Parishes in Cameroonian Catholic Archdiocese Urged to Use Donated Motorbikes to Reach Out to the Poor

“In most communities, most enclave communities, government structures are closing; the other NGOs that were here have withdrawn because of funding,” he said.

According to Njoh, strengthening Church structures and equipping them with appropriate resources can improve their ability to respond to communities that have endured hardship for years.

He also emphasized the importance of good governance and accountability in ensuring that the support provided to parish structures translates into effective service.

For beneficiary Priests, the motorbikes are expected to significantly improve access to remote communities and mission stations.

Fr. Jude, the Parish Priest of St. Joseph Quasi Parish, described the donation as “soul-lifting,” saying the topography of his parish makes some areas difficult to reach by car.

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“The bike is going to help us to reach mostly the difficult areas where we really have people in need,” he said.

The 12 motorbikes represent the pilot phase of a broader initiative. The Archdiocese of Bamenda has 72 parishes, but only 12 received motorbikes in the first phase.

Caritas Bamenda Director, Odette Nchanji Akebegho, said the beneficiary parishes were selected based on their demonstrated ability to mobilize resources and work collaboratively.

She explained that the initiative is directly linked to the implementation of the Provincial Pastoral Plan and is designed to strengthen parish social welfare commissions.

The project will also include capacity-building in areas such as safeguarding, good governance, accountability and resource mobilization.

Each beneficiary parish is expected to use the motorbike primarily for social welfare activities and to maintain proper records demonstrating its impact.

Akebegho said feedback and reporting from the 12 pilot parishes will be important in determining whether the project can be extended to other communities.

Parishes not included in the first phase have been encouraged to strengthen their social welfare commissions in preparation for possible future support.

Archbishop Nkea urged Caritas Bamenda to continue seeking initiatives that can make social welfare work “visible and credible” throughout the Archdiocese.