Hope for the Needy Association HOFNA Cameroon
has engaged 100 girls in the fight against Human Rights Violations and Gender
Based Violence in the North West Region Currently hit by crisis.
The Bamenda
based not for profit non-governmental organisation engaged the girls during a
one week training on Human Rights, Gender Based Violence and the use of ICTs in
addressing Gender Based violence in Bamenda from the 2nd to the 8th
of November 2018.  |
| HOFNA Director with the participating girls |
Justifying the training, the Director of
HOFNA Christelle Bay C said “the ongoing political and socio-economic upheavals
in the North West and South West regions have resulted in record numbers of
girls staying at home due to insecurity and protests. This she added has led to
“record numbers of child early and forced marriages, teenage pregnancies, child
trafficking and other related forms of Gender Based violence.”
 |
| Barrister Fen Veronique Che (in black) after her presentation with HOFNA project manager and the girls |
Throughout the training period, the girls
listened to and participated in presentations delivered by well-grounded
personalities amongst them; Justice Ngu Belinda of the Bamenda Court of First
instance, Barrister Fen Veronique Che Principal of
Serenity Law Chambers Bamenda, Munteh Florence the Project Manager for HOFNA,
Nfor Yembe CEO of Yem’s Group and Vumomsi N of Lead Visionary-VUVU. These
speakers handled a verity of issues including; Understanding the concepts of
Rights, Mechanisms for the protections of Human Rights, Gender boxes and its
links with Human Rights violations, violence in the life cycle of a Female,
social factors contributing to violence against women, situations of violence,
impact of violence, power and privileges, getting acquainted with ICTs. The girls
also had the opportunity for practical lessons like setting up a blog, local
detergent production, understanding what it takes to start a business and
painting.
 |
| Nfor Yembe of Yem's Group during his presentation |
These presentations and activities according
to Christelle Bay C, intended to meet the training objectives which were “to promote the sexual and
reproductive health rights of girls in the North West region of Cameroon by educating
the girls on human rights, empowering them to combat gender-based violence by
building their leadership skills and self-esteem as a way to avoid unwanted
pregnancies, STIs and the spread of HIV/AIDS.”
 |
| Bobo Linux and HOFNA Director with girls after the painting session |
The Project Manager Munteh Florence who spent
the entire period with the girls, explained that the various activities
provided an opportunity “to strengthen the capacities of the girls to play
their role as agents of change in combating Violence against women (VAW) using
ICT, ensuring the girls have access to information about the laws, mechanisms
and institutions which protect women’s human rights and address gender based
violence, change the attitude of people and
build the collective responsibility in the community for ending violence
against women and protecting women’s human rights using ICTs.”
 |
| Production of Detergent |
As to how the participants were selected to
meet the objectives of the project, she explains that the girls were selected
from different parts of the North West Region based on their passion and
commitment towards women’s rights issues especially violence against women.
The girls who participated in the training
mostly school dropouts, internally displaced young women and victims of gender
based violence have expressed satisfaction with HOFNA for the opportunity while
promising to develop action plans to influence policy makers and to bring
attitude shift in their respective communities in a bid to break the silence
around the issues of violence against women and to create a conducive
environment where women can speak for their human rights.
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| HOFNA Projects Manager Munteh Flurence handing certificates of participation |
“I am
very happy living home. I wasn’t expecting what I met and how I wa taught. I
met new people, inspiring like CEOs. It was so important for me. I am also an
advocate for gender bias and I always advise people not to look down on persons
or violate the rights of others and when I had this opportunity it was just
like a dream coming true for me under the umbrella of HOFNA. Such programs
should keep coming.” Ngwafor Quinta a participant
said.
 |
| HOFNA Director handing certificates of participation |
Mokong Suzan another participant observed “I
must express my gratitude to HOFNA for this program. I have learned a lot of
things. First of all I am passionate about helping the needy in whatever domain
particularly with my background in special needs education. I have been to other
conference and being in this particular one had to boost my status and it
encourages me to go there and make a difference by creating an atmosphere of
hope, love and peace. It was wonderful will great facilitators.”
HOFNA Cameroon working for women empowerment,
gender equality and peace in Cameroon according to the Director “hopes to
develop a data base of cases of gender based violence and to provide
information, socioeconomic empowerment and counseling to victims of Violence
against women and Gender based violence via the use of interactive community
radio programs and constant follow up of the girls.”