By NOELA EBOB BISONG
In line with a project titled: Raising The Voices Of Young Girls In Bushes In The Anglophone Crisis Inflicted Regions, Through Story Telling, the African Concept Foundation ACF, headed by journalist, Tracy Kwaleh, is currently working in some communities in the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon, to impact the livelihoods of young girls and women, challenged by the ongoing socio-political tensions in the two regions.
During a press briefing in Limbe, on Saturday, May 30, 2020, The SUN gathered that the programme, funded by The GLOBAL GREENGRANTS FUND and having as partner Organisation the Cameroon Association Of Media Professionals, is geared towards changing the narrative of affected young girls who have been victims of both elements of the Cameroon military and separatist fighters.
Addressing the press, Kwaleh took time to reflect on the immediate causes of the Anglophone crisis and how it has degenerated to the ongoing armed conflict, which narrated has brought untold hardships, suffering and damages to the people in the English parts of Cameroon, with women and young girls at the centre.
Putting her project in context therefore, she explained that: “A recent documentary by a local television showed how young girls from Anglophone Cameroon have left the bushes where they could not access basic hygienic needs like pads and moved to Douala and other cities. In these cities, as homeless persons, they engage into unsafe sex-work for a living and to cater for their relatives back in the forest and bushes. This is where we come in: ACF intends to heal the girls by raising their voices to the plight they have and continue to undergo, through story telling. Concretely, we shall: Identify young girls in the bushes and in the cities; Use storytelling to heal them and narrate their plight to the rest of the world; In a participatory manner, identify ethical and culturally appropriate alternative livelihoods initiative and test them; Share lessons to influence policies and actions on conflict management and gender considerations.”
The ACF President further expatiated that: “The first Phase of the project will be the Identification of Young girls through field visits. We have in the target, girls who have been kidnapped, raped, abandoned their jobs, other ladies who are IDPs, widows who lost husbands during the crisis etc. Secondly we shall hold need assessment meetings with Identified targets and also create an avenue for them to tell their stories. The third phase is to provide assistance as a means of seeking alternative livelihood for the survivors of Gender Based Violence as a result of the crisis.”
She detailed that “With the target young ladies, we shall have Focus group discussions and brainstorm on alternative source of livelihood with limited risk factors for the survivors. The next phase of the project will be an online campaign that will target both parties in the crisis. We intend to advocate for a change in targeting of young girls in the current crisis. The intention is to attract empathy as a means to manage the conflict and its gender impact.”
The project which is said to run till December 2020, will directly touch the lives of at least 50 young girls and women, with the subsequent multiplier effect in the various communities thereof. Some of the communities to benefit from the project include Bakingili (Limbe), Bonadikombo (Limbe) and Bokwango (Buea).
The African Concept Foundation is a women led civil society organisation founded in 2018 with registered head office in Limbe, Fako Division. Its threefold mission includes: promote women empowerment and emancipation of young girls; educate persons on societal values, including the environment and entrepreneurship; and foster development, democracy and the rule of law.
According to the president of the association, Tracy Kwaleh, “To achieve all these, our organisation does so by networking with likeminded organisations, putting women who are head of the family and society, and especially the young girl, whom when trained cares for the society, at the center of our actions. We are also involved in a lot of trainings and advocacy campaigns both online and offline as well as exchange learning programmes and sharing of best practices.”
She also reveals that “Humanitarian activities are also part of our action plan as we have been able to engage in distribution of food stuff and other basic sanitation materials to the needy in Limbe and Tiko Subdivisions.”
She was assisted during the press briefing by the president of the Cameroon Association Of Media Professionals/Publisher of The Advocate Newspaper, Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe.