Auteur/autrice : TimesNews2

A travers la campagne « We ring the bell » en anglais et « Tirer la sonnette » en français, les cinq départements ministériels et l’ONG entendent mobiliser les acteurs sociaux à envoyer à l’école les enfants en situation de handicap. Le lancement officiel a eu lieu le 04 mai 2023. Mme Abang Grâce Larissa, maman d’un enfant vivant avec handicap, plus précisement un autiste, dans un témoignage poignant a représenté le prototype des efforts déjà fournis pour une meilleure inclusion des personnes vivants avec handicaps. Elle a en effet contacté la Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Service (CBCHS) pour qu’on l’aide dans la prise en charge de sa fille. Aujourd’hui, son enfant peut préparer. Elle a obtenu son diplôme. Elle accomplit d’autres tâches. Malheureusement, de nombreuses femmes dans cette situation n’ont pas eu cette opportunité d’offrir un avenir peu stigmatisant à leurs enfants. Du coup, la campagne « We ring the bell » en anglais et « Tirer la sonnette » en français, qui a officiellement pris son envol le 04 mai 2023 dans les locaux de la mairie de Yaoundé VI, vient à point nommé, selon l’ensemble des acteurs impliqués dans son opérationnalisation. Elle est d’ailleurs placée sous le thème « De la politique à la pratique : éducation inclusive pour les enfants handicapés au Cameroun ». Le but est en effet : « d’accroître le taux de scolarisation des enfants vivants avec handicaps en créant une société où chaque enfant, en particulier les personnes handicapées, ont accès à une éducation de qualité » l’idée étant « d’accélérer l’atteinte de l’ODD4 au Cameroun et de poursuivre la mise en œuvre de l’éducation inclusive ». Le Cameroun engagé pour l’inclusion Pauline Irène Nguéné, ministre des affaires sociales (MINAS), rappelle à ce propos que depuis 2016 le Cameroun participe à la campagne « We ring the bell » et « Tirer la sonnette », une initiative de Liliane Funds à travers la Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services. Mme la ministre a d’emblée pris l’engagement dans ce sens de mettre en œuvre la politique du chef de l’Etat en matière inclusive. « Dans le monde, a-t-elle indiqué, 90% des enfants handicapés ne sont pas scolarisés ». Soit 33 millions d’enfants « en termes absolus » dans un contexte où 15% environ de la population mondiale vit avec un handicap. Plus loin, la ministre souligne que la problématique de la prise en charge de l’enfant handicapé au Cameroun fait l’objet des politiques publiques dont l’objectif est d’assurer « le continuum » de l’éducation pour cette catégorie d’enfant. C’est à ce titre qu’elle salue la co-organisation de cet événement avec les ministères en charge de l’éducation de base (Minedub), des enseignements secondaires (Minesec), de l’enseignement supérieur (Minesup) et de l’emploi et de la formation professionnelle (Minefop). La ministre de la promotion de la femme et de la famille (Minproff) a également pris part aux travaux. Mais d’après la MINAS, beaucoup reste encore à faire quant à cette préoccupation à caractère mondial. Les personnes vivants avec handicaps font face à « certaines barrières et obstacles multiformes ». Certains sont liés aux coûts et méthodes d’enseignement, d’autres à l’accès aux technologies de l’information et de la communication tandis qu’on en trouve qui sont propres à l’accessibilité aux infrastructures scolaires. La conséquence directe est « l’exclusion sociale des personnes handicapées », dénonce la ministre car celles-ci « font l’objet de discrimination » et ne bénéficient pas toujours « d’une éducation et d’une formation professionnelle appropriées », retient-on de la MINAS qui a « tiré la sonnette » pour l’éducation inclusive. Lui emboitant le pas, le maire de la Commune de Yaoundé 6 a rappelé que « l’éducation est à la base du développement ». Pour Yoki Onana, « les conditions d’existence des personnes demeurent encore difficiles » d’autant plus qu’elles les « empêchent de jouir de nombreux droits, donc celui de l’éducation. » La première barrière est l’accès à l’éducation, a-t-il réitéré. Pour lui, des initiatives de cette nature supposent assurément une action collective surtout dans l’optique de l’émergence du Cameroun à l’horizon 2035. Cela passe clairement par l’inclusion prônée par le président de la République, a soutenu l’exécutif communal notamment en contexte de décentralisation. Une lutte commune L’accès à l’école pour les enfants handicapés connait des avancées, selon le directeur de la protection sociale des personnes handicapées et des personnes âgées au MINAS. Aussi, au-delà de l’existence d’un cadre légal, le Cameroun abrite de nombreuses institutions