News Letter_July 2023_ ENGLISH_ XP3

MCAOMNETRHOOLYN HIGHLIGHTS july 2023 GIRLS IN ACTION

EDITORIAL HAPPY FISCAL YEAR 2024 in their best to respond to the needs of vul- nerable children and their families even in F rom 85 years ago with the little Josue, the most difficult and hard to reach areas. the survivor of the Spanish war who Our partners and supporters, should is at the root of Plan International, always understand that, this would not passing through Suzanne Mouli the very have been made possible without their first sponsored child in Cameroon till date, valuable and timely touch. Their support our goal has remained the same : TO has been instrumental to helping us ENSURE EVERY CHILD IS HEALTHY, achieve our target of reaching 2 million EDUCATED, PROTECTED, VALUED, girls in Cameroon to learn, lead, decide RESPECTED AND HEARD. and thrive. In July, each and every year, we celebrate This is not just the end of the fiscal year but the end of our fiscal year and the start of a the start of a new journey, a more ambi- new year. In Cameroon, it is an opportunity tious one, one that comes with the hope of to acknowledge efforts made to create a achieving a fully gender transformed soci- lasting impact in the lives of children and ety, where every Cameroonian child/girl youths. This past year was marked by sev- will be able to live free from violence, fear eral challenges and changes which gave a and discrimination, and given equal free- new vision to our works in Cameroon. We dom, equal power and an equal chance to embarked on a youth-centered and true thrive in any domain of life. community-led approaches to our pro- While we are right to live in hope of a prom- gramming work, empowering youths to be ising new year, this is the time to learn from the main actors of the promotion of their the challenges of the past year and draw rights and giving them the possibility to be lessons to continue delivering impact for true agents of change in their various com- children and girls. munities. Cheers to renewed strength and com- Putting girls and young women’s agency mitment, and a promising year for girls and leadership at the center of our organi- in Cameroon. sation, we were able to set up a Girls Get Equal Network (GGE) in all of our offices, The Editor engaging youth activists and youth-led civil Dr Paul Fagnon society organisations to push forward our common agendas for youth rights. This is also an opportunity to appreciate all of our colleagues, staff, contract workers, interns and volunteers actively engaged in our over 1200 communities who fervently gave 2 Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH 1 Girls' \"Education Cannot Wait\": The Multiyear Resilience Programme launched at regional levels T here is a need to improve access to support the resilience of Cameroon's edu- inclusive quality education for nearly cation system. a quarter of a million refugee girls and Committed implementing partners: boys (227,000), internally displaced per- UNICEF, UNHCR, UNESCO, Plan Interna- sons, returnees and full members of host tional, NRC and WFP, in collaboration with communities in Cameroon. Educating a girl the Cameroonian government, believe an impacts other girls, the youth, the family, additional $50 million in resources is the community and the entire nation. urgently needed to secure the future of On 10 July 2023, the cities of Bafoussam, 454,000 displaced, refugee and returnee Ebolowa and Ngaoundéré hosted regional children and adolescents from host com- workshops for mayors on the Education munities in the North West, South West, Cannot Wait Multi-Year Resilience Pro- Far North, East and Adamawa regions, in gramme. These regional workshops, line with the Cameroon government's plans organised jointly in three hubs, were for education in the affected areas. designed as platforms for sharing informa- The national launch of the program is tion and exchanging ideas, to enable the expected to take place in early September mayors of the 64 target communes take 2023. ownership of the programme's approach and objectives, and build their capacity to With an emphasis on investments in gender equality, disability inclusion, and mental health and psychosocial support, the multi-year programme will increase the capacity of the national education system to plan, monitor, coordinate, finance and deliver quality educational responses in crisis-affected areas. “At a time when reflections on the transformation of education are underway, this new program, namely the Multi-Year Resilience Programme funded by ECW, will make it possible to strengthen the resilience of our education system and increase opportunities for all girls and boys affected by the various crises raging in Cameroon to access a quality inclusive education in a healthy, safe and protective environment.” Professor Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, Minister of Basic Education. Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023 3

