On December 3rd, 2018, the United Nations GA adopted a resolution to celebrate the international day of education, slated for January 24th2019. This celebration was to recognize the foundation role of #educationfor peace and development. This decision was adopted during the Global Education meeting held at Brussels and lasted from 3-5th of December. This resolution thus demonstrated the world’s will and determination to providing quality education to all and achieving sustainable development by 2030.

This significant celebration reiterates the benefits of education for development and peace, quality education and the rights of the student community. This celebration didn’t only highlight the importance of education but equally its significance in achieving other SDGs by 2030. Education helps in eradicating poverty, providing livelihood, improving health and sanitation, attaining gender equality and reduced crime among others. Education being a human right, is also a common good and public responsibility. In a nutshell, promoting education is one of the most vital points to be acted upon in every progressive society ,adapting to modernized academic programs.

It is to this effect that the Southwest Development and Emancipation Initiative (SODEI);a charitable NGO working to promote community development and Emancipation in the southwest region of Cameroon through education, took upon themselves to empower students in secondary schools in Buea. Empowering them to rise above poverty, conflict and violence in order to create positive change in the country.

SODEI organized a two days outreach in secondary schools in Buea on the 24 and 25 of January2019 respectively to celebrate the International Day of Education in Summer set Bilingual High school and Baptism High school with the theme: Youth Participation in their Education. The targeted classes where forms 1-4, the students were engaged in a series of participatory and interactive activities. The organization team members gave them a brief summary of what education was all about, its importance and why it should be celebrated. The students were shared into groups and together they came up with different ideas to build an educational tree.

This was crowned with the distribution of learning materials such as books, pens, calculators, math set, and rulers to enhance their learning. SODEI also handed a copy of the Safe Schools Declaration to the school principals. They all expressed gratitude as they received these gifts. The outcome of the events in the schools was positive as the students took the lead and actively engaged in the various interactive activities. Participants took home important messages on education to pass on to their parents and the communities.

SODEI reaches out to Internally Displaced Persons in Douala – Cameroon
On the 24th of December 2018, SODEI carried out another outreach in Bonaberi, Douala, Littoral Region Cameroon. In line with our determination to fight against poverty, hunger and human suffering we reached out to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) running from conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions and hosted by some sympathizers in Douala. The outreach mainly targeted families and children directly affected by the conflict in the two English-speaking regions and without basic means of survival as a result of displacement and loss of means of survival.

SODEI #Youths4Peace team alongside SODEI Youth Ambassadors Helen and Justin went with Christmas presents including food and dresses for the affected families. Food items such as rice, magi, spaghetti and salt were distributed to the families directly affected by the conflict. Play toys and dresses were equally distributed to children of the affected families. About 50 children benefited from this gesture. They event was full of smiles as the kids and their families were happy and appreciated their gifts and thanked the SODEI team for the gesture of kindness during the Christmas season.

The families expressed gratitude towards SODEI for reaching out in times of distress and suffering. The children sang Christmas carols and danced with the SODEI team. The SODEI team also made further inquiries about the living conditions of these families. Many problems were raised including poor health and sanitary conditions, lack of portable drinking water and the lack of access to education for the children.

SODEI is looking forward to another visit to offer items such as mattresses to these families. Your kind gestures of support will be much appreciated….

LESPLAY is a SODEI concept combining three rights crucial for the development of full potentials of the child – the rights to education, to be heard and to play. LESPLAY is a platform for children and young people to express themselves through creative arts and other extracurricular activities. It combines arts, computer training and reading to provide kids with a wholesome learning experience.

LE in LESPLAY stands for Learn. We believe in the right to quality education and most importantly access to education for children. All children should be able to learn under favorable conditions.

S in LESPLAY stands for Speak. We believe in children’s right to be heard in matters concerning them. It is important for children to be agents in the development of their potentials by expressing their views on the world they want to live in and their role in making it so.

Play is more than just fun for children; it is how they learn and grow. Play is essential for children’s overall health and development. It allows children to attain physical, cognitive and emotional growth and strength. All children have the right to education, to be heard and to play. These interrelated rights are important for the development of the full potentials of the child.

The goal of LESPLAY is to inspire and empower disadvantaged children and young people by providing a safe space for fun and learning. We believe in a world where all children have access to quality education and are prepared for the challenges of the 21 century. We aim to contribute to a resilient generation of youths by providing some of the tools necessary to prepare children to be able to play an active role in the sustainable development and advancement of their communities.

