Y0CEN community Outreach

 Wednesday, 12. 12.12, members of the group Y0CEN took the maiden step and reached out  to over 150 young women and men, sensitizing them on their civic rights and responsibilities towards democratic practices in Cameroon with emphasis on them registering for elections 2013.

The whole idea of the community outreach was to rebuild youth confidence in the 2013 twin elections; Municipality and Parliamentary, encouraged them to register  and make sure they vote. And so far it is one of the first person-to-person civic educations led by youth for youth in Cameroon.   

It’s no doubt that youth voters turnout over the years has dropped.  According to the Mo Ibrahim Good Governance Facts and Figures, 2012, reveealed that less than 50% of African youth, cameroonian in particular has confidence in the honesty of the elections.  56% are more interested in current affairs with urbans youth having greater interest than rural youths, ironically, 37.7% use TV as the secondary source of information.

Y0CEN, created 2012 is a youth-led Civic Education Network, composed of unique group of youth activists and leaders from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and NGOs here in Cameroon, which aims to promote young people’s civic rights and participation in democracy practices.

Y0CEN believes that young people are active change agents. They make the impossibilities possible. And thus it’s important that young people take the frontline to shaping their community for good.  But in doing so, youth must be empowered with the knowledge to make informed choices.  

What Y0cen observed?

The observation gathered is that many young persons felt connected with y0cen team. They could share their fears and worries without feeling intimidated. Though many had not registered yet for the elections but assured to register and vote. As usual, some still lack the willingness to register.  Meanwhile to those who have registered, many said they did it just because they saw people registering or because their parents asked them to register. Y0CEN sees lack of election enthusiasm among the youth. 

What y0cen recommends?

Y0cen sees the urgent need for more community engagement, a door-to-door sensitization before the registration deadline in Feb 2012. Yocen urges more youths network to join the movement to encourage young people to register and vote in the elections.  

 Y0CEN is apolitical and doesn’t receives funding/supports from any political party. Y0CEN is niether a campaign party but a youth-led civic education network. 

For more information about Y0CEN...

Visit Y0CEN on Facebook here  or twitter @Y0CEN 

faces behind y0cen at: Fonge Peter, Zoneziwoh Mbondgulo , Jude Thaddeus ZoFem 

Put a SMILE on mama's face! MAKE MAMA VISIBLE says Thank you!

Dear Sponsors:

On behalf of the MAKE MAMA VISIBLE team, I would sincerely like to extend a heart-felt thank you to all our donors and volunteers for their generous contribution and commitment to making this event a success!

 August 26, 2012 shall forever remain historic in the minds of some 70 mothers aged 75 and above who participated in a 700m HONORARY FAST WALK RACE in Bafanji Village, Northwest region, Cameroon.

The whole idea of MAKE MAMA VISIBLE began eight months ago, after series of friendly visits in some rural communities across the nation. In which, I realized the living condition of most aged mothers in rural Cameroon is so deplorable, full of sadness and pain; with little or no special medical attention and/or healthcare facilities. Again, I noticed that many of the aged mothers live alone, and would have to farm, cook and walk distances to fetch water. In addition, I also realized that most of these aged mothers have become caregivers to [their great grand] children whose parents are either dead or have migrated to the urban cities [diasporas] in search for better livelihood.

In pursuit on how to make mama happy, honored and not to feel deserted, the thought of a public walk came to mind, to create space for aged mothers to become visible through sport. And Bafanji village became the ideal community to begin with.

Thanks to our sponsors’ generous supports, this maiden edition to MAKE MAMA VISIBLE was a huge success. For it was able to attract as many as 200 interested individuals across all works of life – the media, the traditional elites, business entrepreneurs, tycoons, local government and other international networks, each of whom related to the need to bring attention to aging mothers special need. 

And I am proud to say that, just days after the race, MAKE MAMA VISIBLE participants have all been profiled on the International MuseumOf Women (IMOW) global arts photography project which highlights the values of Motherhood. And Bafanji community is proud to have been the first to welcome the idea to reawaken new thinking and perspective about [elderly] mothers. 

Again, recently, I received calls from some elites from neighboring villages requesting for a similar event on aged mother in their communities. In addition, I also received invitation from some interested persons in Buea and Alou in the Southwest region and Bamileke communities (Western region) to organize an aged mother race there. Meanwhile, many families are already talking about bringing friends and relatives to see them next year! 

