Magdalene Enoh

Biography for

Mrs. Magdalene Bessem Enoh nee Nkongho

(June 3^rd 1956 - August  24^th 2010) 

Mrs. Magdalene Bessem Enoh nee Nkongho or Aunty Meg as we fondly called her, was born on June 3^rd 1956 in Muea, Buea Sub-Division, South West Region of Cameroon, to Mr. Andrew Epey Nkongho and Mrs. Grace Oben Nkongho. At the time Mr. Andrew Epey Nkongho worked as a land surveyor in Edenau, Fako Division.

Young Magdalene distinguished herself right from primary school winning many academic awards and subsequently a scholarship to attend the prestigious Saker Baptist College from 1967-1972 where she graduated among the top students in her class.  She was part of the first group of girls to be admitted to the Cameroon Protestant College, Bali (1972-1974) formerly an all boys school and graduated from there with honors.

She later moved to the nation’s unique university then, the University of Yaounde in 1974 to study Biochemistry and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Science after a record 3 years. In the University she met her sweetheart Mr. John Enoh and they got married in 1978.

Upon graduating from the University, she taught chemistry briefly at Saint Joseph’s College Sasse, and at Presbyterian Secondary School Besongabang. Mrs. Enoh later moved to join her husband who was doing a Masters in Chemical Engineering at the University of Connecticut USA. She obtained a Master of Science Degree in Organic Chemistry 1978-1981. She was also a Teaching Assistant in the same University.

She returned to Cameroon with her family in 1981 and since then she has devoted her life to her family, the public service, church leadership, christian discipleship, christian leadership training, and science education for the girl child.

She worked with the Cameroon Public Service; as a Chemistry teacher in the Lycée Bilingue, Essos-Yaounde (1983-1996), Chemistry teacher at Lycee Bilingue D’Application Yaounde (1996-1997), Chief Examiner for the Cameroon G.C.E Board’s Chemistry Department and Pedagogic Adviser for Chemistry in the Center and Littoral Provinces (1997 to Present).

She also worked relentlessly in promoting the education of young girls within the framework of the non -governmental organization “Female Education in Mathematics and Science in Africa” (FEMSA) and the “Forum for African Women Educationalists” (FAWE) and in this regard she was a resource person for several seminars organized in East and Central Africa. She studied Advanced Educational, Teaching and Public Service Skills at PENN STATE University as a Hubert H. Humphrey fellow in 1992.

Mrs. Enoh was a devout Christian and together with her husband was involved in  Christian discipleship, and Church planting in the Cameroon Baptist Convention in Yaounde. She chaired the Women’s Group of the ETOUG-EBE Baptist church for over 7 years and was a Deaconess of MARANATHA Baptist Church (a church which began in their home and held there for over four years until it moved to its present location). She was, Vice President of the Educational Board for the Cameroon Baptist Convention.  As an alumnus of the Haggai institute in Singapore 1991 she was very involved in Christian Leadership training in Cameroon and around the world.

For the past 2 years, she was a PHD research student working on “The Chemical Components of Medicinal Plants in Cameroon.” Her untimely death has stopped her from completing this important work.

Over and above all, Mrs. Magdalene Bessem Enoh was a devoted wife and mother. She was a pillar to her family in all regards. She leaves behind a husband, 3 children, 2 grandchildren, and several spiritual sons and daughters.