Tabasang Titus

Sadly this week our friend and colleague Titus passed away suddenly. He worked with us at the Bambui Water Authority where he was a highly regarded technician. Titus always managed to make us laugh and smile with his stories of local life, as well as impress us with his professional and dedicated approach to his work which involved safeguarding the community’s water supply.

Although we have only been in Bambui for 2 months, we saw Titus almost every day and were lucky to be able to call him a friend.

Titus had briefly suffered with an illness, the complications of which, along with his high blood pressure, caused him to have a stroke which resulted in his passing. It saddens and frustrates us further that Titus was alive when he arrived at the hospital however there was no equipment to care for him. The hospital has only one respirator which was being cleaned and so was full of water. This could not be used and Titus could not be given oxygen. By the time he could be treated elsewhere, it was too late.

It’s difficult and perhaps unfair to compare the health care facilities in Bambui, Cameroon with those in the UK, but we can’t help feeling that this entire situation could have been averted had Titus been diagnosed and treated with simple medication earlier. This is the reality across much of Africa. The life expectancy in Cameroon is just 55 years. It’s tough here.

Titus was 43. He leaves behind his wife and 5 children.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time for the Bambui community.