Our Mission
Cameroon Children’s Ministry is a non-profit, faith based organization whose purpose is to reach orphaned children in Cameroon Africa with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This will be accomplished by ministering to the spiritual, physical and educational needs of the children; leading them to become disciples of Jesus Christ, having the assurance of eternal life. By God’s grace, we will help equip each child with a skill or trade that will allow them to support themselves and, in turn, help others in their community.
History
The ministry was started by Henry Tita and his wife Emma. They both are from Cameroon and moved to the United States to pursue a degree at Bob Jones University. Once they graduated, they returned to Cameroon because they felt God was calling them to help with the AIDS epidemic in their village. Henry and Emma began to take in as many orphans as they could. Once they got up to 30 kids, they couldn't provide what each child needed. They found loving environments for each child, and then moved to the United States with their four biological children to start a nonprofit ministry to care for even more orphans.
The Process
Family is very important in the Cameroon culture and for that reason, many orphans stay with their closest relatives. Often, the related family cannot afford to care for themselves, let alone another child. When CCM recognizes a child as an orphan, they speak with the caretakers about inviting the child into the program. Once the caretaker agrees, the child is taken to the city (about a two hour drive) and given a full physical and HIV/AIDS test. CCM then buys the appropriate medicines needed for the child (if any) and returns the child to his home along with fresh food, clean water, and clean clothes. Every week, CCM representatives visit the homes of each orphan to check in on how things are going and provide needed food, water or clothing. If the child gets sick, the CCM representative will bring the child to the hospital, and buy his or her needed medication. Two to three times a week, the children are picked up (or walk themselves) for a Bible study led by a CCM representative. The children are given the opportunity to ask questions, read from the Bible and share what they have been learning. If the child is ready for school, CCM speaks with the local elementary school, gets the child enrolled and then pays the school directly. The child is tested and then placed into the appropriate grade level. There are six levels the child needs to complete. Once the child graduates, CCM provides the option to become an apprentice under a master in the trade the student chooses. Some of the more popular trades are carpentry, sewing, and plumbing. Once the apprenticeship is done, the young adults are ready to find a job, support themselves or a growing family.
CCM Representatives
Fred, Michael, Dahiru, and John are the men who are running the program in Cameroon. All four are overseen by the CCM Board located in the US. Henry returns to Cameroon once a year.
The Kids
Currently, CCM supports students in primary school (up to age 12) and subsequent trade school training. There are hundreds of other children who would like to be accepted into the program, but CCM does not have the funds to even consider processing them yet. CCM's goal is to get to a point where every orphan has a home, food, water, and is going to school and learning about Christ.