2 TECH Girls 2023: Every girl can excel in tech with fully empowered. D jamdoudou, Lindsay and Beryl, lau technology and computer camp, then -reates of the world Tech Girls pro travel to one of the following cities (Austin, gram 2023 to represent Cameroon Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, or Se- in the USA. The 3 young girls, bearers of attle) for community and career explora- innovative tech projects accompanied by tion. Upon their return home, they will be their parents and mentor, Arielle Kitio, were empowered to conduct community-based received at Plan International Cameroon projects with 7 months of mentorship. before their induction trip to the USA. Paul Fagnon, Country Director a.i for Plan These are upcoming celebrities who will International Cameroon joined by Estelle influence the perception of girls in Tiobouo, Head of Operations congratulat- ICT/STEM in many countries. ed the champions and restated the organi- Sharing their experiences, they testified sation's youth-centered approach that aims that seeing other women excelling in the amongst others to support initiatives that field highly inspired them to believe in aim to empower young girls to embrace themselves. They hope to also serve as STEM fields. Plan International Cameroon role models to young girls in their commu- while wishing to the tech champions a suc- nities which still does not reconcile girls cessful trip, opens the doors to its over and technology. Our three Tech Girls Am- 1200 communities to catalyse greater bassadors will engage in an interactive impact. TechGirls brings together 15 competitively-selected American young women (ages 15-17) with 111 peers from 35 coun- tries/territories around the world for a 25-day international exchange program focused on the in-depth exploration of applied technology and STEM topics with a 8-month mentoring program (including pre- and post-exchange). Sub-Saharan Africa region is represented by Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. “The world is becoming increasingly dependent on technology and digital solutions. So much so that digital litera- cy has become almost as important as traditional literacy. The gender divide in digital access, digital literacy, and ICT education and occupations hinders girls and adolescent girls' access to the benefits and opportunities that digital technologies offer.” Dr Paul Fagnon, Head of Program and Country Director a.i. 4 Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023

3 Women Deliver 2023 : Empowering Girls and Young Women to Stand up for their rights. “I won’t stop until I see invest in girls' ensured key message from the country as Empowerment and Inclusion in all deci- well as encouragement are provided to sion-making spaces in my country. No Jania prior to the representative trip in matter how long, one thing am sure of, Rwanda. Mrs Dontsop Adeline, Deputy is that, it’s possible, so let’s do it!” Yo- Director for the Promotion of National Inte- simbom Jania Ney is an 18-year-old youth gration at the Ministry of Youth and Civic activist selected by Plan International over Education, representing the Minister of thousands of applicants as moderator of Youth Affairs and Civic Education accom- the Girls Deliver: Preconference on Ado- panied by Mr Mongbet Marcel, the Head of lescent girls to take place during the the Youth Mobilisation and Guidance De- Women Deliver 2023 High-Level Confer- partment were assigned to officially ence in Kigali, Rwanda. handed over the Cameroonian flag to our Yaoundé, 13th July 2023 – Plan Interna- young activist. Together, Plan International tional Cameroon and institutional partners Cameroon and partners aimed to find solu- MINJEC, MINPROFF and MINPOSTEL tions to the issues affecting girls and women in Cameroon and Africa at large. Speaking on behalf of the millions of adolescent girls in West, Central, Middle, East, and South East Africa during the Pre-conference on Adolescent Girls spotlighting Girls in Crises, panelists reemphasised the urgent need to invest in girls' Empowerment and Inclusion in all decision-making spaces. They strengthened the need for a coalition of actions for adolescent girls. They must be meaningfully engaged and given the chance to influence decisions around policies that impact their lives. 5 Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023

As one of the largest multi-sectoral gatherings to advance gender equality, bringing together 6,000 advocates on-site and over 200,000 advocates online from diverse fields, the Women Deliver 2023 conference was co-created by women community advocates, civil society, multilateral governments, the private sector, philanthropic organisations and young people, including from and representing communities facing systemic discrimination around the world. “All 150 of us really came together - from NOs, COs, Youth networks, GH, and RH - and everyone worked together to achieve a very successful week for Plan. From thank-you notes, to bi-lateral follow-up, to reporting, to external communication, and our own internal review to help shape future engagements like this one (UNGA, PMNCH, COP, and GRF) are right around the corner.” Kathleen Sherwin, Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer Plan International. Create more flexible and sustainable Youth-Friendly Funding opportunities for youth-led Organizations; Partner with youth-led organizations during the design, implementation, and evaluation of policies that concerns Youths especially girls; # Standingwithgirls and coming to the Create a setting where Youth Activists, very end of a remarkable and inspira- Government, Civil Society Organiza- tional tions, Donors will be able to sit down, #WD2023 event, Jania, the youth activ- talk, and act on issues regarding the ist sponsored by Plan International wellbeing of Girls and Young people; during her High-Levels speaking roles Put girls at the center of CSOs mandate called on Stakeholders (Government, and initiatives regarding Climate Civil Society Organizations, Donors) to: change, Hunger, ICT/STEM, Education, Menstrual Hygiene, etc. Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023 6

