Auteur/autrice : TimesNews2

Regional Pedagogic inspectors in charge of orientation and school life have been gathered in Yaounde, Cameroon for a three-day technical workshop. Close to 20 participants from the Center region were gathered in Yaounde, Cameroon as part of a three-day workshop that kicked-off on March 28, 2022. The training workshop that took place from the 28th to the 30th March 2022 enters within the framework of the project dubbed AVENIR, an initiative of Plan international Cameroon. Speaking on behalf of Plan International Cameroon, Project Coordinator, Diane Sidoine Kamgain stated out the raison d’être of the workshop which is a continuous move of the numerous projects undertaken by the international organization. “Plan International is an organization that promotes equal rights of children and young girls in particular. We have launched this workshop in order to upgrade the skills of regional pedagogic inspectors as there will be in the days ahead, impactful school projects that will be submitted to them. And to better appreciate such projects, they have to acquire necessary tools and tips on scrutinizing and evaluation of projects. This initiative of Plan International that aims at changing mentalities in the school milieu also acts as an advocacy move, as we work closely with decentralized services of the state for concrete results…” As underscored by Gisele Bekolo, Regional Pedagogic inspector in charge of social life in the Center, the school project is an initiative that emanates from the vision of heads of schools. She added the fact that, each principal has the ability to think on the vision that he or she wishes to reflect on his school within a given period. “One of the main problems we have on the field is that, Heads of schools are faced with the issue of conceiving a project for their schools and this workshop is an opportunity that will help to build and upgrade the skills of the various targets…” Gisele Bekolo said. Whuseni Patouse, regional pedagogic inspector in charge of school life in the Center, participant at the workshop acknowledged the fact that the gathering was added value to their professional activities. He said: “This training is going to help us to do the follow up. When we validate a school project within the academic year because school projects are been elaborated with the interval of three to five years, so when we validate the upcoming academic year we have to do what we call the evaluations. And at the end of this seminar, we will be really empowered…” Financed by the French Development Agency, AFD, the project known as AVENIR, coordinated by Plan International Cameroon, lays emphasis on quality inclusive education for a sustainable socio-economic empowerment of children and vulnerable young people notably girls and young women. Elise Kenimbeni

A one-day regional workshop to sensitize and advocate for the increase of budget allowances in the education sector has been launched on March 18, 2022 in Yaounde. Yaounde, Cameroon’s nation capital hosted on Friday 18th March 2022, a one-day regional workshop that focused on sensitizing and advocating for an increase in the budget allowances in the education sector. The move carried forward by Plan International Cameroon had as target participants local elected officials from the center region of the country. The close to 20 participants selected from councils were drilled on inclusive budgeting and on why they need to include in their various local budgets the education of the girlchild and vulnerable groups. Plan International Cameroon’s Avenir Project Manager, Mrs. Ongtokono Paule, in her speech unveiled essential issues surrounding the said project and its major stakes and challenges. As underscored by Mrs. Ongtokono Paule, one of the main objectives that seeks Plan International Cameroon through the current strategy, is to facilitate access to inclusive and quality education for girls, vulnerable children, children excluded and those at risk of exclusion in emergency situations. She said with regards to emerging health, humanitarian, socio-economic and security crises affecting Cameroon, the social sectors have witnessed cuts in resources allocated to them amidst the inflating needs of people. Reason why, local councils have to take on the lead in these important sectors notably by favouring an increase in the education sector as she outlined in her key note address. She added that, thanks to government’s efforts and many partners, access, quality and governance of education have witnessed a change, yet there is still much to be undertaken. Paule Ongtokono equallystressed on the fact that, the rate of achievement of school in the primary level is estimated at 70% in general with an estimate of 66.4% for girls. The initiative that comes at a moment several calls and campaigns have been launched nationwide has been praised by civil society organizations like the Cameroon Education for all Network, CEFAN currently leading the same fight in line with the Sustainable Development Goal number 4, laying emphasis on achieving inclusive and quality education for all. Regional coordinator of CEFAN in the Center region, Francois Nkeumi said: “This gathering helps us to meet face to face various stakeholders who are involved in our advocacy move aimed at increasing the budget allowances of the education sector and it also paves the way for us to highlight the importance of improving the education of the girlchild, people and children living with disabilities in the Center region. If this type of encounter is spread all over the country, it will impact greatly on this advocacy launched by Plan International Cameroon and partners like CEFAN…” Speaking on behalf of the Governor of the center region, Andre