Cameroon

Cameroon was the fifth country to receive donated baseball equipment from Angels at Bat. By connecting with outstanding organizations, we were able to supply two Cameroonian baseball groups with equipment.

Equipping Arsel and CBSA

Arsel Giowou first reached out to Angels at Bat for equipment support in January of 2020. By simply reaching out, we began a dialogue about the logistic possibilities of getting equipment all the way to Yaonde, Cameroon. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, we searched for methods to get equipment to Arsel and his players. However, for years, we were unsuccessful.

That is, until we partnered with an organization working to improve conditions of young people in neighboring Nigeria. This group, called New Wave Nigeria, is an amazing partner of ours; one of their co-founders had a Cameroonian friend who was shipping a container back to his home country at the end of the month (only 3 weeks after this conversation). Based out of Seattle, WA, this friend was graciously willing to donate space in his container for baseball equipment.

Thankfully, through the tireless and generous efforts of Matthew Park (and family), we were able to get a large load of equipment prepared for shipping at the end of February 2024. The Park family, lead by son Matthew, is one of Angels at Bat's longest running branches and had a large amount of equipment already collected.

Arsel, a longtime player and leader of the Harmony Baseball Academy, has become a young leader of Cameroon's baseball community. After recieving the equipment in August 2024, Arsel collaborated with the Cameroon Baseball & Softball Federation to ensure that all of the equipment donated would be put to proper use by Cameroonian youth throughout the country.

On August 26th, 2024, a donation ceremony was held between the Harmony Baseball Academy, Cameroon Baseball & Softball Federation, the Cameroon Olympic Comittee, and the Ministry of Sports. At this event, the equipment was officially donated to the proper places and the journey of YOUR donation to Angels at Bat got one giant step closer to being complete.