4 SWEDD project : Gian steps towards its full implementation in Cameroon. P lan International's Regional Office for The workshop was led by Ms Afiavi Seho- West and Central Africa has been nou-Tchona, focal point for women's em- mandated to provide technical assis- powerment, from Plan International's Re- tance for the implementation of women's gional Office for West and Central Africa, economic empowerment interventions, on a working visit to Cameroon, in the pres- with a view to improving the coverage, ence of Dr Mbah Ngami Glory, the project's quality and effectiveness of these interven- national coordinator. tions. The workshop ended with group works that Experts from the management unit of the enabled participants to propose promising Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demo- innovations in economic empowerment in graphic Dividend (SWEDD) project met in Cameroon, identify success factors for the Yaounde on July 26th 2023 for a workshop implementation of interventions and formu- to assess the technical assistance needs in late support needs for the successful view of increasing economic opportunities implementation of the project. for young girls and women in Cameroon. Launched in November 2015 in seven countries with financial support from the World Bank, technical support from UNFPA and the West African Health Organisation, the SWEDD project aims to accelerate the demographic transition, trigger the demographic dividend and reduce gender inequalities in the Sahel region. In phase 2, extended to 10 countries including Cameroon and covering the period 2020 to 2024, SWEDD is focusing, among other things, on increasing economic opportunities for young girls and women and improving regional capacity to share knowledge and good practice. 7 Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023

Far North: Patient care, particularly for 5 pregnant women, needs to be stepped up. Health managers from 07 districts in the Far North region met for 2 days in the town of Maroua to discuss the progress made in their various health areas in terms of antenatal and postnatal care, child immunisation and the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. These meetings bear witness to the synergy of action between Plan International and the Ministry of Public Health, with the support of the Global Fund. C ommunity health workers were con This attitude should also be reflected in gratulated on the successful organi general respect for human rights, and in sation of educational conferences, particular the inclusion of girls and people home visits, advocacy work and treatment with disabilities. of uncomplicated malaria. They were also These meetings testify to the synergy of urged to restore patients' confidence by action between Plan International and the adopting a more professional attitude. Ministry of Health, with the support of the Global Fund. Every three years, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria calls on global leaders, advocates, and partners to commit to defeating all three diseases, ending health inequity, and stop- ping preventable loss of life. Today, the fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria is at a precarious junc- ture. Stagnated funding, population growth, climate change, and humanitarian crises, as well as grow- ing drug and insecticide resistance, have further hindered our ability to make progress against these diseases. “Now is the moment to accelerate our efforts, to reduce health inequities, to reduce barriers to access — including gender and human rights barriers — and to build more inclusive health care systems to leave no one behind.\" Joseph R. Biden, Jr. President of the United States. 8 Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023

6 ECHO 1 : Capitalisation and closing workshop held in Maroua. T oday, children aged 6 to 17 affected community structures, the organisation of by the conflicts and displacements in remedial classes (CARED), the strength- the Makary and Igawa-Mémé localities ening of Temporal Learning Spaces for the will be able to continue their education by implementation of the Accelerate Educa- joining secondary schools or vocational tion Programme and the organisation of training centres, thanks to the 18-month awareness-raising campaigns. extension of the project. The theme that underpinned the workshop, Between 2020 and 2023, ECHO1 Project, translating the objective of the project was: implemented by Plan International Camer- “Education in emergency situations for oon and NRC with funding from the Euro- out-of-school children affected by displace- pean Union will have contributed to the ment in the Far North region”. strengthening of school governance and Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023 9

“Plan for Girls”: hands over of equipment 7 to local authorities in Garoua. \"Thanks to the actions of Plan International and particularly those of the Plan for Girls project, we believe that the equipment received will boost our data collection and enable us to deploy effectively in the communities\". T hese were the words of Mr Hamadou and chairs for an operational office, as well Robert, Regional Delegate for Social as motorbikes. This is part of the organisa- Affairs in the North, on receiving the tion's contribution to the government's equipment as part of the Plan for Girls efforts to ensure that vulnerable children, project (undertaken thanks to funding from particularly girls, are protected from abuse World Affairs Canada). and violence and live in communities with The support consisted mainly of desktop stronger, more responsive response computers, printers, inverters, cupboards mechanisms. The project Plan for Girls will help empower adolescent girls in Benin and Cameroon. It will give them access to improved, adolescent-friendly services in the areas of education, sexual and reproductive health and rights and economic empowerment by creating an integrated package of core, community-level activities for adolescents. The project uses an approach that put girls at the center of its actions, working in collaboration with parents, community leaders and governments, to advance gender equality and empower adolescent girls. Lorem ipsum 04 8 Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023