Eyebe Eyebe, Head of the police and administrative organization’s division at the governor’s services has outlined the fact that Cameroon is faced with the challenge of ensuring quality education to all boys and girls by 2030 in abid to achieve its sustainable development goals’ road map. The government has put in place a series of incentives and education policies in order to adhere to SDG number 4. The holding of such workshops by Plan International Cameroon is timely as he said in his key note address. Mayors, municipal councilors and other local development partners involved in the decentralization process have been called on to act as main facilitators in the field for the effective and concrete actions in terms of education of the pupils. Andre Eyebe Eyebe equally praised the efforts made so far by of all organizations engaged in the protection of children in Cameroon and requested for a massive support of government’s actions. Elise Kenimbeni

As part of strategies to tackle rising cases of sexual abuse and violence of children, CAMCRIN and Plan International Cameroon embark on the implementation of judiciary clinics nationwide. It was disclosed on Friday 11th March 2022 in Yaounde, during a one-day advocacy workshop initiated by local based civil society organization network known as Cameroon Child Rights, CAMCRIN and Plan International Cameroon under the patronage of the ministry of women’s empowerment and the family, MINPROFF that judiciary clinics will be put in place with the help of government and key actors. The implementation of judiciary clinics described as cells or centers that will come in support of vulnerable children is one of the major points highlighted during the advocacy workshop that gathered various actors fully concerned with children’s rights. Dr Sayang Collins, interim country Representative of Plan International Cameroon, in his address has acknowledged the fact that with the advent of new forms of information and technologies, several strides have been made in terms of communication, thus paving the way to opened denunciations. He stated that: “Faced with the prevailing changes, some women who have become more aware of issues related to power relations and the influence of dynamics have organized in groups now in urban areas. They now have access to reflection forums, succeeding in taking part in debates, development issues and even part of decision making. For some, this has led to the transformation of their social, legal, economic and political status but for others, for whom the majority live in rural areas and particularly in some urban settings, relations and relationships with men are still publicly rooted in the traditional values mentioned above…” Speaking to participants and officials convened for the workshop, the interim country Representative of Plan International Cameroon unveiled critical figures which should be strangled for effective intervention. Dr Sayang Collins pointed-out the crucial need to silence sexual violence and abuse on children notably the girlchild, which persistently exist in many communities due to customs, traditions and beliefs. “Notwithstanding signs of modernity, women’s social and economic responsibilities have not evolved significantly. 39% of women and 42% of men aged between 15 and 49 years reported have experienced physical violence since the age of 15. Regarding sexual violence overall, 13% of women aged 15 to 49 reported have experienced sexual violence by someone at some point in their lives. And 5% has experienced it recently in the last 12 months. More than 4 out of 10 women of the same age group in a union or in a broken union declared that they had at some point experienced violence in the form of emotional, physical or sexual violence… 6% of young women have already entered into first union before reaching their 15.” Dr Sayang said. The acting president of CAMCRIN on his part said despite concerted efforts by government to upgrade the status of the woman and the girlchild in Cameroon, there are still a wide range of gaps observed that should be filled in like under education of girls, access to justice, access to land etc. As he stated in his speech, it is with regret that they have noted the absence of a child protection code, the absence of an adapted justice with specialized jurisdictions for children, the lack of juvenile justice platforms at the central and local levels and besides, the weak policies and national instruments that highlight the rights of children. During his exchanged with media practitioners, the president of CAMCRIN, Leon Bertrand Enama said: “There are a lot of cases of violence and abuse recorded so far and if access to justice is not favourable, this will encourage more authors of such acts. It is therefore important for us to strengthen mechanisms that will help us have more sanctions and when these sanctions will be applicable, we shall find ourselves with abuse cases reduced in our communities. Reason why for this workshop, we targeted a great number of key actors in the judicial chain at the national level, we convened forces of order, social services, lawyers who are highly represented for judicial follow-up and besides, civil society organizations that will heighten sensitization on the ground as well as other actors such as traditional chiefs who have a key role to play in their various communities notably in terms of denunciation…” The advocacy workshop chaired officially by Mrs. Koukreo Maipa Wespa, Inspector number one in the ministry of women’s empowerment and the family was the occasion to spotlight the existing inequalities between girls and boys, women and men as a hindrance to the development of the country. As indicated by the Inspector of MINPROFF, the 37th