NBA Memorial Foundation

15/09/2026

From 7–11 September 2026, the NBA Memorial Foundation joined drowning prevention leaders from across the globe at the RNLI's "Leaders in Lifesaving 2026" workshop, hosted by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Drowning remains one of the world's most overlooked public health crises, claiming over 300,000 lives every year — more than 90% of them in low- and middle-income countries like ours (Cameroon). Last week's program equipped our team with the evidence, tools, and frameworks needed to strengthen our response.

Across five days, we engaged with:
🌊 The global burden of drowning, the data, the UN resolutions, and the policy tools driving international action
📊 Risk mapping & evidence-based programming: how to identify, prioritize, and respond to the highest-risk drowning hazards in a community
👶 Child supervision strategies, targeted approaches for the critical 18-month to 5-year risk window
🦺 Affordable, community-made buoyancy solutions, including RNLI's Tanzania model, producing safety vests for a fraction of commercial cost
🧭 Leadership & organizational development, building the trust, culture, and systems that sustain lifesaving work long-term
⚓ Maritime search & rescue architecture, touring South Africa's Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre and learning how NSRI built a nationwide, volunteer-powered rescue service without government funding
🏊 Community-scale swim education, NSRI's Survival Swimming programme, which has delivered over 85,000 lessons since 2019

This training directly strengthens our mission in Batoke, Buea, and Yaoundé. Coming out of Cape Town, we are committing to three concrete actions: adopting new international safety frameworks across our programs, piloting a low-cost rescue buoy deployment on Batoke beach, and deepening our partnerships with the traditional leaders, healers, and pastors who anchor trust in the communities we serve.

Preventable drowning deaths are just that — preventable. With the right knowledge, the right partnerships, and the right community ownership, we can change these outcomes.

Our sincere thanks to the National Sea Rescue Institute, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and SAMSA for an invaluable week of shared learning.

RNLI NSRI Ministère de la Santé Publique du Cameroun WHO Cameroon U.S. Embassy Yaounde

09/09/2026

It's so sad reading situations like this, because drowning can happen to anyone but no one should drown. Drowning is preventable if we practice safety, which is firstly knowing how to swim, don't swim alone, know your limits when swimming, swim in pools with active lifeguards. All these can go a long way to preventing someone from drowning

A 16-year-old girl identified as Awumbom Praise Zhuh has died following a swimming incident in Muea, Buea Subdivision, in Cameroon’s South West Region.

According to a family source, Praise went swimming ar Chariot Hotel on Monday, August 31, 2026, but did not return home.

The teenager lived in Muea with her parents, Zhuh Emmanuel and Gemuh Irene, who are from Kedjom Ketinguh (Babanki Tungo) in Cameroon’s North West Region.

The family source told MMI News that workers from Chariot later went to the family home and informed her parents that Praise had been rushed to hospital.

Her mother immediately went to the hospital, where she learned that her daughter had died.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, including what happened while Praise was swimming and how she came to need emergency medical attention.

Born on June 10, 2010, Praise was just 16 years old at the time of her death.

Her family is now seeking answers over what happened in the hours leading to her death.

09/09/2026

Great lifesaving begins with great leadership.

Day 2 of the Leaders in Lifesaving Workshop in Cape Town took us beyond technical skills and into the foundations of effective leadership—leading yourself, leading an organisation, and building high-performing teams.

One of the highlights was the Marshmallow Challenge, a simple but powerful exercise that showed us how communication, collaboration, trust, planning, and adaptability can determine whether a team succeeds.

Our trainer, John from RNLI, made these lessons practical and clear, challenging us to think differently about how we lead people and projects.

As we continue learning, we are asking ourselves:

What makes a team truly high-performing? And what kind of leadership does drowning prevention in Cameroon require?

What do you believe is the most important quality of a great leader? Tell us in the comments.

