NOMA convenes in Houston on technological advancement

When the National Organization for Manyu Advancement (NOMA) was formed in 2001, its founding fathers had one vision; to foster collective leadership in the sustainable socio-economic development of Manyu Division.

Thirteen years later NOMA’s Vision still holds true now more than ever. In this day and age when an average teenager in the USA has a smartphone, X-BOX 1 or PS4, iPad or tablet, and two computers in their room, and an African teenager in a computer science class can barely hope for 10-15 minutes at a school computer Lab.

When an average expectant mother in the USA has to decide on the number of 3-D sonogram baby pictures or video to share on Facebook, an average expectant mother in African considers herself lucky to live and obtain prenatal care within a 100-mile radius of a licensed Ob/GYN or near a clinic with a functioning fetal monitor or at least the appearance of one.

As Cameroonians in the diaspora, and well-wishers from around the US meet in Houston, TX in July 25 and 26th, 2014 at the Hotel Preet (11050 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074), for the NOMA Changing Lives Through Technology Convention, their goal will be to teach/learn, network, workshop and raise funds to equip the NOMA Center into an ultra- modern technology. To enable the center to operate and function to its full capacity; integrate technology in the life of an average resident of Mamfe in particular and Manyu Division in general.

Foreseeing the importance and dependence of modern societies on technology, the Board of Director of NOMA USA voted and established the NOMA Community Center (NOMA-Center). The Center located in Mamfe, Manyu-Division Cameroon, is a modern structure completed in mid-2013 and is currently equipped with business center.

The NOMA Center is an anchor project of NOMA-USA. The objective and goal of building the center as vision by the NOMA-USA members, is that of a technology center, a hub for long distance learning, medical diagnosis and consultation, among medical personnel in Mamfe other son/daughter of Cameroonians practicing the same field in diaspora.

Manyu is a division of Southwest Region of Cameroon. Administratively, it is divided into 4 sub-divisions namely, Mamfe central, Akwaya, Upper Bayang and Eyumojock. Manyu Division covers an area of 9,565 km² larger than the state of Delaware (6,452 km²). 100,000 of 177,389 as the 2001 census live Mamfe the capital city. There are less than five computer science teachers/technicians in the four government secondary/high schools with a combined student population of approximately 4,500.

People who own personal computers can fill only a regular church pew. Life serving medical equipment such as defibrillators and dialysis machines are a luxury reserve only for those who can afford to travel the 137.8 mile (222km), (3h 12 minute by private vehicles) to Shisong hospital, Kumbo, the closest city in Southern Cameroon equipped with such technology.

NOMA-USA is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) in Cameroon. In the USA, NOMA is a non-profit organization with 501(c) (3) status granted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For more information on NOMA, please go to www.nomamanyu.org. Changing Live through Technology the vision continues.