Dreams are the blueprints of tomorrow—build wisely! | Echoes from the Bafoussam 2025 Student Symposium - Meli Ngouanfouo Ange Joyce

Regional Program Coordinator, Emmanuel Ngolefac and Meli

I had the privilege of joining the Students Symposium Bootcamp 2025, organized by Open Dreams Educational NGO in the West Region of Cameroon.

Two days of pure inspiration—each speaker lighting up the flame of hope, vision, and impact.

Some key takeaways from brilliant minds in the room:

Neba Ambe A. - B.Sc., MIP, MA. (Commonwealth Scholar) – “A scholarship application is not a lottery ticket—it is the blueprint of your future, written with the ink of your past, and presented to those who invest in architects of change.”

Joyce Ngaha (Founder of Safe Space, University of Oxford) – Success is not just for the first in class, but for the determined, consistent, and persistent.

 Afopezi moses (Founder of AgricFresh, Skolarr App Lead) – Build your personal brand, network wisely, and remember that collaboration is better than competition.

Blessing Lum (Founder of Date with Triumph, Mastercard Foundation Scholar) – Use the STAR Method (Situation – Task – Action – Results) to shape your personal story.

 Toulack Kingsley (Chevening Scholar, author of “After the GCE, What Next?”) – Shared wisdom every student needs.

Maikem Victorine (University of Toronto) – The power of ACES (Academics – Community – Extracurriculars – Story) as a roadmap to success.

I also had the humbling honor of sharing my journey—how previous symposiums shaped me, how I was shortlisted by Urega Foundation in 2024, and above all, reminding my peers to dream bigger, stay consistent, and work hard.

Grateful to James Akaba , EMMANUEL NGOLEFAC , Harmony NGAFEESON ,Ndeh Irene Mawanu Neh , Pamela Azanfouet (Founder of Nkangtech), Blaise Buma , Cristina Bernardo , Hans Kullberg and the Open Dreams Educational NGO family for making this possible.

This was more than a bootcamp—it was life-transforming. I left with renewed passion, clarity, and commitment to impact.

To everyone: surround yourself with inspiring people, seek knowledge, and never stop building your blueprint for tomorrow. The future belongs to those who dare to dream and act.

Let’s connect and grow together! - By Meli Ngouanfouo Ange Joyce

Footnote: Special Thanks to Patron, Christman Harmony NGAFEESON

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