The Heartbeat of Everything We Do
At the core of The Mbome Foundation, beneath every program, every outreach, and every interaction, beats a singular, unwavering purpose:Â To restore God-given dignity and unlock innate potential for the most vulnerable in Limbe, Cameroon.
We believe that poverty, sickness, and orphanhood are not identities—they are circumstances. Our mission is the deliberate, daily work of changing those circumstances, not with pity, but with empowering partnership.
Our Mission: The Covenant We Keep
To walk alongside the orphaned, the poor, the sick, and the less privileged in Limbe through holistic, community-rooted interventions that provide immediate relief, foster sustainable development, and advocate for systemic justice—all delivered with radical compassion and uncompromising integrity.
What This Means in Practice:
1. “To Walk Alongside…”
We reject the distant, transactional model of aid. Our staff and volunteers live in Limbe. We sit in the homes of those we serve. We listen before we act. We are neighbors, not saviors. This proximity is our greatest strength and accountability.
2. “…the orphaned, the poor, the sick, and the less privileged.”
We focus on these interconnected groups because vulnerability is often layered. A sick parent becomes poor; their children become orphaned in spirit, if not in law. We address the whole person within their whole context.
3. “…through holistic, community-rooted interventions…”
A bag of rice saves a life today but does not change a life tomorrow. Therefore, every intervention has multiple touchpoints:
A child receives food (relief), enrolls in school (development), and benefits from policies we advocate for (justice).
A patient gets surgery (relief), their family receives business training (development), and we work to improve local clinic services (justice).
4. “…that provide immediate relief, foster sustainable development, and advocate for systemic justice…”
This is our Three-Dimensional Impact Framework:
Relief:Â Meeting critical, urgent human needs (food, medicine, shelter).
Development:Â Equipping people with the tools to build their own futures (education, skills, capital).
Justice:Â Addressing the root causes and unfair systems that create vulnerability (advocacy, policy change, cultural shifts).
5. “…all delivered with radical compassion and uncompromising integrity.”
This is our how. Radical compassion means love that moves from emotion to action, that crosses social barriers, and that perseveres when change is slow. Uncompromising integrity means every resource is accounted for, every promise is kept, and our motives remain pure, even when no one is watching.
Our Vision: The Limbe We Are Building Together
We envision a transformed Limbe where every individual—regardless of starting point—lives in a loving family, enjoys full health, accesses quality education, and possesses the economic means to thrive, thereby contributing to a just, resilient, and prosperous community for generations to come.
The Pillars of Our Vision:
1. A Limbe Where Every Child Belongs to a Family
We dream of a city with empty orphanages because every child is nurtured in a safe, loving family—biological, kinship, or foster. Where childhood is protected, and potential is cultivated.
2. A Limbe Where Health is a Right, Not a Privilege
We imagine a community where preventable diseases are prevented, treatable conditions are treated, and no one is bankrupted by a hospital bill. Where wellness is the norm.
3. A Limbe Where Poverty is Not Inherited
We see a future where the cycle of poverty is broken for good. Where skills, opportunity, and capital are accessible, and entrepreneurship flourishes in every neighborhood.
4. A Limbe Where the Community is the First Responder
Our ultimate goal is a Limbe so resilient and empowered that external foundations like ours are no longer critical. Where community-led groups, strengthened by our partnership, continue the work of justice and empowerment indefinitely.
Our Core Values: The Compass for Our Journey
Our values are not just words on a wall. They are the filters for every decision we make, from hiring staff to designing programs.
1. Ubuntung: “I Am Because We Are”
We embrace the profound African philosophy of interconnectedness. The suffering of one is the suffering of all; the success of one elevates us all. This kills pity and breeds solidarity.
2. Dignity Above Aid
We will never provide help in a way that humiliates or creates dependency. The person receiving support is a partner of equal worth, whose ideas and choices guide our work.
3. Integrity as Foundation
We are accountable first to the people of Limbe, then to our donors. We are transparent in our finances, honest in our reporting (including our failures), and ethical in all our partnerships.
4. Sustainability Through Empowerment
Our success is measured by how well we work ourselves out of a job with each family or community. We build local capacity, transfer skills, and create systems that endure.
5. Courageous Love
We combine the soft heart of compassion with the strong backbone of truth-telling. We are not afraid to confront painful issues—whether domestic violence, corruption, or systemic neglect—that keep our community in chains.
Our Theory of Change: How We Believe Transformation Happens
We don’t believe in silver bullets. Lasting change is a complex process. Here is our logical pathway from inputs to impact:
The Mbome Promise
To the People of Limbe:
We promise to see you, to hear you, and to champion your God-given dignity. We will bring our resources, but we will follow your lead. We will celebrate your strength and stand with you in your struggle. We will not give up.
To Our Partners & Supporters:
We promise to be exceptional stewards of your trust. We will use every gift with strategic wisdom and utmost integrity. We will communicate clearly, report transparently, and ensure you feel connected to the real lives you are changing.
This Is More Than a Statement. It Is a Covenant.
Our mission is alive. It is the tired smile of a social worker after a long home visit. It is the determined focus of a student in our tutoring program. It is the collective voice of a savings group celebrating a loan repaid. It is the quiet courage of a survivor starting anew.
We are not just providing services. We are nurturing a movement—a movement rooted in the belief that a different Limbe is not only possible but is being built, one life, one family, one neighborhood at a time.
