Cameroonian educator’s first book tells story of overcoming hardship, aims to inspire children
Chrysanthus Fogha Caspa holds a copy of his book, "I Want to Go to College," in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Jan 24. Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
By Bereket Alemayehu
After leaving Cameroon and coming to Korea more than 25 years ago, Chrysanthus Fogha Caspa recently published his first-ever book in English and Korean in January.
Titled “I Want to Go to College,” the book is a memoir aimed at motivating children — especially young Africans in Korea, on the African continent and beyond. It recounts the author’s journey of pursuing a college education against all odds, overcoming discrimination and other obstacles, before ultimately migrating halfway around the world to Korea, an unfamiliar country.
Though published recently, Caspa says the book has been forming inside him since he was 7 years old, the age at which he lost his mother.
The cover of Chrysanthus Fogha Caspa's book, "I Want to Go to College" / Courtesy of Yelim Publishing
“Her death marked a turning point," he said. "She had been my greatest supporter, the one who convinced me that I could become anything — a doctor, a lawyer, anything, if I studied hard.”
Losing her at such a young age exposed him to new tough hardships, including discrimination from relatives and society itself.
The decision to finally write the book came years later, after he became a father himself. One day, his children asked him a simple but profound question: "Why are we living in Korea?"
To explain such a complex life experience to his four children, he turned it into a bedtime story. Night after night, he told them about his childhood, his struggles, his losses and the choices that shaped him into the father they knew.
"My children were captivated," he said. "They asked for more story every night. That’s when I realized something powerful. If my children need this story, maybe other children do too.”
Encouraged further by his wife, who suggested that telling his story could be a form of healing, Caspa began writing seriously about two years ago. Writing became both therapy and liberation.
“I wanted to give it to the world and become a better person for myself,” he said.
Before coming to Korea, as an English-speaking Cameroonian, he experienced systemic discrimination from an early age, first in education, then in employment and eventually in political life. After studying in the French-speaking region of the country, where language itself became a barrier to belonging, he returned to his hometown, Bamenda, only to find that opportunities in his own community were largely inaccessible.
When asked why he left his country, he said that, being born into a minority in the country, he faced discrimination.
“I basically studied in the English system of education. But when I went to university, I had to leave my hometown and go to the French part of Cameroon. So, while on the French side of my country, that's where I faced discrimination. Courses were offered in French, not in the language that I'm comfortable with. Even different languages can be a source of discrimination,” he said.
"So, I faced a lot of hardship and discrimination while being in the French part of Cameroon. Then, when I came back to the English part of Cameroon when I graduated from the university, I also experienced discrimination. I realized there is no place for me in my own hometown.”
Media sources say that English speakers, who make up about 20 percent of Cameroon's population, have long reported discrimination in the legal system, education and political representation. “Peaceful protests demanding equality between English- and French-speaking Cameroonians were met with violent repression," he said. "Friends lost their lives. Safety became uncertain. Like many others facing persecution, I was forced to make a choice not about ambition, but survival.”
When he first arrived in Korea in 2001, he found that life thousands of miles from home wasn’t easy, but it was at least tolerable.
“As an African facing discrimination, I never felt I was useless," he said. "But as much as I felt that way, there was one thing that made it completely OK for me. My life was not at stake. Despite the high level of discrimination that I faced in Korea, I could sleep at night. I was safe. Nobody was looking for me. Nobody wanted to kill me. I wasn't going to walk on the street and see a dead body. Korea gave me safety. For that same reason, I call the country home.”
Caspa's book was published with help from Suk Jong-hwan at Yelim Publishing, which specializes in school textbooks, university books and titles related to design, fashion and beauty.
Suk explained that he decided to publish it after being introduced to the author by a close acquaintance who was also his teacher. Upon meeting Caspa, Suk felt an immediate sense of trust and respect, describing him as a genuinely good person. This personal connection played a key role in his decision to publish a book written by a foreigner.
“One moment that convinced me to publish the book was when the Korean translator remarked that the author’s life story closely resembled the lives of Korean children who grew up in the 1960s, particularly in the difficult years following the Korean War (1950-53)," he said. "The themes of poverty, hardship and resilience resonated deeply with Korea’s own historical experience, including the aftermath of Japanese colonization (1910-45) and the war. This shared emotional history, I believed, would make the book especially meaningful to Korean readers.”
Rather than focusing on profit, he emphasized that the motivation behind publishing this book was inspired by empathy and shared effort. Although the book may appear simple at first glance, its production process was a toil. Both the publisher and the author invested significant time, energy and financial resources into editing and refining the work over a long period.
The Korean translation was handled by a translator based in the United States, someone who could fully understand the original narrative and preserve its emotional integrity while adapting it for Korean readers. The translator not only translated the text but also carried out extensive editing.
As a publisher, Suk sees the primary audience for this book as young people, particularly middle school students. He also believes parents can read the book with or for their children. From his perspective, the story has a strong educational value and could even become a school-recommended or children’s book that parents feel confident suggesting to young readers.
"I Want to Go to College" is available for purchase online.
Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He’s also the co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative, and a freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency.