30

Dec. ’13

     

Late Pa Yong

In Success Stories today, we talk about Mr. Yong Francis, an educationist. This man is a veritable visionary and giant in the educational arena in English-speaking Cameroon. He is a self-made man, who, from the most humble beginnings, has risen to the summit by creating and offering educational opportunities to others. He goes down in history as the man who has made the greatest contribution in educational development in English-speaking Cameroon.
Mr. Yong has spent his whole life creating and building schools. Thanks to his efforts millions of young men and women, whose lives might have been wasted, have had the opportunity to acquire an education. Today, they work gainfully in various sectors of life making a great contribution to nation-building. Some of them have risen to prominent positions.
No one can say if Pa Yong, as he is fondly called today, knew where he was heading to when he made his humble beginnings almost half a century ago. Deprived by financial constraints of the opportunity of acquiring a formal general secondary education himself, he never allowed himself to wallow in self-pity and resignation. He opted for what was affordable: becoming a typist. How he must have admired and envied his more fortunate mates who gained admission into prestigious secondary schools in those days! However, as it turned out, God had a better plan for him. He was destined to teach his fellow compatriots that ‘many roads lead to Rome’; that what matters in life is not where you are but what you do where you are.
Indeed, Mr. Yong’s decision to learn typing and take up a career in the field turned out to be the wisest decision of his life. After his studies, he gained a Government job as a typist. Then, he had the wonderful vision of offering other less favored children the same opportunity that he had had. He created a Typing Institute. It did not take long for him to realize he was onto a big dream. His was a wise decision. There was an influx of young boys and girls into his institute. Soon, the number of students was overwhelming. He moved a step higher by making it a commercial college. Even here, the numbers were overwhelming. He created similar colleges in Bambui and his home village, Anyajua. It has been a wonderful success story.
Mr. Yong has not ended at secondary level. He has been in higher education for years. He owns the leading polytechnic in English-speaking Cameroon-National Polytechnic Bambui, where thousands of young people from Cameroon and abroad have a wonderful opportunity in a unique setting to acquire sound, usable technical education.
By and large, Mr. Francis Yong is making an immeasurable contribution in the educational sector in Cameroon. He knows the man-power needs of the nation and the times and goes for the kind of education that will satisfy them. Hence, he has also created a school for the training of medical staff to contribute to close the gap that exists in that sector.
There is no way we can talk of education in Cameroon without the name Francis Yong. Millions of young people have been able to find a stand in life because they had the low-cost opportunity to acquire an education in one of his schools – The Yong Educational Establishments.
This man is a genius. There are many Cameroonians who have gone to the best universities at home and abroad specializing in education and have excellent qualifications in that field; but they are still to make a contribution equal to that of Mr. Yong in the development of education in Cameroon. His vision, courage, hard work, faith, persistence and perseverance have carved out a unique place for him in the history of Cameroon’s education. His footprints are already on the sands of time.

 

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By Fai Cassian Ndi   Bobe Yong Francis (Pa Yong) the departed Hero The last days of 2013 have ended up as the darkest in the life of the people of the North West Region. This is so due to the fact that the morning of December 30, 2013 was that of sadness as news break loose announcing the passing to eternity of Bobe Yong Francis (Pa Yong). Bobe Francis Yong died in Atlanta-USA after a protracted illness. Bobe Francis Yong commonly known as Pa Yong remains a household name in Cameroon in the domains of sports, education and communication. It is for this reason that North West Governor Adolph Lele Lafrique visited his family compound in Bamenda to condole with the family today. Pa Yong Francis according to what we gathered traveled to the United States of America for routine medical checkup some months ago. It is alleged that a day ago, he suddenly developed intestinal problems that finally took his life. The passing away of Pa Yong is a great lost to Cameroon, the North West Region and the people of Kom as a whole. It should be noted that Bobe Yong Francis (Pa Yong) is founder and President of the 2013 Cameroon Cup winners Yong Sport Academy (YOSA) and owner of many colleges across the North West region such as K.C.H.S. Anyajua, C.H.S. Bambui, P.C.H.S Mankon, and the National Polytechnic Bambui. Besides, he is also the proprietor of a local TV channel-CNTV and a commercial radio known as Abakwa FM. Writing from the US, Boh Herbert likened Bobe Yong Francis to the Biblical Abaraham. To Boh Herbert, “....He earned every ounce of the name "Pa Yong". For sure, he was the head of his family and "Pa" to them, but he was also, indeed, in the image of the biblical Abraham - a father to a multitude of children, as countless as the sands on the seashore. Most especially, he earned the title "Pa" because of the concern and love he showed to all, especially the very young and tender students that hundreds of thousands of parents entrusted to his care and his wisdom to mould into educated and cultured Cameroonians and responsible adults....." This tribute from Boh Herbert tells the story of the man who departure will touch families, homes and cast doubts on the future of many young Cameroonians. However, it should be recalled that Pa Yong’s mother died some three to four months ago and the corps is still in the mortuary. Speculations as to whether it would be Bobe Yong Francis or the mother that would be buried first abound high in the North West Region.