publiques et privées qui travaillent à promouvoir l’inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap et qui soutiennent l’éducation puis la formation professionnelle via les départements ministériels sollicités. Le pays a par exemple signé et ratifié des conventions internationales relatives à l’inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap dont l’une des manifestations est le Décret N°2021/250 du 27 avril 2021 portant ratification du Traité de Marrakech visant à faciliter l’accès des aveugles, des déficients visuels et des personnes ayant d’autres difficultés de lecture des textes imprimés aux œuvres publiées. Toujours dans la même veine, des écoles essentiellement inclusives ont été créées par le ministère des affaires (MINAS) à côté de celles qui ont été réadaptées pour les besoins de la cause. Avec les organisations de la société civile (Osc), des ordinateurs adaptés pour les personnes déficientes visuelles ont été mis en place. Le personnel enseignant a bénéficié des sessilns de renforcement des capacités. Plus de 4000 enseignants ont été formés en matière d’enseignement inclusif. Le rôle de la société civile L’Ong Sightsavers, qui est l’un des partenaire des départements ministériels impliqués dans le projet d’inclusion des enfants handicapés, travaille avec ces ministères pour une plus grande inclusion notamment dans la promotion de l’éducation. Selon ses responsables, plusieurs conventions et engagements ont été signés ou passés avec les administrations publiques, les Communes, les acteurs de la société civile, les familles et les communautés. Deux programmes ont été élaborés. Le dernier est intitulé « A better world », explique Acha Rita de Sightsavers. Un cahier de charges en cours d’élaboration avec le MINAS pour diverses activités est sur les rails, a-t-elle indiqué. Dans sa demarche, l’ong a instauré la notion de « Champion de l’inclusion » à destination des écoles afin de distinguer « les meilleures en matière d’inclusion ». Elle se deploie en outre à travers près de 70

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The new regional Head of BUNEC Centre was installed on April 27, 2023, in Yaounde by General Manager, Alexandre Marie Yomo. 52 years old Joseph Laurent Kamgue Abbe was officially installed on Thursday, 27th April 2023 in Yaounde during a ceremony that gathered several officials, traditional chiefs, and relatives. Appointed on December 22, 2022, by the executive board of the National Civil Status Registration Office, known by its French acronym as BUNEC, Joseph Laurent Kamgue Abbe replaces Joseph Sylvain Endezoumou who occupied this post for close to six years. As underscored by the General Manager of BUNEC, Alexandre Marie Yomo who chaired the ceremony, the appointment of Mr. Kamgue Abbe by the executive board comes in as a quest for the amelioration of governance, efficiency and to strengthen the different actions carried out by BUNEC all over the national territory. Bracing up Challenges In his keynote address, Mr Yomo Alexandre Marie, General Manager of BUNEC said the newly appointed regional Head of the Centre has to show proof of the choice bestowed on him by the executive board, which certainly focused on his intellectual and academic references. He outlined the challenges the new regional Head of the BUNEC Centre will face, which are diverse and need to be handled with a lot of precaution. Besides, he called on Mr. Kamgue Abbe Joseph Laurent to keep a fruitful collaboration with different administrative, judicial, health, and council authorities as well as other stakeholders who have a pivotal role to play in the identification ecosystem of the region. Mr Yomo in his speech equally invited the new regional Head of BUNEC Centre to pay specific attention to: the reinforcement of service offers of the civil status registry in terms of training of staff, distribution of registrars, follow-up campaigns linked to registration; and the reinforcement of the coordination between key actors of identification ecosystem. The General Manager of BUNEC, Alexandre Marie Yomo also cited some relevant figures which need to be curbed by Mr. Kamgue Abbe and his teammates, as he takes on duties. “At this moment, the annual rate of birth registration in the Centre region is estimated at 54.9% and which is under the national rate evaluated at 69%. In the same vein, I wish to outline that, in the course of 2022, we have identified more than 210.000 schooled children who do not have birth certificates.” Mr. Yomo Alexandre Marie said. These figures as he explained are key indicators of a drop-down on the civil status registry and must be tackled efficiently. Other key