The project launch coincides with World Children’s Day 2019. SODEI used this opportunity to celebrate the day with children by organizing a series of activities. Kids took part in the first drawing exercise which involved sketching and learning about their rights. They also took part in a quiz involving children’s rights. In all, it was a colorful and fun filled day for the kids who left satisfied and excited for the next LESPLAY session.

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. Every year this day is celebrated under a specific theme which carries a message of empowerment for the girl child. This year’s theme is — GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable. GirlForce can only be developed through girl empowerment and girl empowerment is only possible if certain obstacles are taken away and in their place opportunities introduced.

This year’s theme of GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable is important for SODEI because we work to inspire and empower youths through education. The advancement of the girl child is one of the overarching themes under which SODEI operates.

Youth advancement is important but the stakes are higher on the part of the girl child, who has to grow up in societies which have defined roles for her and are not always able to accommodate her success. Furthermore, harmful practices, such as child marriage and gender-based violence hamper the growth and development of the girl child. Educating the girl child is different and a lot more difficult because it is imperative to teach her not to bow to societal pressures or subscribe to roles of subordination predefined for her. It is time for the girl child to benefit from every opportunity available to her, to work to become upstanding members of society and make informed choices for their future. We owe it to future generations to raise an upright generation of girls and young women who will break boundaries and stereotypes to emerge as strong women.

According to Carol Bellamy former UNICEF Director, Girls’ education is the single best investment that any society can make.By educating a girl child we ensure that she grows up to be an empowered woman.The example of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish girl who is acclaimed Schoolgirl Climate Change Warrior who advocated for and is still advocating for better environmental conditions is definitely to be emulated. This is an ordinary girl doing extraordinary things. UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres affirms that girls all around the world around the world are proving to be unscripted and unstoppable. Unfortunately, this is not true for every girl in the world.

For the girl child in the South West and North West regions of Cameroon, the last three years have been arduous and difficult. The girl child in these regions has been increasingly exposed to physical, mental, moral and social dangers due to the anglophone crisis. During their formative years and as they grow into womanhood, girls need to be empowered. Today’s girls, are tomorrow’s women, future professional’s, future society builders, future pillars of society, future problem solvers, future representatives and future leaders amongst other things.

To ensure that our girls and young women reach their full potential, we all as a society have to make sure to provide, education, health and safety especially for those in the disturbed regions of Cameroon. As the UN Secretary General says, “girls can be powerful agents of change and nothing should keep them from participating fully in all areas of life”. This means girls can participate in and facilitate peace building as equal members of society. Let us as a society stop limiting the girl child to roles in the home and around the community and encourage them to take up roles in leadership and problem solving. To empower our girls to be part of the meaningful and sustainable change we need in Cameroon, we need to give them proper knowledge and guidance, so that we raise confident and skilled women.

SODEI uses this opportunity to reiterate the importance of the education of the girl child, the value of the girl child now and in the future. It is important to create and maintain the conditions necessary to build and secure a future for the girl child and for every other child. The celebration of this day is meant to focus attention on the distinct challenges of the girl child and to promote the realization of their human rights. SODEI will continue to echo the prioritization of equal access to education for all children and encourage the participation of youths in matters of development and community building. Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 on gender equality targets the end of all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. By commemorating this International Day of the Girl Child, we reinforce our commitment to involve youths in the North West and South West in initiatives to remove the culture of discrimination towards woman and girls, to build the GirlForce.

The president of the Republic in a recent outing on the 10th of September convened a national dialogue to restore peace in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon by “examining ways and means of responding to the high aspirations” of the people. We at SODEI support the initiative and are willing to accompany the efforts towards a return to normalcy. At SODEI we work to inspire young people through education while advocating for their involvement in moving their communities and the nation forward. In this line, we are advocating for their participation in the upcoming peace talks.

Globally, young people continue to be relegated to a position of powerlessness and their potentials limited as a result of them being isolated and their voices not heard. Whereas, young people’s participation nowadays is globally considered a goal to strive for and serves as an indicator of sustainable development policies and reflects the importance of representation in decision making which especially concerns them. For young people’s participation to be considered effective, they have to be seen as full members of the society capable of being consulted in matters concerning them (Burr and Montgomery, 2003).

