With the funding support from the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), UNESCO carried out evaluations on Heritage sites in Cameroon’s Far North and Northwest crisis-affected regions. These assessments showed the rapid deterioration and disappearance of cultural heritage. The Boko Haram Crisis in the Far North Region and the socio-political crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions have had drastic consequences on population movements, resulting in abandonment, looting and destruction of cultural goods in these regions. The Lifafa Museum in the Southwest Region and the Logone Birni in the Far North region were the most recent affected by natural disasters. As these disasters persist within the context of conflicts and climate change hazards, UNESCO tailored the workshop sessions with modules aimed at empowering museum professionals to mitigate the impacts on museum collections. The modules included current approaches to sustainable documentation of museum especially through digital transformative tools and resources. Part of the training engaged the participants in practical sessions on how to administer first aid to cultural heritage in crisis.  During one of the sessions, Dr Frank Ogou, the cultural expert and Director of the School of African Heritage trained the participants in identifying, documenting and safeguarding collections in cases of flood, fire, theft, and other related risks. He engaged in expanded knowledge on museum management including preventive conservation of museum collections and security of museum collections in case of natural disaster like flooding and anthropic disaster like fire. “It was very impressive as I learned new skills on how to manipulate objects in museums, the various emergency security measures put in place in case urgency situations in the museum and how to preserve objects from deteriorating and arriving a stage of curative conservation.” Reported Mrs Etung Atumkeze, Staff of the Department of Cultural Heritage Ministry of Arts and Culture. As the Director of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Arts and Culture mentioned in closing remarks, it was important to give a national perspective to the training to strengthen the skills of curators as regard security and safety of museums. An important outcome of the successful workshop was the drafting of a security plan for museums and heritage in times of emergency by all 40 participants. We wish to thank the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund and its donors (the Qatar Fund for Development, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the Government of Canada, the Principality of Monaco, ANA Holdings INC., the Republic of Estonia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Slovak Republic, and the Republic of Serbia) for their support which made this activity possible.    

UNFPA Cameroon joined the United Nations System, the Cameroon Government, Civil Society Organisations & the International Community in commemorating the International Women's Day 2023 under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. Dr. Justin Koffi, UNFPA Resident Representative, in his capacity as UN Cameroon Resident Coordinator a.i. led UN team through a week long set of activities aimed at promoting both women’s rights & digital inclusion for all in Cameroon. This included, among others, a sports walk, a mini-football tournament, a townhall, the launching of the International Fair for the African Woman, a conference and the official march-past. Digital inclusion is now embedded in the quest for Gender equality to bridge the digital divide. UNFPA Cameroon staff advocated & sensitised the women, men & girls in our various duty stations of Maroua, Douala, Bamenda,Bertoua and Yaounde to promote a violence free & an inclusive digital world.  According to Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director,  in her official statement “The exclusion of women and girls in technology is perpetuated through violence and discrimination.”    In this light, UNFPA staff participated in a set of conferences organised at the University of Yaounde 1 by the Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family alongside the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to advocate for more women to make use of digital space for their empowerment. This brought together the two ministers involved, UN Representatives, University lecturers and students.  Other activities carried out ahead of the celebration included a conference organised by UNFPA in partnership with the Littoral Regional Delegation of Women Empowerment and the Family. Discussions were on the theme "Digitalisation and GBV" and brought together activists in the Tech and GBV spaces. Discussions enlightened particpants on the risks of online violence to which women are exposed in the digitalspace as an obstacle to them fully and freely navigating and harnessing its advantages. This was also an opportunity to reflect on possible solutions to this situation. A similar talk was held in Bamenda, North West Region, with Internally Displaced, vulnerable and GBV survivor women in the Region. This was aimed at having them reflect on women’s empowerment towards action & transformation in their communities. On the other hand, the UNFPA team in Buea, in collaboration with WFP, ran a capacity building workshop with women on the use of digital platforms to combat  technology-facilitated GBV and disseminate gender-responsive communications. The participants were also taught how to better leverage those platforms to foster their socioeconomic empowerment by engaging in income-generating activities through the digital marketing of farm products. In Maroua, for example, hundreds of women and men turned out to express their commitment to promote women's rights and dignity in the course of a sports walk in the streets of Maroua as part of the commemoration activities ahead of the International Women's Day. Participants included leaders of women-led organizations supported by UNFPA as well as UNFPA staff.  This nation-wide interventions attested of UNFPA's affective presence in the country and the existing collaboration with the various administrations on ground for the development and provision of GBV prevention and response mechanisms. These include: psycho-social support, the distribution of dignity and hygiene kits and cash transfer. Happy International Women’s Day to all the Cameroonian Women. At UNFPA, we believe in Positive Masculinity, Women Empowerment, Women In Technology and Ending GBV online.  