8 4th Cameroon Bloggers Summit : Plan International Cameroon reminds young people of their role as \"Agents of Change\". \"Girls have so much to contribute to society. Look around you, and you will see the marvels that young girls and women can do when given the chance. We have been left aside for too long because of discriminatory practices and stereotypes, but no more. It is high time we get the place we deserve. I know my potentials and I won't let anything stop me just because I am a girl.\" - Aicha, filled with emotions and firm determination, presented her advocacy to rally her peers for girls' rights during the training with Plan International. I n one of the rooms of the Institut Français -tive hygiene, responsible use of social net- du Cameroun (Yaoundé), 150 young works, positive masculinity to foster gender people, including internally displaced per- equality, rights, etc. sons, and their supervisors, all from three The discussions unearthed some brilliant secondary schools in Cameroon, took part gender activists. The young people seized in an information and awareness-raising the opportunity to affirm their commitment session led by a team from Plan Interna- to being agents of change in their various tional Cameroon. environments and on social networks. Among the topics addressed by the young people were reproductive health, reproduc 11 Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023

9 ANNOUNCEMENT Mohamed Bah (MB), the new Country Programme Unit in Guinea, and estab- Director of Plan International Cameroon lished the Donor Services Department– the will resume early in August 2023. The first program in the region to start working position was previously held by Dr. Paul with Community Volunteers and do com- Fagnon, PhD who was acting as interim munity management of projects. Country Director following the departure of Mohamed has accumulated experience at Johson Bien-Aimée, who was also acting community, Field Office/Program Unit and as interim Country Director. at Country Management level in different With over 23 years of experience in Plan countries. He has worked in sponsorship, across West Africa, MB has an exceptional grants and program functions in normal understanding of Plan having worked as circumstances, in conflict and in post con- Programme Unit Manager, Sponsorship flict situations. and Grants Support Manager, Programme Mohamed Bah has a degree in Sociology Support Manager and Country Director in from the Fourah Bay College, University of different countries. Sierra Leone. He also has several certifi- He exemplifies Plan’s value and approach cates in Program and Financial Manage- as an enabler of change through the com- ment including the Plan Certificate in Man- munity for children. He contributed agement... [MORE NEXT MONTH] immensely to the opening of the first Plan Cameroon Monthly Highlights - July 2023 12

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor in Chief : Dr Paul Fagnon, Acting CD Coordination/ Editing & Publishing : Dr Eddy Patrick Donkeng Contact: Layout and design : Balbine Ngwa - Communication and Media Officer/ Tankeu William - Graphic Designer Contributors : Dr Paul Fagnon, Dr Eddy Patrick, Mireille Lassou, Djamilatou Nenne.

thanks to our partners and funders Ministère des Relations Extérieures (MINREX) - Plan International GLOBAL HUB Ministère de la Promotion de la Femme et de la Famille (MINPROFF) - Plan International CANADA Ministère des Affaires Sociales (MINAS) - Plan International ANGLETERRE Ministère des Postes et Télécommunications (MINPOSTEL) - Plan International SUEDE Ministère des Enseignements Secondaires (MINESEC) - Plan International ALLEMAGNE Ministère de l’Education de Base (MINEDUB) - Plan International IRELAND Ministère de la Jeunesse et de l’Education Civique (MINJEC) - Plan International FRANCE Ministère de la Santé Publique (MINSANTE) - Plan International JAPON Ministère de l’Administration Territoriale et de la Décentralisation (MINATD) - Plan International FINLANDE - Plan International PAYS-BAS Derrière Usine Bastos, Opposite the Click on the links below for more; Embassy of the Republic of Niger, Yaounde Follow Us Tel: 222 21 54 58 Facebook: Plan International Cameroon P.O. Box 25236 Twitter: @PlanCameroon Website: plan-international.org/Cameroon Instagram: plan_cameroon About Plan international Founded in 1937, Plan International is an independent global organization defending the rights of the child, committed to supporting vulnerable and marginalized children and their communities to lift themselves out of poverty. By actively connecting committed people with strong ideas, we work together to bring about positive, profound and lasting changes in the lives of children and young people. For over 80 years, we have supported girls and boys and their communities in more than 70 countries around the world to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to assert their rights, lift themselves out of poverty and live fulfilled and positive life. We strive for lasting and large scale impact to ensure children, young people and their communities have access to protection, quality, inclusive education, health information and services and decent work and entrepreneurship opportunities.