Water for Cameroon (WfC Ireland) 

Enhancing Public Health through Access to Safe Drinking Water 

The arrival of Water for Cameroon (Ireland) at our Bankim campus was a major turning point in ACOHOF’s modern history. It completely reshaped our infrastructure, thanks to the inspiring leadership and tireless commitment of Mr. Michael Toolan and Sr. Serophine. By financing and building a high-capacity, hand-dug campus well, this partnership quickly ended severe water shortages for more than 140 Internally Displaced Children (IDPs) and hundreds of families in the surrounding area. At the same time, the real value of this partnership goes far beyond water on its own—it has created a multi-layered, systemic impact.

The End of Waterborne Health Crises: 

Before Mr. Toolan and Sr. Serophine stepped in, our displaced students and host families relied on unsafe, shallow water sources, resulting in widespread outbreaks of typhoid, amoebiasis, and chronic dysentery. Today, because of the clean water supply and the widespread use of biosand filters, waterborne illnesses are virtually nonexistent on our campus. As a result, our children stay healthy, thrive, and remain consistently in class.

Improving Education and Safety for the Girl-Child: 

Bringing a reliable, high-volume water source directly to the school removed a heavy traditional burden from our students’ shoulders—especially young girls. Instead of spending dangerous early mornings or late evenings walking long distances to carry heavy containers from remote streams, our children can now use that time for learning, rest, vocational training, and play.

Building Agroecological and Nutritional Self-Reliance: 

Through WfC Ireland’s targeted training workshops on drip irrigation, ACOHOF connected the new water infrastructure directly to our Family Farm School agricultural plots. This technical link enables our students to grow high-yield vegetable crops year-round, even during the dry season, when conditions are harsh. It has significantly strengthened food security on campus and ensures that our children enjoy fresh, highly nutritious, farm-to-table meals every day.

Mr. Michael Toolan’s Gift of Economic Empowerment: 

Rather than settling for temporary charity, Mr. Toolan pushed for long-term vocational independence for our foundation. By providing ACOHOF with specialized steel molds and hands-on technical training, he equipped us with the ability to manufacture concrete bio-sand water filters on our own. This has helped establish a dynamic social enterprise within our school, giving our young people practical, highly marketable skills in engineering, plumbing, and public health sanitation.

Sr. Serophine’s Plan for Cultural Harmony and Community Healing: 

Acting as our on-the-ground guiding presence, Sr. Serophine expertly managed the community access system for the well. By opening this essential resource to both our English-speaking IDP students and the French-speaking host families in Bankim, she transformed a public utility into a welcoming space for cultural integration. Her hygiene-promotion workshops encouraged real community ownership, turning a clean-water well into a powerful symbol of regional healing, mutual respect, and lasting peace.