edition of the international women’s day observed on March 8, granted opportunity to amplify the voices of women and girls in terms of discrimination and empowerment. Participating at the workshop Barrister Kuhsen Nicoline underscored the fact that as lawyers working with CAMCRIN they have been supporting many of their activities. She said: “We want to accompany CAMCRIN at the judicial level, be it at the start with cases of violence on children. We assist them, give them advice, do consultations if need be before the court. We noticed that CAMCRIN has been doing a lot with Plan International to protect the right of the child but as lawyers we can only assist them where they need execution of their rights…” Plan International Cameroon, as a leading organization that strives for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls has carried-out a good number of activities to back-up CAMCRIN and help the government of Cameroon in the implementation of its various national policies such as that on Gender adopted in 2015. Elise Kenimbeni

As part of activities marking the 37th edition of the international women’s day on March 8, the female staff of the ministry of social affairs organized a gastronomic fair in Yaounde, Cameroon. After series of weeklong activities launched by the ministry of social affairs in order to celebrate the international women’s day observed every March 8, the female staff organized in grand style a gastronomic fair. The event that took place on March 7, 2022 at the esplanade of the ministry in Yaounde was an occasion to showcase the various traditional delicacies of Cameroon. As indicated by the Gender Focal point in the ministry of social affairs, the female staff have seized the occasion of the numerous activities launched to expose their culinary know-how. Maurine Ndengho, Inspector number 2, by the way Gender Focal point said the gastronomic fair has been chosen as one of their activities as a form of expression of the dynamism of women working tiredly everyday both in the office and at home. She said: “We just wanted to showcase the dynamism of a woman. We are in the office every morning, we come and we work, we treat files and back home again we still have time to take care of our families (husbands and children), so we wanted to really show to our male collaborators to savour the good cooking from their female colleagues. It is just to show that, a woman is a special human being, and a woman is a wonderful person…” The menus that were exhibited at the one-day gastronomic fair were from the various cultural zones that make up Cameroon. “We splitted the ten regions of Cameroon into four groups. We have joined the West and North-West regions that we call grassfields, that is why we have showcased meals like achu, koki, kati-kati fufu corn and then for others; we had the sawa cultural group which is made up of the South West and Littoral regions. Here we had ndole, ekwang, fufu and eru. And then for the Grand centre as commonly called, it is represented by the Center, East and South regions. We had okok, sanga, mbongo and for the Grand North that makes up the three northern regions, we had pap, rice fufu and their traditional okro soup known as lalo etc.” To commune with the female staff of her ministerial department, Social affairs’ Patroness, Pauline Irene Nguene cut the ribbon to officially open the gastronomic fair event. The Minister under the guidance of Gender Focal point was introduced to the different communities that exhibited their traditional meals. The Minister appreciated the variety and nice meals offered by the female staff. A group of dance and a fashion parade to highlight Cameroon’s multi-cultural facets were equally on the agenda of the gathering which is part of the grand celebration of March 8 2022 reserved by the staff of MINAS. The celebration of the 37th edition of the international women’s day (IWD) is placed under the theme: “Gender Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. Elise Kenimbeni

Social affairs Minister, Pauline Irene Nguene officially chaired the launching ceremony of the national program on capacity building of young girls and women in Yaounde, Cameroon. A two-day training programme aimed at upgrading the skills of young girls and women was officially launched in Yaounde, Cameroon under the patronage of social affairs’ Minister, Pauline Irene Nguene. The programme that took place on the 4th and 5th March 2022 at the national episcopal conference hall in Mvolye, Yaounde was placed under the theme: “The Empowerment of girls and women for sustainability and development.” Initiated by local based association known as Light outreach foundation international, LOFI, the programme that enters within the framework of the 37th edition of the international day of women, targets mostly young girls and women in great need of support and income-generating activities. Founder and national Coordinator of LOFI, Pastor Thomas Nkeh said openly that thanks to subvention granted by the ministry of social affairs to his association in 2018, over a hundred children were able to return to school. He said through the gesture, the Minister Pauline Irene Nguene has positively impacted in the lives of many children affected by the crisis. He said thanks to such training initiatives, many girls and women are able to have at least the minimum to feed on themselves and their families. “No foundation in the North-West region did what we did to promote back to school this year. We went to five villages, where no bike go to… We can still do more.” Pastor Nkeh Thomas said. Pastor Nkeh however acknowledged that many still need to be done in order to relieve the vulnerable communities and solicited the support of the ministry of social