challenges which need to be braced up such as the reinforcement of massive sensitization campaigns on the importance of civil status registration were equally unveiled by the General Manager of BUNEC. He pointed out the fact that the civil status registry impacts various national policies drawn up by the Head of State. He indicated that to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, there is a need to accentuate birth registration in particular and amplify actions for people to register. BUNEC’s General Manager assured the newly installed regional Head of his full support and availability for the successful accomplishment of his missions. About Joseph Kamgue Abbe Joseph Laurent Kamgue Abbe, newly appointed and installed regional Head of BUNEC Centre was born on January 10, 1971, in Evodoula, Lekie division in the Centre. He grabbed in 1999, a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Law and later on a Professional Master II, both at the University of Yaounde 2. On the professional plan, he has occupied the post of Adviser in industrial property at Global and Trade firm, GTT in Paris, France from 2005 to 2020.  And from 2020 to 2022, he served as a Jurist consultant at MAETUR in Cameroon. Added to this professional career are series of training at the higher teachers’ college of CAHAN in France and at the University of Paris XI. After a professional internship at BUNEC, Mr. Kamgue was recruited in 2022 and has served as one of the staff in the administrative and financial department until he was appointed regional head of BUNEC Centre. Joseph Laurent Kamgue Abbe is a 2nd class traditional ruler of the Mvog Onamnye 2 village in Evodoula. Elise Kenimbeni

In line with the series of training sessions on the digitalization of the civil status registry in Cameroon, the PAMEC II programme has launched in Bafoussam, West region a three-day workshop for registrars and clerks of five targeted councils. Participants convened at this three-day workshop that takes place from the 25 to 27 April 2023 in Bafoussam, West region of the country are from the Foumban, Dschang, Bangou, Bafoussam II and Mbouda councils. These five councils targeted within the framework of the pilot phase of the Support Program for the Modernization of Cameroon’s Civil Status Registry known by its French acronym as PAMEC II have been identified as those with a crucial need to upgrade their registration process. One of the trainees at this workshop, Emmanuel Sejine said the teaching has been fruitful and will help them in fulfilling their daily activities. Emmanuel Sejine, municipal officer from Mbouda said: “This training will not only help us to upgrade our knowledge but it will boost our activities in terms of registration of birth certificates, marriages, etc. Thanks to this workshop we are getting new tools as this will change several issues in terms of time and financial constraints. Concretely, these IT skills will reduce the cost of registers, save time for the staff of councils and the population…” On her part, Diane Lambo Yenika, registrar officiating at the Dschang council confessed she knew little of information and communication technologies before this workshop. Thanks to the PAMEC II programme co-funded by the German cooperation, GIZ and the Korean International Cooperation Agency, KOICA, these other sets of trainees will upgrade their knowledge with basic information and technology skills. “I think the digitalization of the civil status registry is very important simply because it serves archives; it helps us to easily register our population; to fight against fake certificates and with the help of computers we have an advantage of automatic corrections made.” She indicated after the training session. Moreover, Diane thinks such training sessions should be extended to all councils’ staff. According to Essama Dieudonne, one of the trainers of this second cohort of registrars and clerks of the 20 councils selected for this pilot phase, the methodology used to school the various participants is based on 30% of theory and 70% of practices. He said: “We opted for an andragogical methodology that focuses on 70 % of practice and 30% of theory because we understood from previous workshops that participants assimilate easily when they practice themselves activities. Furthermore, there is a simplified guide with six modules that helps us as trainers to facilitate the training.” These training sessions mainly focus on: the genesis of digital technologies; the field of application; the benefits of using digital technologies; the architecture and functioning of a microcomputer; input devices; the output peripherals; storage devices; operating systems and application software; how to start and stop a computer.         The Support Program for the Modernization of Cameroon’s Civil Status Registry, PAMEC II has been initiated to fill the gaps observed in several councils where few staff are computer literate. It was observed that registrations for birth, death, and marriage certificates were fully manual. Therefore, the fulfillment of this gap in basic IT skills sounded like a critical issue to be addressed through this pilot project which is placed under the banner of the Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development and the National Civil Status Registration Office, BUNEC. Elise Kenimbeni

