Biography
Hilda Fonka Ebai, popularly known as Kellen, was born to the family of Fonka Shang Lawrence and Fonka Odilia Lantir on the 12th of July 1955. She was the forth out to seven siblings.
She obtained her primary education in St. Teresa’s school Kimbo, Nso and her secondary learning was in St. Augustine’s college Kimbo. After graduating, she went to Buea where she got admitted into the school of telecommunications. There, she completed a course in Morse Code Translation. She was employed in the public service in Yaoundé, Cameroon where she worked hard and saved up enough money to go the United States of America for further education. She enrolled in Wilmington College Ohio where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in languages. Next she obtained a Master’s degree in International Relations of Miami University of OHIO. Her dream was to be an interpreter working for the UN as her training prepared her for fluency in 4 languages: German, Spanish, French and of course, English
She got married to Hope Sona Ebai in Ohio while completing her Masters degree. The couple was blessed with a lovely baby girl, Leena. They both went home to Cameroon where they settled and were blessed with two handsome boys Hope Junior and Terrence.
She got a job with the public service, in Douala, but always dreamed of starting her own business. Her passionate love for kids compelled her to conceive and create Emergence Bilingual School Bonapriso. Her drive, hard work and attention to detail led a thriving perfectly Bilingual nursery and primary program in Bonapriso which eventually led to a second campus, Emergence Bilingual School Logbessou after ten years of operation. The Emergence schools became well-renowned, consistently scoring at the highest level in standardized testing and exit exams in Douala. Many graduates from Emergence went on to attend prestigious schools such as Harvard, gaining the school an international reputation of excellence. She started building Emergence Academy (secondary school) in Logbessou to ensure continuity of this tradition of excellence at the secondary. Affectionately called “Auntie Hilda” by her current and former pupils she strived to positively impact every child’s life through education.
She was a philanthropist, helping several people who had potential, and were hard working but came from less privileged backgrounds.
She was a proud and prayerful Christian who believed in God and contributed to the edification of his church in many ways.
The lord called her home on the 28th of April, 2019. She leaves behind three children, four grandchildren; RJ, Rylah, Diana and Laura, two sisters, one brother, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who will miss her dearly.