CWU professor saving lives in Cameroon through his love of soccer

Central Washington University Biological Sciences Professor Blaise Dondji has dedicated his life to combating infectious disease across the world, particularly in his hometown of Bawa, Cameroon.

His nonprofit organization, the Bawa Health Initiative, has raised many thousands of dollars for the construction and operation of a health clinic in the rural village through charity dinners, donation drives, and the annual Bawa Soccer Camp in Ellensburg.

Dondji’s dedication to the work has its roots in a family tragedy.

“When I was 12 in Bawa, my mother passed away without care after giving birth to my younger sister, because we had no car, no bicycle, no way to get her to a hospital in time,” he said. “I told myself, if God gives me the means, I would build a clinic that would prevent that from happening to any other pregnant woman in my village and the surrounding area.”

Decades after the incident, when Dondji was working as a scientist at Yale School of Medicine, a dinner with a friend sparked the conversation that would ultimately lead to the foundation of the Bawa Health Initiative in 2005.

“I saw him throw away the leftover cat food, and I asked him why he was wasting that money,” he said. “When I was going to school in Bawa, there were kids who didn’t have enough for a pencil. We started thinking about it and decided that we should start a nonprofit, to be independent of our employers.”

Dondji joined the CWU faculty in 2008 and brought his project with him, launching the Bawa Soccer Camp in 2013. The camp has run every year since, with the exception of 2020, often attracting over 100 participants to share in Dondji’s passion for the sport.

“I love soccer, I play soccer, it is my number one sport, so I thought I might be able to turn that into a way to raise money for the clinic,” he said. “My daughter, who was a baby when we started, is now at the camp with me.”

Demafo Dondji is going into eighth grade and plays soccer, basketball, and volleyball. She served as a volunteer assistant coach this summer as she recovers from a minor injury.

The Bawa Health Clinic opened its doors in 2017 and has been busily treating the residents of the village and the surrounding area ever since. With that initial goal accomplished, the Bawa Health Initiative’s focus has shifted from the launch of the clinic to the maintenance of its facilities and staff while keeping costs as close to free as possible for patients.

“I always tell my wife, this isn’t my project, it’s God’s project,” Dondji said. “If He wants us to do it and succeed, He will give us the means to do so, and He has.”

This year’s camp ran from June 30 to July 2 at Ellensburg High School Soccer Field and was supplemented by donations from several local businesses, including T-shirts from Shirtworks. frozen yogurt from Utopia and pizzas from Domino’s. Over the years, Dondji has seen similar support for the project from the Ellensburg community, including generous contributions for the purchase of an ambulance with four-wheel drive, among others.

“I’m so glad I moved here to Ellensburg,” he said. “It’s such a good community. People support each other and lift each other up.”

Dondji encourages his students to get involved in their communities through the same philosophy of altruism that guides his own humanitarian work.

“You don’t have to be a believer like me to know that you were put on this earth to help others, not yourself,” he said. “You shouldn’t go a single day without trying to make somebody’s life better, even if that’s just with a friendly greeting. If you think about others, then others will think about you in turn.”