NNANE Anna NTUBE

“If your child grows up in Kumba, there is a slim chance that he or she will succeed. Kumba is
not a place to raise a child.” I grew up with these thoughts. It is common to say that young
people in Kumba often find pleasure in idleness rather than purpose in education.
As the last child in a family of 4, I saw my three siblings drop out of high school without any
significant achievements. This wasn’t a result of my parents' financial challenges, but the
sociocultural context. Growing up, I have seen parents lament the future of their children in an
increasingly challenging economic society. This gave me the push to not give up on my dreams
to become the first in my family with an advanced-level certificate and to make my parents,
especially my mother, proud.
I left the toxic environment of Kumba at the age of 7 to live with my elder sister in Foumban, in
the West region of Cameroon. There, I noticed a clear contrast between students in Foumban and
those in Kumba. This kept me thinking of the different ways students in Kumba could resist
negative peer pressure and concentrate on their studies. At 15, I returned to Kumba and lived
with my mother, who struggled with her plantain business at the Kumba Market. I would go to
school in the morning, and after school hours, I would rush to the market to help her. On
weekends, I would volunteer at the Ocean City radio station as a presenter on the youth
program—Generation X. I found fulfillment in studying and helping my mother make means for
me and my two brothers. When I had my Advanced-Level certificate in 2008, my mother was the
happiest woman in the world. Her happiness motivated me to continue with my education.
After I had enrolled at the university, my dream changed from simply excelling at school to
making teaching and learning a lifestyle. A year later I got into the Higher Teachers’ Training
College-Yaounde, where I pursued my dream of becoming a teacher. Being a teacher has been
one of the most fulfilling achievements in my life. Through this profession, I am in constant
communication with students. I help improve students' literacy skills through book clubs and
read-aloud activities, enhancing their personal and professional growth. This explains my
motivation to join the Open Dreams community. The energy, passion, and talent in this
community are not only contagious but transformative.
As I continue on this path, I open my mind to many possibilities to grow my leadership skills in
education in order to reach out to as many students in low-resource areas as possible.