affairs at various levels. The need for an official authorization in abid to accentuate activities of LOFI; the need to reduce custom duties as the association receives goods from foreign partners in India and funding just to name these few were outlined by the Pastor who pledge for the continuous patronage of the ministry of social affairs. In her keynote address, the minister of social affairs praised the initiative which to her, is a quick response in the reinforcement and acceleration of the fight against social marginalization of women, the girlchild and other vulnerable groups in Cameroon. Minister Nguene said: “The training and integration of these major components of the population is of prime importance to the government of Cameroon. This reflects the government desire to develop multi-sectoral partnership for the benefit of vulnerable people in our communities, especially women and the girlchild through the establishment of numerous projects with key partners like LOFI…” Pauline Irene Nguene added that, there is need to encourage actions undertaken by LOFI which, despite the current crisis in the North-West and South-West regions braces up the challenges to support vulnerable groups there. LOFI through its various activities mainstreams government’s social policy in tackling inequalities and social injustices. “The training programme dubbed: Women and girls’ empowerment for sustainability and development comes in at the right time to join the efforts put in place by the ministry of social affairs in order to eradicate challenges faced by vulnerable groups in our nation like widowhood challenges, abandoned orphan children in our communities, marginalization and all sort of injustices on the girlchild, Gender based violence etc. All types of vulnerabilities… This training demands that we should reflect on the major challenges faced by the vulnerable groups in our nation, it is an opportunity for us to show our commitment to tackle these obstacles in our various communities, for we have the assignment to come up with sustainable contribution, for the consolidation of social justice, living togetherness, partnership and civic behavior for the development of our beloved nation…” The trainees were called on by the Minister to act as good ambassadors in their various communities with the aim of transforming and empowering themselves and other vulnerable groups. For the two day programme, seasoned trainers were selected to upskill the trainees on how to: set up their micro-businesses, soap and cake making, designing of clothes, dresses etc. The association light outreach foundation international intervenes in the areas of Gender Based violence, food security and livelihood, environmental sustainability, protection and peace building, recovery and reconstruction, education and health etc. Elise Kenimbeni

Madame Nka née Fouda Régine fait l’objet d’une cabale pour avoir protégé son établissement scolaire des impacts d’une grève des enseignants organisée par le mouvement « On a trop supporté ». Au plus fort de la grève menée depuis quelques semaines au Cameroun  par le mouvement « On a trop supporté » (OTS) ,  ayant mesuré les risques et évalué les premiers impacts négatifs sur l’ensemble de l’ établissement d’enseignement secondaire dont elle a la charge a Yaoundé ,des gendarmes ont été sollicité par Madame le Proviseur du Lycée de Biyem-Assi, par le canal du sous-préfet de l’arrondissement de Yaoundé 6,  dans le but de demander aux enseignants grévistes de manifester à l’extérieur de l’établissement scolaire. Un acte justifié par les dispositions de la loi N 98/004 du 14 Avril 1998 portant orientation de l’éducation au Cameroun.  L’article 27, alinéa 1 stipule que « l’enceinte d’un Etablissement d’enseignement est inviolable, alinéa 2 « les chefs d’établissement scolaire sont responsables du maintien de l’ordre dans leur établissement » alinéa 3 « l’intervention des forces de l’ordre ne peut y avoir lieu que sur réquisition expresse du chef d’établissement et alinéa 4 «  en cas de défaillance dans l’accomplissement de leur mission de maintien de l’ordre , les Chefs d’établissement sont supplées de plein droit par les autorités hiérarchiques ou de tutelle » Malgré ces dispositions légales respectées par Madame le Proviseur, le mouvement OTS, s’est fendu dans un communiqué rendu public le 4 Mars 2022 truffé de menaces à l’endroit du Chef d’établissement et aussi des forces de police et de gendarmerie. Un véritable brulot qui transpire de la colère et de l’aigreur des attitudes tout à fait contraire à ce qui est attendu d’un mouvement syndical qui se respecte. Un mouvement aujourd’hui divisé par des levées de mot d’ordre et des préavis de grève introduits au même moment. De quoi y perdre son latin. Ce qui n’empêche pas au gouvernement Camerounais de garder la main tendu vers les enseignants en grève pour trouver des solutions efficaces à la liste des revendications légitimes. Faire grève ne s’accommode pas du trouble à l’ordre public. C’est le message que Madame le proviseur du Lycée de Biyem-Assi a tenu à passer à ses collaborateurs à qui elle n’a nullement retiré le droit de grève mais recommandé de manifester hors de l’enceinte de l’établissement au regard des troubles que la manifestation engendre sur le reste de l’établissement mettant en péril le climat social. Toutefois, au détour d’une vidéo devenue virale sur la toile et du communiqué incendiaire de certains leaders du mouvement OTS, tout porte à croire que l’objectif de ces derniers n’est pas de respecter la loi mais d’en découdre avec le proviseur qui n’est pourtant que dans son rôle de chef d’établissement garant de la sécurité de l’école à laquelle elle préside aux destinées depuis des années sans fioritures. Par Arlette Tchoumi