Favour Low-Cost Health Care Foundation Cameroon
Commonwealth Point of Light 160. Etong Fanny Bessem
Etong Fanny Bessem, representing Cameroon, is the co-founder of ‘Favour Low-Cost Health Care Foundation’, working to improve access to healthcare in Cameroon.
This has included providing free medical equipment, and over 2000 items of PPE to health workers during the pandemic. She is also a member of the Women Mediators Across the Commonwealth network, which aims to increase the participation of women from the Commonwealth in mediation at all levels.
Etong Fanny Bessem was virtually presented with her award by the Countess of Wessex, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, during a meeting with the Women Mediators across the Commonwealth Network.
Etong said:
“I lack the words to say with respect to this award, the things we do, not knowing someone is watching. I am very humble to be recognised for our little contribution. To think how I had to be begging doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, to travel all day and spend their own resources without complaining, their off days running between Bafoussam and South West, from Yaounde to Batoke, travelling all through the night with all the risk involved. Yet they did it.
“This award is for my team who volunteer their time and resources to make sure the vulnerable have free healthcare services. To think: just one month from giving birth at the peak of COVID-19, I was in the field with my team responding to COVID-19, distributing and educating the population, giving free ANC to pregnant internally-displaced women and delivering their babies – and someone was watching our effort. I can go on and on, but thank you to the British High Commissioner for putting a huge smile on our faces with this recognition. I thank our partners and international partners for supporting my call when our country needed it most.”