Minutes of the Kamerun Forum in Unterliederbach

Minutes of the Kamerun Forum in Unterliederbach dated 20 Januar 2004

1. The meeting is opened with a prayer and welcome of all
participants.
2. All participants introduce themselves briefly.
3. Stefan Hecktor gives a brief review on the history of
partnership between Djottin and Unterliederbach.
4. The events since summer 2003 - the leaving of
Ephriam Bam and Makelia Ngi - are focussed:

• E Mails with greetings from Ephriam Bam and Fr. Daniel Ache are read out
• Juan Andres report about the common internet homepage and technical
  facilities in Kumbo, especially in meanings of Internet and the first steps
  of the Printing and Communication Centre in Kumbo.
• Martina Ruhs reports, that Djottin parish has now two new parish priests:
  Fr. Jude and Fr. Andrew.
• Pastoral assistent Michael Ickstadt tells about communication with
  Makelia Ngi about setting up local male and female pastoral
  assistants in Kumbo.
• Andreas Mengelkamp gives a brief report about partnership issues in
  the Katholische Arbeitnehmer Bewegung (catholic workers association).
• In Kumbo elections for new parish pastoral councils were held as well.
  New - and old - chairman of the parish pastoral council in Djottin is
  Cornelius Tarbien.
• A report about letters between the mass server groups is given.
• It is reported about the efforts of the scouts, to strengthen their contact
  to Djottin scouts. According to reports of Fr. Stefan Diefenbach, who
  travelled to Kumbo again in October 2003, scouts in Djottin are structured
  in a very different way, especially structure of age is different.
• Trainees in the Eine-Welt-Gruppe (One-World-Group), who currently
  prepare for their confirmation, wrote a letter to our partners in Djottin.
  

5. Current projects:

• The dormitory project (sleeping facilities for youth close to the youth
  centre Kumbo) was supported in many ways. The works progress is
  good and extension plans were included already.
• As the current hillock vehicle of the youth team in Kumbo shows a lot
  of defects, it is planned to buy a new one. Financial support for this
  purchase was organised by Fr. Stefan Diefenbach, again with the
  three-wise-men campaign of the Päpstliches Missionswerk der Kinder
  (the pontifical missionary work of children). The funds raised in the
  three-wise-men campaign 2004 in Unterliederbach are in favour of this
  project as well.
• Currently biggest project is the Din water project in coordination with
  villages around. The project is supported in technical means now by the
  church of Kumbo. As the financial needs for this project are huge,
  Winfried Montz from Referat Weltkirche (world issues department) in the
  diocese of Limburg promised to look for supporting facilities at the
  Misereor association.
  

6. Future plans:

• a. Ms. Dr. Barth, doctor at the Höchst hospital, is about to travel to Kumbo
  for some weeks soon and asks for organisational support. The problem of
  AIDS/ HIV is focussed, which is again and again an issue in letters of our
  friends. The access to those information, which is useful for the people in
  Kumbo, is difficult, though some of them have access to the internet. One
  option could be a sound out of medical skilled people, who are able to find
  out useful material and spread it appropriately to target groups
  (e.g. by "radio browsing"). A hint to the partnership committee in Kumbo
  should be given accordingly.
• Marie Christin Petz from Unterliederbach plans a stay of some months in
  Kumbo, working in the medical area.
• Another journey of a Unterliederbach delegation to Kumbo is discussed for
  autumn 2004.
• In spring 2005 the world youth meeting takes place in Germany. A
  delegation of Kumbo youth plans to come to Germany then.
• It is discussed, to invite more friends to come to Unterliederbach/ Limburg
  in the year 2005. Various opportunities to raise financial funds for this issue
  are discussed. Among others Andreas Mengelkamp reports about financial
  supports, which could be given by the Katholischer Funds (catholic funds),
  München.
• Fr. Robert Tanto, former diocesan youth priest and partnership coordinator,
  plans to come to Germany for the spring project 2004. It is still open, if he
  can include a stay in Unterliederbach.
  

7. The meeting is closed with the Lords prayer.


Signed: Ulf Erdmann



Teilnehmer:

1. Christel Limbach, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
2. Martina Ruhs, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
3. Helma Schlesinger, Flörsheim-Wicker
4. Werner Schlesinger, Flörsheim-Wicker
5. Juan Andres, Pfarrgemeinderat
6. Dieter Pörtner, Verwaltungsrat
7. Andreas Mengelkamp, Vorsitzender Katholische Arbeitnehmer Bewegung
8. Maximilian Stephan, Praktikant Eine-Welt-Gruppe
9. Dennis Schermuly, Praktikant Eine-Welt-Gruppe
10. Franziska Wirjatijasa, Praktikantin Eine-Welt-Gruppe
11. Jessica Voß, Praktikantin Eine-Welt-Gruppe
12. Yasmin Radtke, Praktikantin Eine-Welt-Gruppe
13. Michael Ickstadt, Pastoralreferent
14. Margurit Assmann, Vorsitzende Pfarrgemeinderat
15. Regina Mohry, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
16. Bernhard Höfner, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
17. Marion Schermuly, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
18. Monika Syrbe, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
19. Stefan Hecktor, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
20. Josef Beder, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
21. Martin Günther, Eine-Welt-Gruppe
22. Dr. Michael Kimbi, Augenarzt, Kamerun und Familie
23. Matthias Thiel, Pfarrgemeinderat/ Jugend
24. Karin Andres
25. Dr. Angelika Barth, Ärztin Gynäkologie, Städtische Kliniken Höchst
26. Ulf Erdmann