When Beloit firefighter Paul C. Mickelson retired in 1992, he briefly pondered a leisurely life of golfing and fishing. But he knew he wasn't much of a golfer, and he didn't much like catching and releasing fish. So he joined the Peace Corps.
Funds sought for West African school
Posted: Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 - 02:37:46 pm CDT
By Bill Behling
Editor Emeritus
Computer institute plans on building Cameroon campus
When Beloit firefighter Paul C. Mickelson retired in 1992, he briefly pondered a leisurely life of golfing and fishing. But he knew he wasn't much of a golfer, and he didn't much like catching and releasing fish. So he joined the Peace Corps.
Mickelson was sent to Cameroon in West Africa. He found that he liked working with people there; they were poor and had little education, but were peace-loving and in Mickelson's view, had potential.
It's a long story, but it's enough to say that on a trip home to Beloit Mickelson wrote a letter to the Daily News Public Forum, asking for donations of books for the children of Bamenda, Cameroon. One who saw the appeal was Beloit Rotarian Terry Leahy, who enlisted the help of fellow Rotarians. Thousands of books were donated and shipped to the small coastal country just south of Nigeria.
Intrigued by and lured back to Cameroon, Michelson realized the possibilities of bringing education there into the 20th century. He suggested that used computers could be put to good use. With the encouragement of Beloit Rotarians, who sent scores of computers and other equipment and broadened the appeal throughout Rotary's district and international organization, Mickelson started Paul's Computer Institute in 1997.
The institute now operates in Bamenda and in nearby Kumbo. It has some 3,000 alumni who in turn are elevating the living conditions of perhaps 10 times that many natives, Mickelson estimates.
A computer hardware instructor at the Kumbo school, Humphrey Babila Langmia, left Beloit this week after a stay of several weeks.
He lived with Mickelson, who spends several months a year here and the rest of the time in Cameroon.
Mickelson, Rotarian Jerry Klobucar and other club members entertained the visitor, who got to play golf, sample American food (he likes steaks and chili best) and visit places of interest. He also visited a brother in the East during his stay here. Langmia, 29, is married and has a baby daughter.
One of the visitor's major accomplishments was to complete several computer hardware examinations at Blackhawk Technical College, in order to become certified as an instructor at the institute in Kumbo. He passed the tests with flying colors.
Meanwhile, PCI is undertaking a major project: Construction of a new 20,000-square-foot school building. The building, which would cost about $3 million if built in the U.S., will cost PCI about $225,000 thanks to the low labor costs in Cameroon. PCI, which has been incorporated and is governed by a board on which several Beloiters serve, needs help with the school project.
The organization, of which the Rev. Gene Van Galder of Beloit is president, has about half of the funds needed for the new school. Donations are urgently needed. Checks payable to PCI can be sent to Klobucar at 2373 Lathers Road, Beloit, or to Van Galder, 413 Highland Park Ave., Clinton. Klobucar or Van Galder also can answer questions about how to donate computers.
