Star of Hope Foundation community gathering

Star of Hope

Star of Hope Foundation — ASEED · Ngaoundéré, Cameroon

"Your hands, even empty, tighten them."

Back from Papua New Guinea (Oceania), where she spent several years in the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate, Sister Carine, sensitive to the suffering of children in distress and victims of insecurity, decided to settle in Ngaoundéré, where she founded the Association For Children in Difficulty of Care (ASEED) — to give life and hope to orphans and abandoned children from the most underprivileged backgrounds.

What we do

Fields of action

Six areas of work carry the foundation's mission forward, each grown from what the children and the wider community need most.

Social Action
Actions accomplishedOrphanage, humanitarian campus
Future projectsSocial and charitable services, center for disabled people, counseling center
Social Action at Star of Hope
Promotion of Women and Family
Actions accomplishedDaycare, support for young mothers
Promotion of Women and Family at Star of Hope
Education
Actions accomplishedNursery and elementary school
Future projectsMiddle school, boarding school, vocational training
Education at Star of Hope
Health
Actions accomplishedHealth center, school infirmary
Health at Star of Hope
Projects and Development
Actions accomplishedIncome-generating activity (IGA)
Future projectsCooperative, projects, support staff
Projects and Development at Star of Hope
Culture, Sports and Recreation
Actions accomplishedCultural center, sports and fitness
Children playing at Star of Hope Bilingual Primary
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Sister Carine Mbazo'o Engo

Founder, Star of Hope Foundation
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My name is Carine. I was born on March 3, 1976, in Mekomo-Ambam, in southern Cameroon. I am the fourth of eight children born to Engo Obiang Théophile and Mengue m'Eke'e Marie.

I entered the convent in 1994 in Ambam, in the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (PIME). I took my first vows on October 1, 2001, in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Then, in 2003, I trained as a nurse in Garoua. In 2005 I left for Italy, then travelled to England, Hong Kong, and finally Papua New Guinea.

In 2013, returning for vacation from New Guinea, where I had taken my perpetual vows in 2010, I learned of the reality of children in need in Cameroon, and I chose to stay with them to help them, remembering my own difficult childhood. I founded the Association for the Care of Children in Need, abbreviated in French as ASEED, which became the Star of Hope Foundation in 2014, where I still work today.

Objectives and Strategies

General objective
The major objective of ASEED is to contribute to the sustainable improvement of living conditions and the integral development of children in need.

Specific objectives

  • To support accommodation and food for needy children
  • To promote education and school follow-up for needy children
  • To promote child and maternal health
  • To promote the socio-professional development of underprivileged children and young people
  • To promote family and social reintegration of street children and those in need
  • To promote mutual help and solidarity between members of ASEED, and with other development actors more broadly

Strategies

  • Accommodation and nutrition of children in difficulty
  • School sponsorship
  • Facilitation of access to basic health care
  • Vocational training for underprivileged youth
  • Creation of a community field
  • Collaboration with national and international charity organisations
  • Nursery

Organization and key partners

The association is governed by an executive board elected by a General Assembly. It brings together people of good will, regardless of gender or religion, from various cultures and all social levels.

FounderSr Carine Mbazo'o Engo
Areas CoordinatorMr. Agbor Brinsley
AdvisorsDr. Max Lessle, Hadja Koulsoumi, Hadja Asta Djam, Atyi Martial
Financial DirectorMr. Kennedy Ntchinda
CashiersManie Rachel, Kepmoha Raphael
General SecretaryMrs. Mekila Nerie

Key partners

  • Dr Max Lessle
  • Foundation "The Hearth of the Hand" (Canada)
  • Miss Lucie Dabadji
  • Association "Hope for Africa"
  • Gruppo Africa Val di Scalve ONLUS
  • P. Paulin Neme

Contacts

Baladji 2, in front of the Alliance Française, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon — Office of Management