Paul and Tagha

Author : Terry Leahy
Date added : 2003-09-24

Brief Project Background

PCI is the largest computer training and education center in Cameroon, Africa. The institute provides professional training in computing to students and business persons in Bamenda, Cameroon. PCI has a staff of 19 instructors and a student body of 380. Graduates of PCI are in great demand in the work force. It is a quality institute that operates on the adage: "Give a person a fish and he/she eats for a day. Teach them how to fish and the eat for a lifetime."

Paul Mickelson is a retired fire-fighter from Beloit, Wisconsin. In 1992 he accepted a Peace Corps assignment in Cameroon, West Africa. Upon completion of his Peace Corps assignment, Paul planned to return to the U.S. to enjoy his retirement. Paul however, had a deep desire to do more for the people of Cameroon. In 1997 he withdrew his retirement pension and opened PCI.

Tagha Emmaculate grew up in the small village of Oku located in the Northwest Province of Cameroon (West Africa). She was the oldest of six children. Her father died, and Tagha had to drop out of school for financial reasons.

Sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa, Cameroon is a West African country bordering on the body of water called the Bight of Biafra between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. In area, Cameroon is slightly larger than California with a population density of 86 persons per square mile compared to California with 218 per sq. mile. Forty-six percent of Cameroon's population is under the age of 15.

Cameroon unemployment is 30% overall and 40% in the 15 to 24 year old age category. It is 19th in the world in HIV prevalence as a percent of adult population having gone from 21 cases per 100,000 in 1991 to 1,950 cases in 1998. The average annual income in Cameroon is US$670.

Due to this economic situation, the World Bank has changed Cameroon's rating from Severely Indebted Middle Income Country (SIMIC) to Severely Indebted Low Income Country.

Things were not looking up for Tagha. In its report entitled "INC --- Gender profile: Cameroon" of March 2002, the Canadian International Development Agency Industrial Cooperation Program noted great disparities between rights and opportunities available to women. Nearly twice as many women as men are illiterate and women are severely disadvantaged by both cultural and political tradition.

The UNIFEM Biennial Report notes "Education is essential for improving women's living standards and enabling them to exercise greater 'voice' in decision-making in the family, the community, the place of paid work, and the public arena of politics. Basic literacy and other basic skills are absolutely vital to women's empowerment, and without the skills acquired in secondary education, women cannot obtain better paid employment."

Luckily for Tagha and for over 1,000 graduates, Paul Mickelson, a retired firefighter from Beloit, Wisconsin (USA), founded Paul's Computer Institute (PCI) in 1997 in Bamenda, Cameroon. Paul served in Bamenda with the Peace Corps from 1992-1995. When his tour in the Peace Corps ended, Paul returned to the U. S., but restlessness and the desire to make a difference drew him back to Bamenda. In 1997 he withdrew his life savings, returned to Cameroon, rented a building, purchased desks, chairs, office equipment, and a few used computers and opened the doors of Paul's Computer Institute. With a dream to provide access for Cameroonian young men and women to computer training, Paul envisioned a school built on an American technical educational model of open access and achievement measured by competency standards. Students range between 18 and 35 years of age. Seventy percent of the students are females. Livelihood opportunities in the computer world are the main objective of PCI.

Paul's Computer Institute teaches an 18-month long computer Hardware Maintenance Course and three and nine-month long Data Processing Courses. The Staff consists of 19 instructors, 2 Documentation employees, 3 "internet Café" employees, and 2 custodial employees. One employee is Microsoft certified in Word, and another employee is Microsoft certified in Excel and Access. A PhD oversaw the entire program until his recent death.

An active Board of Directors with members from both Cameroon and the U. S. guides "Friends of Paul's Computer Institute." Board members include individuals with educational, business, government, and military backgrounds. The Board obtains, provides, and oversees funding in excess of what tuition brings in.

Paul Mickelson, the founder, is in overall charge of Paul's Computer Institute. Paul lives in Cameroon about eight months a year, and returns to the United States twice a year to coordinate support for PCI. Paul was awarded a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship in 2001, and also in 2001 he was awarded The President's Medal from Beloit (WI) College honoring his efforts in Cameroon.

The situation for Tagha, however, was still bleak because of her financial problems. How could she afford the US$250 tuition?

In 2001, The Rotary Foundation, in conjunction with six Rotary Clubs, awarded "Paul's Computer Institute" a US$48,850 Matching Grant. Part of this grant was earmarked to pay for tuition and fees for someone like Tagha. She was interviewed by a selection Board and chosen as one of the recipients of a Rotary award for the nine-month Data Processing Course.

Results

In six years, Paul's Computer Institute (PCI) has grown from forty students and a staff of three to over three hundred and eighty students and a staff of twenty-six at two locations in Cameroon. Approximately 80% of PCI graduates obtain good jobs after graduating, and some students are asked to start working full-time before they even graduate! Each job in Cameroon can support between 20-30 people, so the effect PCI is having on Cameroon is noticeable. PCI graduates are probably supporting between 20,000 and 30,000 people.

Graduates are obtaining jobs with the government, in embassies, with companies, and with schools. Other graduates are starting their own computer-related businesses. Several graduates have gotten employment in other countries. One graduate went to the United States for a nine-month course, but was so well prepared by PCI that he finished the course in two months.
What about Tagha? How did she do?

Tagha graduated as the "Best All Around Student." Now she works for PCI in the Kumbo location where she is the Secretary. Tagha supports at least 7 people with her job. She credits PCI with giving her the technical skills needed to hold such a job.