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Close to 20 registrars and clerks of the civil status registry office from the South-West region are participating actively in a three-day workshop in Douala, Littoral region.  As part of a series of workshops organized by the Support Program for the Modernization of Cameroon’s Civil Status Registry known by its French acronym as PAMEC II, a three-day training workshop holds from April 18 to 20, 2023 in Douala. Participants trained in the course of this session that comes after the training workshop of trainers organized on April 13 to 14, 2023, are from the South-West region. The trainees who are registrars and clerks of the national civil status registration office, BUNEC were upskilled in basic information and technology tools. As indicated by organizers of this program, the training is aimed at helping trainees to have some skills in computer science; master how a computer works; list more than 6 peripheral devices that can be connected to a computer and their function; start and shut down a computer safely; use the Office suite to process text, create a spreadsheet and make a presentation; use the internet to conduct research, send and receive emails, interact on social networks; organize the filing of documents on a computer; use productive software on their tablets and smartphones as well as to make use of printers, scanners just to name these few. Anna Enanga Itambi Itoe is one of the 20 participants who have been trained in this first cohort of trainees of phase 2 of the PAMEC project. According to her, the training was not easy but was insightful. She has gained many new notions in computer sciences. “I wished to thank all the different trainers, the GIZ representative, and the staff of the national civil status registration office for this added value. It has not been easy for the past three days but we have learned a lot from the training granted to us through this program. All thanks go to PAMEC.” She pointed-out. Trainers of these practical sessions have focused training on the genesis of digital technologies; the field of application; the benefits of using digital technologies; the architecture and functioning of a microcomputer; input devices; the output peripherals; storage devices; operating systems and application software; how to start and stop a computer? Aude France Bensong, Chief of Service for data processing files and statistics in the BUNEC South-West region is one of the trainers trained by the PAMEC II, she praises this initiative which allows her to share in return with others what she has learned. She said: “The main objective of this training was to show the different participants how to make good use of their IT devices such as computers and smartphones. We taught them how to use google meet and create a video conference. And we focused on practical exercises that will greatly help them. We taught them how to draw tables with the content; create an Excel sheet with graphs. They did it themselves and we printed it. We are therefore sure that at the end of this training, many practical aspects unknown to the participants will benefit their services.” The 20 trainees were equally schooled on: the use of computer equipment; the use of a keyboard; the use of Microsoft Office; preventive maintenance of computer equipment; cybersecurity and data protection and on internet and computer networks. Co-financed by the Korean cooperation KOICA, the digitalization component of the Support Program for the Modernization of Cameroon’s Civil Status Registry, PAMEC II was launched in September 2022 by the Ministry of Decentralization and local development, MINDDEVEL with the key objective, of digitalizing civil status registry in some 20 pilot councils, notably in the North, West, South-West and South region s of the country. Worthy to note, the upcoming training sessions of this program will take place in, Bafoussam, Garoua, and Ebolowa. Elise Kenimbeni