“As we received a massive number of people in Nkongsamba due to the ongoing crisis in neighboring regions, the new realities of coexistence led to many tensions between host communities and displaced persons. I knew for sure our public communication approach at the radio had to change” – said participant Mohamadou Lawal, radio animator from Nkongsamba FM in the West Region.   UNESCO, under the joint GYPI/PBF project (with IOM) on “Peaceful Coexistence” in the Littoral and West regions of Cameroon, organized a three-day capacity building workshop aimed at equipping young communication drivers with knowledge and skill in producing quality information on peaceful coexistence in communities sheltering displaced persons in the Babadjou, Bafoussam I, Mbouda and Santchou Councils in the West Region; and Douala 4, Manjo, Melong and Nkonsamba I Councils of the Littoral Region. The workshop which took place in Kribi (Cameroon) welcomed 56 participants from the Littoral and West regions, including community radio animators, Municipal Counsellors, local leaders of the National Youth Council and Peace and Gender Focal Points in the project's eight councils. “The process of collecting, processing, and disseminating information on societal issues is no longer the exclusive domain of trained journalists. Today with the help of simple mobile devices and related technologies, individuals collect and spread information for mass consumption. The risk of misinformation exists and the consequences involved can be massive considering the vulnerability of the displaced persons” – said Mr. Hugues Ndih, Project Coordinator and lead facilitator. Considering the fact that the communication process could be a serious instrument of social peace and harmonious living together, respectful of fundamental human rights, the challenge of the workshop was to mobilize the young people who are so active on digital and traditional communication platforms (community radio stations), to understand the importance of peace in relation to the production of information for mass consumption in the local civic space that is their common living environment. The workshop unfolded with five modules geared towards training the participants in greater understanding of community communication processes and the production of quality information through a responsible production process involving collection, processing and dissemination of quality information. In practical sessions, the participants sat in groups to brainstorm and develop editorial contents for development and peacebuilding. “I came to the workshop with many questions about the limits of our journalism freedom to communicate news in a timely manner; because, a scene I once witnessed led me to convey the information as I saw it, and it led to very serious effects on my work. After the first session of the workshop, I understood that information which can cause conflict and aggravate tensions in the community must be properly assessed and carefully disseminated; while waiting for legal investigations to unveil the truth.” Said Mohamadou Lawal animator air Nkongsamba FM in the Littoral Region. Further sessions of the workshop trained the participants in producing radio programs, production of gender-sensitive digital content for communities, in their effort to promote peaceful coexistence and local development. Peace and gender focal points too got skilled on GBV reporting by means of quality information production. At the end of successful workshop, Mohamadou and two other participants (Joshua from Bafoussam I and Jones from Mbouda) presented a song for peacebuilding which they composed during the workshop. “We did not know each other before coming here, but by the end of the workshop we are not only friends, we are now brothers and a music group. We were inspired by UNESCO’s introductory module on peacebuilding and peaceful co-existence in the beginning of the workshop and so we made a song for peace.”  Mohamadou said.

 "We started on a low scale, with limited materials and resources; the centre could only host about 10 to 15 learners. The situation got worse when the centre got dilapidated and shut down, due to the difficulty in our region," recounts Madam Sally Derval Lifanda, President of the Fako Empowerment Platform (FEP), in Buea, the capital of the South-West Region of Cameroon. The Fako Empowerment Platform is an initiative founded by eight grassroots organisations in the South-West Region of Cameroon. It was created to improve livelihood opportunities for vulnerable youth, women, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), and internally displaced persons through vocational training. More generally, the platform provided a safe haven for vulnerable populations and a place to positively exchange with peers. In 2019, the centre was forced to shut down its activities due to the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of the country. Within the framework of the Presidential Plan for Reconstruction and Development, the UNDP Cameroon Recovery Programme engaged the FEP to help reopen its doors with improved facilities, equipment, and resources to better support populations in building economic resilience. Rehabilitation of the platform started in 2021 and was officially completed in 2022.   In addition to rehabilitating the physical building of the FEP, the Programme provided the centre with 63 sewing machines for the tailoring workshop, as well as kitchen and catering equipment to allow students to run the catering services. A Tech Hub was also constructed and equipped with computers and IT accessories to serve as a research centre for local youth and encourage learning, particularly in the STEM field. "Access to these services has significantly rekindled confidence in the vulnerable youths and women; they now have the required skills, are economically empowered, and can take care of themselves." Madam Sally confirms with confidence. "We hope other partners could come in and provide start-up kits for the learners to gain full independence, and a bus to transport vulnerable youths who live in hard-to-reach communities," noted Madame Sally, highlighting the need for further support. The empowered youth and women are happy with the outcome of their empowerment and now dream of a better future. "I stopped schooling in form five due to numerous constraints. But today, I can support my needs, thanks to the opportunity I had to learn tailoring at the Fako Empowerment Platform. I now make assorted designs, including party and traditional wears." Ms. Martha Limunga a 22-year-old trainee at the centre.   "I was passionate about graphic design but could not afford it. When I found the Fako Empowerment Platform, I found a ready solution to my worries. Today, I am a qualified designer with many clients, while also training other girls and boys in graphic design." Njing Linus, a graduate of the FEP Tech Hub. Other key actions of the programme to improve social cohesion and promote peace and security include working with partners to facilitate the issuance of lost certificates like ID cards, birth certificates, and academic certificates; bringing the affected communities together through socio-cultural activities like festivals and sports competitions; advocating for peacebuilding through workshops and the creation of committees to mitigate risks in the communities; and empowering media houses through training and the provision of equipment that will permit them to produce quality programmes for peacebuilding and reach more people in the communities. "Alongside promoting social cohesion and peacebuilding, the programme is also working with the government and partners to rehabilitate essential infrastructures, especially schools, health centres, and roads, and to support the revitalization of the local economy to promote income-generating activities and generate employment opportunities in the region." Ivo Lysinge, Project Coordinator, UNDP Recovery Programme, SW Region, Cameroon.