Excellence Award

Platforms of Excellence is an initiative of Mr. and Mrs. ABWE DIABE aimed at supporting highly performing but needy pupils and students in Cameroon and around the world. The initiative was launched in 2015 in collaboration with the ministries of basic education and secondary education in Kupe/Muanengouba- division the origin of the couple. Since then, more than ten academic institutions notably in Kupe/Muanengouba and 200 individual students in typical rural settings have benefitted from bursaries and scholarships. Temporary suspension was imposed on the initiative in early 2017 by the armed conflict that displaced thousands of civilians in north and south west regions of Cameroon (the zone). The improving security situation in the zone has allowed schools to reopen albeit timidly. Platforms of excellence intends to relaunch the scheme during 2020/21 academic year.

Areas of intervention and modus operandi:

- Schooling support to highly performing pupils and students: Platforms of excellence works with schools in rural areas and with representatives/ authorities of basic and secondary education to identify talented and highly performing male and female pupils and students. Provide minimum schooling support(scholarships) to the same. Identifies subject matter experts in urban areas and the diaspora and links them up with the students for coaching, guidance and other schooling support.

An Additional Point

- Facilitate on-the job refresher trainings for teachers and other staff of nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary sectors-still in collaboration with local authorities,

- Identify local economic startups and provide minimum support including tailored micro loans,

identify willing economic operators in urban areas and the diaspora and link them up with the local startups for guidance, coaching and other support. Platforms of excellence has since increased membership by accepting over 20 willing sons and daughters of Cameroon living at home and abroad-most of them subject-matter experts and high-profile professionals in a wide-range of disciplines spanning from surgery, optical physics, aeronautics, economics, management, leadership and conflict prevention to other scientific fields.