Intro
Better Breed Cameroon is a not for profit youth-led association which operates majority of the time out of Buea. The association strives to complete at least four major projects per year. The nature of some of these projects are fixed while some vary. The four major projects carried out this year were the : Sama Randy Youth Write Essay Competition, Better Breed Holiday Challenge, Breeding Spaces and the Better Hope bursary. Detailed in this report is a description of each of these projects.
About Better Breed Cameroon
Better Breed Cameroon is a youth-led, youth-development-focused non-profit association founded in January 2013. Better Breed Cameroon’s members believe in the adage which goes “it is easier to rear a whole child than to fix a broken adult” and thus work towards and advocate for a more and better investment in Cameroon’s young people believing that youth development and empowerment are the most sustainable forms of development. The association which is officially registered with the office of the Senior Divisional Officer of Fako Division as No.072/G.37/D14/Vol II/SAAJP, operates from its seat in Buea with members all over the country contributing ideas, time, and funds towards the quarterly projects aimed at raising a more conscious, civic-minded, better capable, and skilled Cameroonian youth population set to lead and serve in future. As of this year, roughly 1500 Cameroonian youths have benefitted directly from the variety of Better Breed Cameroon’s projects ranging from career development workshops, reading caravans, youth essay competitions, annual bursaries covering tuition for needy youth and more.
Projects
Sama Randy Youth Write (SRYW) Essay Competition
The theme of this year’s essay was ‘In your opinion, what is the greatest threat to peace and security in Cameroon? How can it be averted?’ The aim of the theme this year was to urge Cameroonian youth to think deeply on national and international issues affecting them, form an opinion about it and analyze ways in which they can effect change or contribute to the discourse.
The competition was launched in November 2016 and the deadline set for January 2017. Unfortunately due to socio-political crises in the country the deadline had to be extended thrice to permit sufficient time for submissions in spite of several challenges faced by entrants. Eligible candidates were undergraduate students from any higher educational institution within the national territory.
Essays were judged based on their originality, content, and presentation of arguments, spelling, grammar and compliance with rules of submission. All submissions were to be made via the association’s e-mail address betterbreed@gmail.com. The panel of judges included Mr. Asong Lekeaka, Mr. Collins Fonsho and Mr. Arrey Elvis Ntui.
In total, sixty-two entries were received and the three best entries were selected by an independent jury. The winners were Itia Bruno, Foba Akom and Saji Macochi Ruth who received 100000FCFA, 75000FCFA and 50000FCFA for the first, second and third prize respectively. These cash prizes and attestations were handed over by the coordinator, Monique Kwachou, during an interview with the winners on the Miss P Show hosted by Pam Happi. Winning essays were later published for public review, debate and impact.
Better Breed Breeding Spaces
By mid-2017, Better Breed Cameroon launched its Breeding Spaces initiative. This initiative is a series which offers interactive trainings, workshops, or ‘town halls’ with the aim of undoing negative socialization or building recognizably needed skills in Cameroonian youth effectively ‘breeding’ the character traits and skills we need. The inaugural Breeding spaces event focused on ‘breeding purpose’. As per this theme, participants were coached along their determining their purpose, and how to create vision boards and plan careers. This inaugural event took place at ActivSpaces Buea with their partnership.
Better Breed Holiday Challenge
The holiday challenge was an initiative launched to encourage young Cameroonians aged 10 to 18 years to spend their long holidays contributing to community development in creative ways. Entrants were required to submit a written report together with documented evidence such as pictures or videos which record the activity they carried out and the impact it had on their community.
Unfortunately due to the low number of entries (three submissions in all), and the advanced insecurity as the socio-political crisis escalated, this project was unsuccessful.
Better Hope Bursary
The focus of the better hope bursary this year was on aiding teen mothers who fell into such predicaments as a result of the school-year being affected by the crisis. Two teen mothers were selected from a shortlist of six. The selected beneficiaries were sponsored for a yearlong vocational training course. Should they successfully complete this skill training, they will be sponsored for evening classes during the 2018/2019 academic year when the situation would have hopefully improved and their infants a bit less dependent.
In addition to the above outlined quarterly projects, the association undertook other activities towards its goal to contribute to Cameroonian youth development. For one, Better Breed Cameroon launched its ‘.org’ website betterbreedcameroon.org. With this site, the association not only shares national and international opportunities for Cameroonian youth, but equally offers inspiration to youth by regularly spotlighting enterprising and accomplished young Cameroonians with the ‘Youth of the Month’ features. So far, this section of the site has shed light on youth doing exceptional work in their community such as Mbu Waindim, a recently accomplished doctor of aeronautical engineer and Yembe Nfor a social entrepreneur working in Bamenda. The aim of this regular section is to inspire other young people with the stories of those who like them have strived and can succeed.
Also, this year, the association registered with the regional delegation of youth affairs and civic education therefore affiliating itself with the Ministry of Youth affairs and Civic education.
The year was closed with launching of the 2018 edition of the Sama Randy Youth Write essay competition which called on undergraduate students nationwide to submit essays of any style and various themes given that they fall within the limit of 1000 to 1500 words and suitably end with the statement “This is what Cameroon needs now”.
A luta continua, victoria e certa