September 18, 2019
Mama Debora WARA was born to DavidNdeAvwomtom and Bih RebeccaAvwomtom on August 20th 1945 in Mankon, Cameroon.
Her father, Pa DavidNdeAvwomtom was the first catechist of Presbyterian Church, Azire , Mankon. Our grand father could read « Mungaka » and asone of the early Christians in Cameroon, grandpa raised his children in the fear of the Lord. Our grandmother, Nimo Bih RebeccaAvwomtom was a peasant farmer and a devoted wife and mother. Together our grandparents had four children, with our mother, the youngest of them all.
As a young girl, Mama attended School at Presbyterian School Azire, Mankon. On completing Primary school, Mama passed both the Standard 6 Certificate Examinations and the Entrance Examination into Queens College, Lagos, Nigeria . Due to the poverty of her parents, she could not attend that college.
Mama who had a passion for Nursing , then passed the EntranceExamination and enrolled in the Banso Baptist Hospital (BBH)Nursing /Midwifery School in Kumbo, Bui Division. After two years of training,Mama qualified as a Grade 1 Midwife.
While working as a Midwife in the Bamenda General Hospital, in the early 60s, she met and married our father, Dr.Ben Fru WARA. Together they bore seven children : five girls and two boys.
As we were growing up , Mama still pursued her education and sat in for the GCE Ordinary Levels . She took care of her family and stayed up at night to study and pass all her exams. She got admitted into the Bamenda Nursing and Midwifery School where she qualified as a State Registered Nurse(RN) in 1982.On completing this course Mama joined our father in Yaoundé, where she worked as a state Registered Nurse in Central Hospital Yaoundé for several years.
In 1985, Mama participated in the United Nations Conference on Women's Rights in Nairobi, Kenya. Her participation at this conference helped raise awareness of Women’s Rights, in her community at large. A novelty in our society. Mama advocated fearlessly for girls to attain higher education and earn a living. She also worked with preventive medicine where she educated the rural population on birth control and the prevention of infectious diseases and STDs. She also traveled as a business woman buying and selling jewelry, fabric, clothes and shoes.
During those years she ran for and won the elections as one of the councilors in the Bamenda Urban Council. A woman very actively involved in the well being of her community.
Mama did not stop at educating only her own biological children, no, she helped educate some of her nieces and nephews. As recent as July 2019 in spite of her failing health, Mama still carried on with her responsibility of sending school fees to the children she was still sponsoring back in Cameroon. She even organized neighborhood meetings where she taught local women housekeeping skills, home economics and money management techniques.
On July 27th 1990, Mama was involved in a road traffic accident between Bamenda and Yaoundé that was to change her life forever! As a result of this accident she became bound to a wheelchair.
This did not stop her resilience though. She still went back to work until her retirement when she returned to run her home back in Bamenda. She continued cheering on her children, supporting her husband till she moved out to the United States. Even there her impact was still felt in the lives of everyone she got in touch with. Just ask her grand children!
Her will to give back did not stop as she decided to start a foundation to help the disabled back home. A mission dear to her heart, which was interrupted by ill health and eventually her passing away.
She is survived by a husband, seven children, 20 grandchildren, one great grand on the way and hundreds of broken hearts. Never far from God, keep doing what you love best: singing with the angels. Forever in our hearts, rest in perfect peace , Woman of Substance!
Her father, Pa DavidNdeAvwomtom was the first catechist of Presbyterian Church, Azire , Mankon. Our grand father could read « Mungaka » and asone of the early Christians in Cameroon, grandpa raised his children in the fear of the Lord. Our grandmother, Nimo Bih RebeccaAvwomtom was a peasant farmer and a devoted wife and mother. Together our grandparents had four children, with our mother, the youngest of them all.
As a young girl, Mama attended School at Presbyterian School Azire, Mankon. On completing Primary school, Mama passed both the Standard 6 Certificate Examinations and the Entrance Examination into Queens College, Lagos, Nigeria . Due to the poverty of her parents, she could not attend that college.
Mama who had a passion for Nursing , then passed the EntranceExamination and enrolled in the Banso Baptist Hospital (BBH)Nursing /Midwifery School in Kumbo, Bui Division. After two years of training,Mama qualified as a Grade 1 Midwife.
While working as a Midwife in the Bamenda General Hospital, in the early 60s, she met and married our father, Dr.Ben Fru WARA. Together they bore seven children : five girls and two boys.
As we were growing up , Mama still pursued her education and sat in for the GCE Ordinary Levels . She took care of her family and stayed up at night to study and pass all her exams. She got admitted into the Bamenda Nursing and Midwifery School where she qualified as a State Registered Nurse(RN) in 1982.On completing this course Mama joined our father in Yaoundé, where she worked as a state Registered Nurse in Central Hospital Yaoundé for several years.
In 1985, Mama participated in the United Nations Conference on Women's Rights in Nairobi, Kenya. Her participation at this conference helped raise awareness of Women’s Rights, in her community at large. A novelty in our society. Mama advocated fearlessly for girls to attain higher education and earn a living. She also worked with preventive medicine where she educated the rural population on birth control and the prevention of infectious diseases and STDs. She also traveled as a business woman buying and selling jewelry, fabric, clothes and shoes.
During those years she ran for and won the elections as one of the councilors in the Bamenda Urban Council. A woman very actively involved in the well being of her community.
Mama did not stop at educating only her own biological children, no, she helped educate some of her nieces and nephews. As recent as July 2019 in spite of her failing health, Mama still carried on with her responsibility of sending school fees to the children she was still sponsoring back in Cameroon. She even organized neighborhood meetings where she taught local women housekeeping skills, home economics and money management techniques.
On July 27th 1990, Mama was involved in a road traffic accident between Bamenda and Yaoundé that was to change her life forever! As a result of this accident she became bound to a wheelchair.
This did not stop her resilience though. She still went back to work until her retirement when she returned to run her home back in Bamenda. She continued cheering on her children, supporting her husband till she moved out to the United States. Even there her impact was still felt in the lives of everyone she got in touch with. Just ask her grand children!
Her will to give back did not stop as she decided to start a foundation to help the disabled back home. A mission dear to her heart, which was interrupted by ill health and eventually her passing away.
She is survived by a husband, seven children, 20 grandchildren, one great grand on the way and hundreds of broken hearts. Never far from God, keep doing what you love best: singing with the angels. Forever in our hearts, rest in perfect peace , Woman of Substance!