The next generation of leaders will emerge from among the current cohort of young people, so their engagement in the peace process, shapes their skills in problem solving and will have long-term impacts. Below are 10 points why and how young people can engage in the dialogue process.

The Whys

• Youths are social actors with agency

Many conflicts in Africa today result from the marginalisation of youth. They are considered immature, incompetent and unable to be involved in important decisions concerning them. However, modern sociology considers young people as social actors with agency, capable of contributing to the progress of their communities.

• Youths play an important role in the crisis

Youths have been the major players in the conflict as victims or perpetrators, hence can also feature in the production of peace.

• Youths are major stakeholders in grassroots communities

As seen above, young people as social actors have major stakes in society. Their role in the crisis so far as victims and active participants is a testament to this fact. Young people’s everyday lives are invariably intertwined with the health of the communities they live in. As future leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, their involvement in the dialogue table matters because they are distinctively affected by the decisions to be made at the dialogue table.

• Credibility

Since the announcement of the all-inclusive dialogue by the Head of State, many pundits have raised the need to include young people in the dialogue. These reminders are reflective of the need to embrace and encourage youth representation, especially those from the grassroots disproportionately affected by the crisis. A post on Facebook read:

“That dialogue is intended to end a youth crisis. If youths are relegated to the background of the dialogue table, peace won’t come.”

• Sustainability

The inclusion of young people during all phases of the dialogue process would likely increase the sustainability of the outcomes.

• Empowerment

Involving youths in the dialogue will give them a sense of recognition and worth. As victims it will serve to assuage the pain and trauma and rekindle their hope and aspirations as partakers in nation building. For those who have taken up arms and are actively involved in the crisis, it will be an opportunity to bring their concerns to the table and move to a peaceful phase of conflict resolution. It is worth noting that a number of young people previously involved in the hostilities have dropped their arms and joined the DDR centres. Some amongst them have embarked on a peace campaign and called for reformation. Many more could do same if they feel valued and given a second chance.

The How

• A Youth Perspective

Listening to the youths’ perspective will not only take their voices into consideration but properly represent their interests in the outcome of the dialogue.

• A Youth Forum

A youth forum would bring together young people from different works of life to deliberate on the issues affecting them as youth and table recommendations to the dialogue commission. Such an initiative could act as the start of a representative platform for young people and continue post conflict. Youth groups from the 10 regions would discuss and summarize the main issues affecting them and table at the national youth forum.

• Youth Organisations

A network of local Civil Society Organisations working for young people would carry out consultations with young people to table to the dialogue commission.

• Youths Representatives

Youth representatives or delegates would be selected both from the network of youth organisation sand from the youth forum to table proposals and represent youths in the discussions.

This is our special blog to celebrate the International Youth Day on Aug 12th, a day first designed by the United Nations.

This year’s celebration of the international youth day seeks to increase efforts to make education inclusive and accessible for all youths largely inspired by Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 which is to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The role of governments, youth advocacy groups and the youths themselves is highlighted as a means to achieve this very crucial objective of “Transforming Education”

This celebration is timely, at a time when youths in Cameroon are preparing to begin a new academic year in September. Education is Central to development and peace outcomes in every society thus it very important that education, formal and informal be tailored to suit the needs of every society, constructed to produce the desired outcomes of every community, society and nation.

United Nations statistics show that half of the children and adolescents aged between 6 and 14 lack basic reading and math skills despite the fact that they attend school. There is a global learning crisis and Cameroon is not exempted. A quality education not only ensures positive results, but prevents negative outcomes. It is important to invest in the creation of a solid youth in Cameroon not only aware of the stakes in their society but who can also actively participate in transforming their society. Unfortunately, we live in a society where young people’s opinions are hardly taken into consideration whereas their counterparts in other parts of the world exhibit leadership qualities and are learning skills which will inform their choices throughout their lives.

It is time for this dynamic to be transformed for the emergence of an upstanding and upright youth in Cameroon, especially for the youths in the troubled North West and South West regions, to see beyond the present circumstances and also assume their role in the peace and stability of these regions.
Education has to be adapted to the changes that we face in our societies and also move along with the pace of the rest of the world. In this era of technology and globalization, it is crucial to ground youths through important principles in education and knowledge to make use of this trend and not to be carried away by the more ostentatious aspects of this technologically linked world.

