family
Plant A Seed has the ultimate authority to use contributions made to us and will use the funds at our discretion for the purposes consistent with the exempt purpose.