Grandfather partners to build safe, new home for family in Cameroon after tornado destroys grass hut

Photo: Pa Paul Njumbwen (center) with his grandchildren and leaders from The Fuller Center for Housing of Cameroon.

Grandfather partners to build safe, new home for family in Cameroon after tornado destroys grass hut

One of the best ways to illustrate the transformation of a family moving out of poverty housing conditions and into simple, decent housing is to share before and after pictures. In the case of Pa Paul Njumbwen, wife Mary and their four grandchildren ages 11 to 18, a before picture was rendered impossible when a tornado ripped apart the family’s grass hut while Pa was tending to his farm. Two of the grandchildren were injured.

For a man long known for helping others in his community through his volunteer work with the Baingo Baptist Church, it was devastating. The family set out — on foot with no shoes and torn clothing — in search of help. On the road, they met a staff member from The Fuller Center for Housing of Cameroon, who connected them with her church. The church found them a temporary place to stay and then Pa shared their heartbreaking story at Sunday services, after which a church member donated a plot of land and some gravel to help Pa and his family begin rebuilding their lives.

Pa then partnered with The Fuller Center to build a new home for his family, working with his children to produce blocks that would help form the home. He constantly surprised Fuller Center volunteers with his many skills on the construction site. After celebrating Christmas in the new home, the family now feels a sense of security in the new year.

“For many years after living in a single room with my grandchildren, I had long dreamed of one day having a comfortable house,” Pa said. “I thank The Fuller Center in the United States for making this dream a reality. And the devoted volunteers and team at Fuller Center of Cameroon are doing remarkable work.”

Of course, Pa will repay the costs of construction like all Fuller Center homeowner partners on terms he can afford, over time, with no interest charged and no profit made. He’s already gotten a head start thanks to a bountiful harvest on his farm.

“With the great harvest, I had to encourage the good work of The Fuller Center with a mortgage payment of three months in advance to enable other families to benefit from the program.”

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Cameroon is battling poverty and a violent insurrection movement in the north, as well as political unrest throughout. A prayer for peace is one of the requests country leaders submitted for our new Prayer Calendar. If you would like to see other prayer requests by Fuller Center covenant partners around the world and across the United States, visit our new Prayer Calendar at the link below:

Prayer Calendar