With success stories such as these, it is easy to see how technical knowledge of computers helps alleviate poverty. Seldom were the technologies used at PCI the latest available. PCI works with donated, used computers from various organizations in the United States. The Rotary Foundation Matching Grant did enable PCI to purchase up to date test equipment, an LCD projector, a generator, a new computer for the office, and a copy machine. But just the knowledge of basic computers is enough to start someone on their way toward a meaningful life, as PCI is proving.

Lessons

How can others help the Tagha's of the world? In the case of Paul's Computer Institute, we've been blessed with a person, Paul Mickelson, who wants to make a difference in people's lives in Cameroon. His three years experience in Cameroon with the Peace Corps gave him this opportunity. When others in his hometown heard that he had spent his entire retirement savings on getting PCI started, people began to ask how they might help. It snowballed.

Rotary International has played a key part in all of this. The Rotary Club of Beloit (WI) USA started shipping books to Paul in 1993 while he was in the Peace Corps. The Club shipped 75 post office bags full of books --- enough for his school to start a library.

Once Paul started PCI, Rotary was still there --- waiting for the Taghas of the world to appear. The Rotary Foundation Matching Grant in 2001 was huge, and is still paying dividends. Twenty percent of the PCI applicants are turned away---a Discovery Grant from the Rotary Foundation in 2002 enabled two men to visit Bamenda to plan a new, larger building for PCI. A Humanitarian Transportation Grant from The Rotary Foundation was used in 2003 to send a 20-foot container full of books and other items to be given away in Cameroon. In total, we estimate that over a 10-year period
Rotarians have shipped goods to Cameroon with a value of approximately US$1.7 million. This includes used computers and used books.

Rotary International has Four Avenues of Service: Club Service, International Service, Vocational Service, and Community Service. For Rotary Clubs working with Paul's Computer Institute, they are working on three of the four Avenues of Service: International, Vocational, and Community. This is most unusual.

Another favorable thing about working with Rotary clubs is that each Rotarian fills a "classification" based on their vocation. The idea is to have Rotary members with various vocations. Thus, when we've had a problem come up there is likely to be a Rotarian who we can call on for help. This was of particular help when we needed to size a generator for PCI and could call on a member of the Rotary Club of Beloit who was a master electrician. Thirty other members of the Rotary Club of Beloit have helped in one way or another.

"Friends of Paul's Computer Institute" was set up shortly after PCI opened. This is a U. S. Internal Revenue Service 501©(3) organization giving tax write offs for United States citizens who contribute money or equipment to PCI. Being designated a 501©(3) is absolutely necessary for a project such as this.

There have been many challenges since PCI was founded. Probably the best method we have found to solve them is to remind ourselves, when we miss out on anything, that, as Paul says, "We never had it, so we didn't lose anything." And then we keep on trying.

One lesson we've learned is that Cameroonians don't need the latest equipment, in fact that could be a hindrance. Graduates who are hired for jobs in Cameroon will normally not be using the latest equipment, so we'd be doing students a disservice by teaching them on the latest equipment. This saves us a tremendous amount of money because we can simply send donated equipment. The donations are coming from United States schools and businesses that are upgrading their systems.

Another lesson we've learned is to hire our own graduates --- like Tagha. They know all about PCI and make excellent employees. Many of them could move to other higher paying jobs, but they prefer to remain at PCI because they feel they are making a bigger impact on people's lives.

Once a year, Paul brings a PCI staff member to the United States so they can see first-hand how technology is being used in the United States and so they can attend computer school here. This idea has been well received by the entire staff at PCI. The fifth employee is currently in the United States. Likewise, five U. S. Board members of "Friends" have been to Cameroon. There is a trust developing between the "Friends" Board in the U. S. and PCI in Cameroon that truly is helping the entire organization.

Each year, PCI issues an Annual Report. This report not only details the financial situation for PCI, but it also spells out the situation for each of the various departments. This includes enrollment, problems, etc. Detailing the "problems" gives the reader a good idea of what might be done to help PCI. One of these annual reports triggered the idea for the Rotary Foundation Matching Grant. Though it took almost a year to put the grant together, it has been very, very worthwhile. Just the generator alone continues to pay dividends as the power in Cameroon can only be described as "intermittent."

Donations of computer equipment and books destined for Cameroon are collected year round. They are stored in a locked room at a vacant mall at no cost --- courtesy of a Rotarian. Usually one container is shipped annually to Cameroon at a total cost of about US$12,000. The value of having someone like Paul at the receiving end of the shipment cannot be over emphasized. Paul helps get the shipment through customs and the goods to the proper destinations, and this is no small task.

Development Impacts

One lesson we've learned is that as you become more successful you outgrow your facility. In PCI's case, it is already in the largest building in Bamenda. Thus, we are in the process of building our own, new facility on 5 acres of land donated by the Fon of Mankon. It is located on the outskirts of Bamenda in a perfect location. The new facility will enable us to increase program enrollment, offer additional courses leading to a 2-year Associates Degree in Business, offer improved job placement services, and offer additional help for single parents and disabled students. It will also allow us to improve the evaluation and tracking of program results. The new facility will be about 20,000 sq. ft. and cost about US$200,000.

By having "Friends of Paul's Computer Institute" the legal owner, we expect to continue the Institute indefinitely. If Paul were to become incapacitated, others would be appointed to replace him and the school would continue.

In a few years, we fully expect to be teaching Tagha's children at Paul's Computer Institute!

Project Information

Organisation : Friend's of Paul's Computer Institute
URL : http://www.pcifriends.org
Total budget in US$ : $80,000
Country of activity: Cameroon [CM]

Contact Information

Terry Leahy
Terence.Leahy@raymondjames.com
2659 Chatsworth Drive, 53511 Beloit, Wisconsin, USA
+1-800-209-2616

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