In all, the project MMV was able to raise FCFA 879500 and a great deal of those funds came directly from our sponsors and partners; Soucedu pay.com, Olutosin Tie andDye, VIAF, RUWDEC, WFAC Buea, HRM Fon F.N Ngwefuni II of Bafanji, Mbondgulo Patrick Nkwutio and other individuals who would like to be kept anonymous. It is worth noting that this race couldn't have been done without our sponsors’ generosity and volunteers’ commitment. And I couldn’t dare conclude my appreciate without saying thanks to MMV energetic and committed volunteers [team]; Yonga Nelly, Fonge Peeters, Ivy Laura, Makieh Mafor Nancy, Pa Vincent Ndimanjeh, Ngwana Bridget Wondieh, Once more, Thanks for putting a smile on mama’s face! 

And to all the beneficiaries; the mamas [mothers], I say thanks for courageously participating in the race and bringing aged mother to the spotlight. 

 I look forward to speaking with you more about next years event in the upcoming months.

Sincerely,

MMV Coordinator

Wednesday Night Lights

The light that heals – and made those present glow from within

After closed to 8hours of health / HIV peer-to-peer educational talk and distribution of materials likes condoms, flyers to the tens and thousands of students, youth present for the national university games at the University of Buea (UB); it was time to light the candles to remember those who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS pandemic. Not forgetting the thousands affected by its impact.

Present at the memorial were collaboration organizations like:  Vision in Action Foundation (VIAF); Foundation for Released Prisoners (FRP) and Rural Women Development Center (RUWDEC); bigSTEPS (BONET);  JCI (Junior Chambers International); AIESEC; Commonwealth Student Association; Medical Laboratory students; Nursing Association and students as well as Women For A Change (WFAC) Buea – a duly registered AIDS Candlelight community host for Buea, Cameroon.

Like many of the people present at the memorial on Wednesday Night Lights, it was my first time to witness such a ceremony. I remembered in 2009, when I first came across the advert online. And registered as a community coordinator but for some reasons, I didn’t participate.

 Since, I have not had the privilege to witness until this year, 2012. Where I didn’t not only witnessed but was an active participant in the coordination.

 It’s worth noting that the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness in the world. Started in 1983, the Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by community, health and faith organizations from over 115 countries.

With 33 million people living with HIV today, the Candlelight serves as an important intervention for global solidarity, reducing stigma and discrimination and giving hope to new generations. [GNP+ 2012 Media advisory]

And this year, its estimates that closed to 100,000 people in 115 countries shall join the celebration of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial under the theme Promoting Health and Dignity Together

 Unlike the usual community-based advocacy settings, Women For A Change (WFAC) Buea , during the peer-to-peer education used the opportunity to demonstrate to the thousands of people how grassroots organization always improvise new and environmental friendly strategies  just to  reach out to the community. For example, WFAC stand was under a shrub tree—which served as both the flipchart, canopy and at the same time –a sticker-board where tributes and personal statements were paste for all to read.   The shrub tree was also the billboard, exhibition stand – where banners and other readable content were paste and display.

At the night lights

Just as it was night fall, and the candles lit; I noticed everything by me looked different, most especially the candles on orange flame.  

The sky was covered with darkness.  The night was cold, wind-less though noisy but the mind was silent, letting the flame glow within. 

Aren’t human candles? A question I pondered with myself.  

There came a time when we burn and glows all our surroundings. And then somehow—we quietly fade out. May and may not leave smoke or wax trace.  Sometimes too, we fall before we can even glow.  And if there is no support at the moment to hold us stand. We might never be able to stand again—   

At that moment– watching the candles gently burn, why I ponder in thoughts and at the same time listening to the choral song sang by participants, it felt more like all alone I didn’t understand the theme for this year until that Wednesday night lights.  When participants all held hands together.

 “This is such an emotional moment for me” - says Ms Yvonne, President of JCI-UB.

Bernard S, BONET Project manager – in an informal conversation, he said: We have touched lives, many lives.

For the first time, I guest – an initiative like this one has brought student from over 30 different academic institutions together, youth from diverse background, to collectively take a moment to remember all those they have lost to HIV / AIDS pandemic.

This is a day not to forget – the memories of Wednesday Night Lights is to forever be remembered as having instilled a new kind of brightness in the hearts of many. 

More Photos is available on WFAC Buea Facebook Page