The Italian church-based NGO is arguably the most influential developmental mover in that part of the South-West Region.

The Italian presence in Cameroon is felt in many ways but the part of the national territory where its impact has been observed in multi-dimensional ways is in the Lebialem Division of the South-West Region. In the early 1960s what is today referred to as Lebialem was called Bangwa and at that time access to that area was virtually impossible by road because of the topography marked by steep hills and fast-running streams.

Landlocked as it was, Bangwa country was paradoxically a developmental enclave as the hard-working people of the area fought developmental odds the best they could, often transporting their agricultural produce, livestock or even forestry products such as sawed plank on their heads to far-off markets in Mamfe or neighbouring Dschang in the West Region. A very intensive intellectual life existed with numerous primary schools found in several parts of this huge forest.

The attention of the State government of West Cameroon was drawn to the situation by the impressive results of pupils from this area in the 1965 government common entrance examination into secondary schools. Some 30 students from there were admitted into St Joseph’s College, Sasse alone, prompting the Bishop of Buea, Mgr Julius Peeters to consider the creation of a college in the area. At that time, the Focolare movement had come knocking at the Bishop’s door looking for a location to set up camp. Fontem was the choice and members of the Movement first set foot in Fontem in 1964 progressively implanting its presence which began with the construction of a hospital which has grown up today into one of the best run medical establishments in the country.

The Mary Health of Africa hospital stands out as as one of the nation’s best in terms of cleanliness and cost effectiveness with patients coming from all the corners of the Republic and even from neigbhouring foreign countries. One important credit the hospital takes is the reduction of the infant mortality from the disturbing 80 percent to the current one percent, arguably the nation’s lowest. The hospital also takes credit for having developed a treatment protocol for sleeping sickness in Lebialem Division which is being used worldwide with very minimal side effects.It was also thanks to the impulsion of the Focolare that the Catholic mission opened Seat of Wisdom College, Fontem in 1966.

This post-secondary institution has, to a very large extent, contributed to the exponential development of secondary education in the area by easing access to many sons and daughters of the area who beforehand, used to travel for up to 400 kilometres for such education on far-away Sasse or Bonjongo colleges. The college has produced high quality intellectuals serving the country in various fields of endeavour. The Focolare movement’s activities have gone beyond education and health. Their presence has also contributed immensely to the urbanization of Menji as they have contributed in opening up access roads. The presence of a Mariapolis Centre which attracts visitors from across the globe, has laso boosted spiritual and cultural life to the extent that Menji has become a multicultural centre with sometimes up to 30 different nationalities present for various activities.

Activities of the movement have generally complemented those of government and the people of Lebialem talk about this important development partner only in superlatives. In fact, the death in March 2008, of the Founder of the Movement, Chiara Lubich whom Pope Benedict XVI described as “a woman of faith and a living example”, was marked and commemorated in a way no one had ever been done in Lebialem in January 2009 in strict Nweh tradition and in absolute respect for the highest nobility title she held Mafua Ndem.