During celebrations in Buea marking the fifth anniversary of the Chicago-based not-for-profit organization, Wholesome Health Promotion (WHP), its founder and Board Chair, Terese Tande, took time out to honor the donors who have made WHPS projects possible thanks to their generosity.

In her anniversary address, Terese Tande revealed that when WHP was created in 2016, the success of the venture was not assured. She recall that she “was reminded on many occasions that philanthropy was not part of our Cameroonian culture and that no one would give their hard-earned money or time to a project that did not benefit them directly.”

Terese Tande was proud that the skeptics had been proven wrong as Cameroonians from all walks of life have donated to the organization:

These individuals have shown that when there is transparency and accountability, and when the results are there for all to see, Cameroonians will unconditionally dedicate their time, expertise and resources to help those who truly want to make their communities better.

The WHP founder specifically highlighted the critical role that Cameroonians in the Diaspora have played in WHP’s success, praising them for wholeheartedly embracing all WHP projects, beginning with the first Food Safety workshop in Buea in 2017.

WHP donor plaque at the Buea Regional Hospital

Terese Tande also discussed the key lessons that she has learned in the last five years, namely, “that Integrity, transparency and accountability all lead to legitimacy and trust; that personal determination and resilience opens the most unlikely doors; and that having a good team leads to collective success. And I have also learned that we should not allow our doubts to hold us back in whatever we want to do.”

She concluded her address by calling for communal solidarity to uplift local communities:

You do not need to be rich, powerful or politically-connected to help your community What matters most is our ability to pool our small resources to effect change – This is what President George Herbert Bush referred to as “a thousand points of light…. spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good… Let each of us go forth and be a point of light that brightens out communities; Let each of us go forth and be the change we wish to see in our communities.

WHP Founder and Board Chair, Terese Tande, speaking to the media during the unveiling of the borehole and water tank at the Buea Regional Hospital.