BRIEF HISTORY OF OIC

This movement was started by Rev. Leon Sullivan Hope a Baptist minister back in 1964, to combat employment discrimination in Philadelphia through the use of boycott against white employers who refused to hire black workers. As a black Pastor in the Zion Baptist Church in North Philadelphia USA, he had observed that the blacks were refused employment and were constantly being rejected.

After a while the white Americans then accepted to employ the blacks but it was difficult to find enough local Blacks with the skills required. Thus came the idea to train the blacks, a centre for accelerated technical training, attitudinal development and job placement saw its dawn. With money raised from the black community in Philadelphia Rev. Sullivan formed the Opportunities Industrialization Centre of America (OICA) in an abandoned jailhouse in 1963. Due to its effectiveness and practicality OIC has spread to over 180 cities in America.

The success of OIC America was noticed by some travelers from Nigeria and opted for a replication of OIC Nigeria. The first OIC International Projects were established in Lagos Nigeria and Accra Ghana in 1970 with funds provided by USAID. Today OIC affiliates operate in many local communities in thirteen African nations – Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Lesotho, Liberia, Gambia, Guinea, Togo, Sierra Leone, Chad and South Africa.

HOW OIC CAME TO CAMEROON

In 1986 Pa Anthanasius Ebong Kome a business magnate based in Sierra Leon returned to the country with the good news. Others bought the idea and fought for the dream to become a reality. This led to the creation of Cameroon OIC Buea in August 1986 which opened its doors to the first set of trainees in July 1987. It was commissioned one year later in November 1988 by Rev. Leone Sullivan, the founder of OIC International.

BIRTH OF OIC KUMBO

The inherent situation of general education has made most of the youth in our community to be skill-less and thus face the problem of unemployment. This population in the community constitutes about 60%, which ranges between the ages 18 – 40 years. They are defenseless in the society since they have no skills and cannot be employed or self-employed.

To solve this problem of unemployment a general assembly sitting under the auspices of the Fon of Nso thought it wise to create a centre where these destitute and underprivileged youths could be given marketable skills thus preparing them for the job market and or self-employment. A delegation led by the Fon of Nso went to Buea to meet the Nso community who now consulted the OIC Board for an OIC to be created in Kumbo. This dream was realized on the 29th of September 2003 when OIC Kumbo opened its doors to the first batch of trainees.

MISSION STATEMENT – AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The primary purpose of Cameroon OIC-Kumbo is to establish and institutionalize comprehensive training, programmed for unemployed Cameroonians so as to provide them with marketable, vocational, business and agricultural skills for needed self-employment and increased productivity.

To this Cameroon OIC-Kumbo undertakes:

• The training of young women and young men for gainful corporate or self-employment.
• Providing needed and marketable skills to unemployed and under employed young women and young men
• The development of awareness of interrelated roles and responsibilities of citizens within an community. Hence Cameroon OIC seeks to develop a whole person.
• Inspiring and involving the community in sustainable self-reliant development and higher productivity.
• Developing and promoting among its trainees and graduates a sense of togetherness and association for income generating activities.
• Fostering and nurturing a sense of self-dignity and confidence.
• Adapting the training methodologies to the dynamic challenges of technological advancement and aims of the organization.
• Undertakes and executes projects considered necessary and beneficial towards the goals and objectives of the organization.
• Stimulating pride in the community by promoting fraternity among the different members of the community or culture.
• Contributes to poverty reduction.
• Reduce crime wave and prostitution in society.
• Eradicate illiteracy by training youths and adults from First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) holders right up to university drop outs.
• Improve the living standards of youths and adults in the society.
• Change the lives of youths and adults.