By Doh James Sonkey
About 30 media professionals have been groomed on children’s rights at a workshop organised last June 24 and 25, 2026 by Plan International Cameroon with support the Foundation of the leading mobile telephony operator in the Country, MTN Cameroon.
Experts during the workshop revealed to journalists that ‘‘a child out of 3 is a victim of child abuse in Cameroon.’’
To Protection Specialist at Plan International Cameroon, Gaelle Beri, “a month alone is not enough and media role remains essential. Interventions shall be known and coordinated. MTN Foundation will be a key partner with whom all can be shaped.”
A presentation on Understanding new logics of information in the era of digital world and the economic cost of mediatization of unethical violence done on children was done by Dr Albert Ze of the Institute of Research on Health and Development, IRESADE.
Presenting what MTN Cameroon is doing to protect children online in what is MTN Cameroon Help Children be Children, the Official in charge of Operations at MTN Foundation, Fernande Mengbwa said it is a key initiative put in place for child online programme. Children are protected online because the cyberspace is very complicated with people passing for other people etc.
She told the press that “a child can easily be deceived once the person behind the pseudo name discusses familiarity issues with them such as I am a friend to your father, mother etc.”
Fernande Mengbwa added that “MTN Cameroon is there to connect people for development and we are aware that our children are naive so they ought to be protected against criminals in the cyberspace.”
On the second but last day of the workshop, Dr Eddy Patrick Donkeng schooled media professionals on how to write a non-sensational story that carries child protection messages. He told media professionals that after their Douala workshop with journalists in the Littoral region this week, a media network for the active protection of children’s rights in the country will be created.
Presenting what Plan International Cameroon does for children’s protection, Safeguards Specialist, Josianne Ngouleu said safeguarding children and young people are our framework for keeping children and young people safe and protected in Cameroon.
Other Facilitators at the workshop included; Taka Ebong Nathalie of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Public Health Specialist, Dr Afounde Jeannette, Country Director of Association CityLight Cameroon, Helene Marie Fanny, etc.
It should be recalled that Plan International Cameroon is advocating children’s rights and equality for girls in the country since 1996.