Founders

Founder’s Story From Injustice to Purpose There are moments that divide a life into “before” and “after.” For me, that moment came as an entrepreneur. After years of building businesses through hard work and perseverance, I was accused of involvement in a notorious criminal gang. Before my case could be heard by a court of law, I was held in police custody and publicly paraded on national television and across the internet. Overnight, my reputation was shattered. Businesses that had taken years to build collapsed. Relationships were tested, opportunities disappeared, and I experienced firsthand the devastating consequences that an accusation alone can have on a person’s life. Years later, I was acquitted. The court’s judgment restored my legal innocence, but it could not restore the years that had been lost, the businesses that had failed, or the damage done to my reputation. That experience taught me one of life’s most difficult lessons: sometimes justice arrives too late to repair the harm already suffered. I made a decision that would define the rest of my life. Rather than allowing bitterness to consume me, I chose to understand the very system that had transformed my life. I returned to the study of law, determined not only to rebuild my own future but also to stand beside those who find themselves overwhelmed by the justice system. That journey led me to qualify as an advocate and to be admitted to both the Rwanda Bar and the Cameroon Bar. But I soon realised that legal representation alone is not enough. Millions of people never reach a lawyer. Many do not know their rights. Others cannot afford legal assistance. Victims remain silent because they fear stigma. Families abandon hope because justice appears beyond their reach. That is why I founded the Community for Legal Assistance and Advocacy Programmes (CLAAP). CLAAP exists to bridge the gap between the law and the people. We provide legal assistance, promote legal literacy, advocate for vulnerable communities, protect children, support victims of injustice, and work for reforms that strengthen fairness, accountability, and respect for human dignity. Our mission is not simply to win cases. It is to restore hope. It is to empower ordinary people with knowledge. It is to ensure that justice is not reserved for those who can afford it. My personal experience reminds me every day that behind every legal file is a human being, a family, a dream, and a future that deserve protection. My vision is to help build a Cameroon—and ultimately an Africa—where no person is denied justice because of poverty, ignorance, fear, or abuse of power; where every community understands its rights and responsibilities; and where the justice system serves not only the powerful, but every citizen with fairness, dignity, and compassion. That is the mission that drives my work. That is why CLAAP exists. Justice Should Not Depend on Wealth.