Celebrate Autistic Children While they're Alive

Hello! I'm Claris, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be organizing a fundraiser for my birthday in May. The goal is to celebrate the lives of autistic children in Cameroon and make a real impact. I believe that together, we can truly make a difference.

THE AC MBENG BIRTHDAY INITIATIVE 2024 - CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF AN AUTISTIC CHILD WHILE ALIVE

At 40, individuals experience a range of significant changes and reflections. Several years ago, I found turning 40 to be an invigorating period marked by personal growth and transformation in my physical and mental well-being. This phase also involved a profound shift in mindset as I prepared to embrace motherhood again.

However, the latter part of that year abruptly halted the joy, excitement, and aspirations I had been nurturing. The profound loss of the precious life I had fervently carried, who lived for only 1 hour and 20 minutes, led me to spend a substantial portion of my forties in mourning. Following a period of embracing and confronting the raw complexities of grief, I began to feel a compelling urge to give back in recognition of the love, kindness, and support I had received during my time of mourning.

As a mother to an autistic child, I had long harboured a desire to provide support to other autistic individuals and their families in my native Cameroon. This led to establishing the AC MBENG BIRTHDAY INITIATIVE, which has been a resounding success. The initiative, committed to annually soliciting funds on my birthday to supply educational resources to autistic children in Cameroon, was officially launched in 2020. It successfully raised over £3000 to aid autistic children and their families in navigating the challenges posed by COVID-19 in Cameroon. The inaugural event was a testament to our commitment, featuring educational sessions delivered by medical professionals, heartfelt testimonials from autistic individuals' parents, and the distribution of educational materials, sustenance, and financial assistance to recipients in Bamenda and neighbouring villages such as Njinikom and Fundong, as well as in Douala and Buea.

The initiative was a resounding success; however, due to personal bereavement in the past year, I was unable to celebrate my birthday with the children in Cameroon.

This year, I am resolute in upholding the INITIATIVE. The time to act is now. Many autistic children in our communities go unnoticed, unrecognized, and unappreciated. They miss out on invitations to birthdays, weddings, and other events that other children attend. It's time to change this narrative. Regardless of their abilities, everyone deserves to be loved, accepted, understood, and included in our communities. Let's come together and raise funds to provide learning materials and food to autistic individuals in Cameroon and to organize an Autism-friendly party to celebrate and embrace the lives of these amazing children. It takes a village to raise a child, and a child with autism can elevate the consciousness of that village. Let's be that village and make a positive difference.

Let's come together to celebrate the lives of autistic children while they are still among us, just as we celebrate other children. It's time to show them love, care, and acceptance, not later. Your generous donation, whether it's £2, £5, £10, £100, or any amount, will make a world of difference by providing food, drinks, music, and goody bags for them. Just envision the impact: if 100 people donated a pound each, we can bring smiles to their and their families' faces. Let's celebrate the life of an autistic child while they're alive rather than waiting until they're no longer here. Thank you for your tremendous support for this meaningful initiative.

AC Mbeng.