Education for youths in the south west and north west is one of the top priorities of SODEI. SODEI regrets that at a time when efforts are made to transform education for young people, youths of the English-speaking regions of Cameroon are not even sure of a new uninterrupted academic year. SODEI joins the world today to celebrate the international youth day under this very significant theme involving education which it has sought to incorporate into its activities this past year through trainings and educational campaigns for youths, organizing mentoring sessions, free computer lessons, commemorating special events, specially tailored programs for women and girls and other youth activities.

However, we at SODEI believe in the will of Cameroonians to regain an even stronger peaceful society. We believe that the peoples of the English-speaking regions are eager to return to the normal functioning of schools in this coming September.
We call upon local communities, elites, religious and traditional leaders, and the government to make commitments to ensure that the minimum conditions including safety and security, clean and stable environment amongst other things are in put in place to allow a conducive learning environment. We reiterate the need for additional efforts for education standards in these regions to be able to live up to the 2030 Agenda goal of quality education for all.

SODEI makes a call to action to all stake holders including elites, the diaspora, government, public and private sector, and the international committee to among other things put in place:

• Measures to increase the participation of local communities in education (funding initiatives from diaspora movements and elites)
• National emergency fund to upgrade educational facilities in these regions
• Public and private sector partnership to ease the burden on the state to make important changes to the quality of education
• Be more accepting of civil society advocacy on education
• Cooperation with international entities which promote education
• Multiply efforts to increase youth participation in education and other aspects of society that involves them.

“Education should help children and young people care for the world”

The right to education under the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) establishes a foundation for children’s rights and responsibility towards others. This is can be seen in the way the CRC defines the right to education in articles 28 and 29. While article 28 defines children’s right to access to education, article 29 outlines the purposes of education for children and young people. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) provides for rights as well as responsibilities for children and young people. They have responsibilities towards their families, society and the state.

According article 29 of the CRC, children have the right to education which develops their personality, skills, respect for others, respect for human rights and the environment. This provision not only adds a qualitative dimension to the right to education under Article 28 by making education a matter of values as it is of access, but also insists on the need for education to be empowering.

According to Article 29, children’s and young people’s education should help develop their minds, talents, mental and physical abilities. It should also lead to the development of respect for other people, for human rights and the environment.

According to African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), education should also be directed towards ‘the preservation and strengthening of positive African morals, traditional values and cultures’. Education should prepare the child for a responsible life in the spirit of understanding, peace and tolerance; a life of harmony and friendship with people from different sexes, ethnicity, religious background, etc.

“Education should help children and young people care for the word” (CYP Commissioner, Scotland)

In line with the CRC provisions, education should lead to children and young people’s development of respect for the following:

• Their rights and the rights of others.
• Respect for parents.
• Respect for cultural identity, language and values.
• Respect for national values in countries in which they live or the country from where they originate.
• Respect for the environment.

At SODEI we are guided by the spirit of the CRC and the ACRWC to inspire in the youth these values of love, respect, peace and solidarity. We do so through advocating for their rights to education, to be respected and involved in building just and equitable societies.

While education systems have a vital role in developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that enable children and young people to contribute to and benefit from an inclusive and sustainable future, and schools are facing a growing demand not only to prepare students for the rapid economic, environmental and social changes; they need to equip students with the necessary skills for becoming active, responsible and engaged citizens. In relation to this, SODEI aims to support initiatives around providing technical support in development of school curriculum and training package on child rights education.

The sustainable development agenda (particularly SDG 4) recognize young people as a driving force for development but only if they are provided with a set of 21st century skills and opportunities needed to reach their full potential, succeed in an increasingly knowledge-based global society, and become informed and active citizens. This, SODEI recognizes the critical role of education in reaching sustainable goals, calling on Cameroonian leadership to ensure, by 2030, that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development, including among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, equality, promotion of a culture of piece and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity.

Thousands of children in Cameroon wake up with no hope of a life-changing school day ahead, facing displacement, violence, hunger, ill-health and poverty as a result. Most of these children have not known the inside of a classroom for the past three years. Some children have not read a textbook or known the care of a good teacher for the past three years.

