Bunong e.V. was founded in 2017 with headquarters in Hamburg and consists of Cameroonian Banen whose goal is to promote the preservation and knowledge of local cultural heritage as well as development cooperation in Germany and abroad. Currently, our activities are concentrated on Cameroon (Banen regions). According to the statutes, the following areas comprise the work of Bunong e.V.:
– Getting to know, registering and bringing together all Banen living in Hamburg/Germany.
– Promoting the idea of unity, solidarity and mutual help among its members
– Promoting our cultural diversity and richness and spreading the Tunen language (through: Cultural exhibitions, equipping school libraries, annual excursions to Banen area (for the descendants of those Banen who migrated elsewhere in-country/abroad), etc.).
– Support, promotion and implementation of development projects in the Banen area (setting up and equipping computer centers, setting up and providing water/electricity supply, setting up and equipping health facilities as well as school facilities, setting up transportation and traffic safety, etc.).
– Support for Cameroonian Banen youth: employment placement, education and training scholarships, internship placement, etc.
– Formation of an action community of the Banen diaspora in Europe.
– Promote solidarity and unity among other communities that share the same goals.
We base our work on the principles of mutual respect and democratic decision making. Our offers are usually independent, holistic and aim to contribute to a sustainable improvement of the general living conditions of the local people. When creating our projects, we like to involve the beneficiaries by conducting on-site needs assessments, roundtable discussions with key decision-makers, and site visits. In this way, the funding concepts and projects are developed in a two-way exchange. During implementation, we work closely with the communities and generally employ craftsmen and companies from the respective region whenever possible.
Through our various activities, we want to support the efforts of the population or local governments in rural areas that lack infrastructure. In order for the projects to complement each other and benefit as many people as possible, our offerings must be global and open. Therefore, the work of Bunong e.V. is based on the long experience of its African members living in Germany, who regularly travel to their home country. These members already support their local families in many ways, but are themselves characterized by special educational backgrounds, which offers a variety of ways in which Bunong e.V. can make its contribution in a targeted and concrete way.
For example, parents and school authorities must also be involved in promoting education. In our view, parents should be supported in their educational work through information campaigns, outreach work and information events. In the long term, access to interest-free microcredits should be another means of promoting the economic strength of families (this program is not currently offered by Bunong e.V.).