Tag: Cameroon

Educate a Child Collects 1,630 ballots across Cameroon

DSC01403 copyBlog by Asaah Gideon, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Educate a Child in Africa (ECA). 

Educate a Child in Africa (ECA), a nonprofit and nongovernmental organization that uses non-formal education and the media to inspire a passion for consequential formal education in children in Africa recently administered one thousand six hundred and thirty (1,630) MY World survey questionnaires to young Cameroonians from the towns of Limbe and Buea of the South West Region of Cameroon. The implementation of MY World survey questionnaires was part of the Building Bridges project that focuses on the priorities of young men and women at the grassroots level and their vision of the world in 2030 based on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda.

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The young people who participated in this exercise ranged from the ages of 15-35 years and represented the 10 regions of Cameroon. MY World survey questionnaires were administered in colleges, higher educational institutions, places of work, religious groups, associations, homes and the man on the streets. They were asked choose 6 out of 16 options based on what is of most interest to them and their families, the world they want.

The survey results were officially presented in a conference that was organized by Building Bridges (BB) and Educate a Child in Africa (ECA) in the University of Buea, Cameroon on the 9th of June. The first three aspects of the world young people in Cameroon want as portrayed by the results are quality education, better job opportunities, access to clean water and sanitation, better transport and roads, better health care and honest and responsive government.

Though some of these young people clearly doubted the possibility of their choices being directly implemented in their country, most of them were however very excited to learn that the United Nations was interested in the opinion of the world they want.

In general, the MY World survey in Cameroon was well responded to and the young people even raised personal concerns that were not listed among the sixteen articles which will would positively affect their livelihood.

 

Celebrating International Youth Day in Cameroon

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By FAHFED and Club des Jeunes Aveugles Rehabilites du Cameroun (CJARC) under coordination by Ntiokam Divine, Global Youth Digital Advocate post-2015 and MY World 2015

During International Youth Day 2014, Sought Out Cameroon gathered 3 groups for a discussion on the post-2015 agenda, the IYD2014 theme of Youth and Mental Health and MY World. Here is a report on what they had to say:

159Challenges for Visually impaired people:

  • They are marginalized because of their disability
  • They are not inclusive in decision due to the disability
  • They lack of materials in their institution
  • They are urban
  • They are well and duly registered under the Government

096Challenges for Young Women:

  • They are unemployed
  • They were not able to continue their studies
  • They need some materials for training
  • They need to reinforce their capacities
  • As volunteers of the Association, they are well and duly registered under the Government

053Challenges for Refugees:

  • Unable to feed themselves, attend school, face deplorable situation. Children are obliged to do part time jobs to sustain themselves and face child labour practices.
  • Couple of months ago while Eunice was a maid she lost one of her fingers with a knife during her exercise as house maid, and til this date she is still suffering the pain. When the crisis started in Central African Republic, her younger brother Salomon was in class 6 (African standard) , while she was in her 1st year in medical school.
  • Upon arrival in Cameroon, the UNCHR has been so helpful in getting their refugee status legalized, but unfortunately it is still on going due to huge number of applicants, which make things difficult for them as far as getting equal opportunities as other nationals.
  • They do not have a status yet, but are volunteers of the Association

In all cases, the representatives from these groups feel the MDGs did not affect them because they were not even informed. They feel the post – 2015 agenda will be different because it gives them the opportunity to get their voices heard and they could take action for their well-being and for the development of their society.