08/09/2026

The NBA Memorial Foundation is proud to be represented at the 5-day Leaders in Lifesaving Workshop in Cape Town, South Africa, organised by RNLI and hosted by NSRI

This is more than a workshop. It is an opportunity to learn from global lifesaving leaders, exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships, and bring practical solutions home to Cameroon.

Every skill gained. Every connection made. Every lesson shared.

For one purpose: preventing drowning and protecting lives. 🌊

We learn here. We act at home. We save lives.

04/09/2026

This is so sad to read, and we feel so terrible, as we have been advocating against drowning incidents for years now. As a swimmer, you should know your limits because even experienced swimmers can drown. Always respect the water by swimming only in the supervised areas where lifeguards are present; swim with a friend who can quickly call for help if you're in danger. Please let's prioritize our safety in or around any body of water.

The family of Wendji Vades, a 25-year-old Cameroonian student based in Lyon, is appealing for help to repatriate his body after he drowned in Lake Annecy, France.

Wendji died on Saturday, August 29, while swimming off Plage de la Brune at Veyrier-du-Lac.

French local media reporting on the incident says emergency services were alerted at about 3:49 p.m. after the 25-year-old failed to return from the water.

His body was found about 30 metres from the shore and approximately 10 metres below the surface, outside the supervised swimming area.

He was brought out of the water in cardiac arrest, but efforts by firefighters and emergency medical personnel to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Two people who were with him were also attended to by emergency services after being left in shock.

French media reports that a gendarmerie investigation was opened to establish the circumstances surrounding the drowning.

The incident was reportedly the fifth fatal drowning recorded in Lake Annecy this summer.

Wendji’s family in Cameroon is now appealing for financial assistance to have his body repatriated for burial.

For a family already dealing with the sudden death of a young man studying thousands of kilometres from home, the cost and process of bringing his remains back to Cameroon have added another burden to their grief.

02/09/2026

🌊 A New School Year Is Coming, Let’s Keep Our Children Safe!

September means back to school, new beginnings, and new routines. 🎒📚

But as our children return to school, let’s remember one important thing: water safety matters too.

Whether it’s a river, swimming pool, beach, or flooded area, one moment of carelessness can change a life.

This school year, let’s make safety part of what we teach our children:

👀 Supervise them closely around water.
🦺 Use life jackets for children who can’t swim.
🏊 Teach them swimming and water safety skills.

Every child deserves to learn. Every child deserves to be safe. ❤️

Let’s make this school year a safer one for every child in Cameroon.

Learn. Watch. Protect. 🌊

31/08/2026

Save this post. You'll need it before your next trip to the pool, river, lake, or the beach.

Most drownings happen in ordinary moments: a family outing, a quick swim, a child playing near water while an adult looks away for just a second.

These 5 rules are simple, but they save lives. Go through them with your family before your next outing.

Prevention is usually better than cure. Let's make sure every family reading this is prepared.

Save this post and send it to a parent planning a trip to the water this back-to-school period.

28/08/2026

Most think drowning looks like the movies: splashing, screaming, waving for help.

It doesn't.

Drowning is quiet. A child can slip under water in under a minute, right next to an adult, without a single sound.

That's why we do what we do. At NBA Memorial Foundation, we teach children and adults across Yaoundé, Buea, and Limbe how to stay safe in and around water, because awareness is the first step to prevention.

Heavy rains keep falling across the country, and it's our duty as parents to protect our children from drowning. For the next 10 days, we're sharing what every family in Cameroon needs to know to keep their children safe near water.

Tag a parent who needs to see this. Follow us to learn more👇

RNLI NSRI WHO Cameroon Ministère de la Santé Publique du Cameroun Stop Drowning Now United States Lifesaving Association The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson U.S. Embassy Yaounde Commonwealth Drowning Prevention - The Royal Life Saving Society Hue Help

24/08/2026

Happy New Week!!
Let's step into each week with renewed hope, courage, and commitment to saving lives.

Together, we champion drowning prevention, empower communities, and protect futures.

May this week bring safety, strength, and shared purpose for all.