International organizations working for children’s rights and welfare such as UNICEF have estimated that upto 80% of schools in Cameroon are now closed affecting more than 600,000 children. While the situation has deteriorated into a humanitarian crisis, by drawing the attention of sympathizers on the plight of children and girls caught in the crossfire, we can make a difference for the forgotten children!

“We want our fellow Cameroonians to do their best to send our children #BACKTOSCHOOL,” said Gilbert Ajebe Akame – SODEI’s CEO and Co-Founder. SODEI is a non-governmental international charity catering for disadvantaged children and empowering youth in Cameroon and Africa. The organization believes in the power of education as the key instrument to unlocking the potential of young people and the vehicle for driving peace and sustainable development in local communities.

“Our stubbornness is failing humanity and the very differences are not just keeping our children out of school but adding to their vulnerability. Hence, we have made it easier for our youth to be radicalized and prone to all dangers associated to that,” explained Gilbert. “They are deprived of their fundamental human right as well as the support they need and deserve to nourish their beautiful minds. By all means, we have left them on their own with no awareness to discern good from bad.”

SODEI calls on all parties to the conflict to make a sincere effort so that:

• Every child has a free and uninterrupted access to education.
• Families, teachers and schools work together to put an end to education and learning becoming casualty.

In a recent interview in the US, the Bishop of Mamfe, Bishop Andrew Nkea, made commitments on behalf of the Church, that they are putting in place measures to guarantee the security of children who will attend catholic schools in the academic year 2019/2020.

This is the first time since the beginning of the conflict that such assurances have been made. We are deeply concerned and ask other institutions and stakeholders to follow this example, to take measures and make commitments for a safe return to school. We want the government to take concrete steps to provide maximum security for teachers and schools. We also call upon parents and the local communities to join efforts to ensure children’s unimpeded access to schools. Above all, we call upon children and young people who are active agents and arbiters of their destinies, to stand up and defend their right to education. Stand up like Malala Yousafzai did, raise your voices and defend your right to be in school.

On May 28^th 2019, SODEI Cameroon joined other organizations throughout the world to celebrate the World Menstrual Hygiene Day under the theme “It’s Time for Action.” SODEI commemorated this day with an additional theme of its own – “No More Limits”. Indeed, SODEI set out to make their voice heard and relentlessly raise awareness on menstrual hygiene through a pilot outdoor campaign organized at the Bota Custom Camps 1 – 3 Community in the Limbe Sub Division to educate underprivileged girls and women on menstrual hygiene and registered a success.

During this one-day campaign that held in the afternoon of May 28^th 2019, the SODEI team of volunteers presented a comprehensive lecture on menstrual hygiene. The lecture began with an interactive session where participants were given the opportunity to express themselves, share ideas, personal beliefs and experiences with managing menstruation. After the hour-long interactive session, participants were lectured on the physiology of menstruation, the menstrual cycle, body changes which occur during menstruation, the age of menarche, menstrual hygiene practices, management of dysmenorrhea, how to adequately use disposable and reusable sanitary pads and deconstructing erroneous beliefs on menstruation which effectively carried the message of the day which was, no more limits.

During the discussions, it was revealed that in the Bota Custom Camp community like in many others, issues concerning reproductive health including menstrual health are considered a taboo subject and most women and young girls shy away from such topics. This contributed to the high level of ignorance that exists among the women and girls in this community on menstrual health. Consequently, a generation of young women whose first reaction to their first menstruation is to be scared and ashamed, with little or no knowledge at all on how to manage their menstrual hygiene because of the myths which surround menstruation.

The SODEI Menstrual Hygiene event was thus timely in this community whose women and girls are mostly workers at the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), wives or daughters of male workers in the CDC. Participants were driven with enthusiasm as they received simple and practical explanations and their misconceptions corrected. Participants asked lots of questions and appreciated the answers given to them by the SODEI volunteers with applause. Female Volunteers on the SODEI team later on shared their own experiences of when they started menstruating and this was closely followed by experiences of 4 of the participants in keeping with the theme of no more limits, to make these women feel comfortable with discussing menstrual hygiene, no longer a taboo but a natural process experienced by every woman in the world.

The program ended on a merry note with the distribution of reusable and disposable sanitary pads made available by SODEI to the participants who demonstrated gratitude, joy and happiness not only for the little token they received but for the knowledge they had gained. The leaders of the local community extended an open invitation to SODEI to come and hold more educative programmes in their community.