By SAH TERENCE ANIMBOM with reports
The recent wave of violence in the North West Region as a result of the Anglophone crisis that has raged on now for four years has left many homes and communities in pain and suffering. The indiscriminate killing of women and children like recently in Ngarbuh Ntumbaw, Ndu sub division Donga Mantung division has left even a bigger scar on the hearts of many persons in that part of the country.
During an arts exhibition to launch the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals through the use of arts organised by Sysy House of Fame, a showbiz establishment in partnership with Franco Cameroun Alliance and other international partners on Sunday, March 1, 2020, a play by some children in the arts world working with Sysy House of Fame was performed in memory of the children that were massacred in Ngarbuh Ntumbaw recently.
The children cried for justice, peace and strong institutions that will prevent such happenings in line with SDG 16. “All lives matter; we are tired of the violence and we are not happy getting used to the violence. Sometime in November last year we had corpses around our school but we had a normal day as if all was well. How can we feel so normal as if all is okay under such circumstances?” the children wondered to The SUN Newspaper. They also used the play to cry for quality education in line with SDG 4.
Sysy House of Fame uses arts to promote sustainable development goals and to spark the flame of hope in models and designers of the North West region amidst the crisis through its fashion show titled 6.6, inspired by the need to be different and to relate with something a bit out of the ordinary. The title is born thanks to the fact that the month of June is the 6th month of the year and the founder of the show was born on June 6th many years ago.
Models walked through the run way in their cultural and colourful outfits, designed by fashion houses like Eco, Royalty and Nati designs, all Bamenda based fashion designers.
The community based association owned by Njobati Sylvie focuses on contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) by engaging communities and young people through arts, culture, film making, poetry and music. In partnership with YEMS group, Draufshift, United Nations and Alliance Francais, the organisation was able to use arts by painting the goals graphically on the walls of Alliance Francais Bamenda to make young people understand what the goals are all about.
Njobati Sylvie with the help of a sign language instructor was able to facilitate understanding of the goals by explaining it in detail to the youths present especially those with speaking and hearing impairments.
In line with SDG 3, Sysy House of Fame organised a free medical checkup for young people to know their health status and wellbeing, justifying that it is only in good health that one can archive good health.
Njobati Sylvie, CEO and film maker expressed joy seeing the turnout of young people and said her aim was to reignite flames of hope and unite young people to work towards the accomplishment of SDGs as she encouraged young people with ideas to come to Sysy House of Fame.
“I am happy to share ideas of SDGs with these young people and I hope peace returns to Cameroon so they can continue promoting these goals with Love”, ILham Moussa, head of OCHA office Bamenda stated.