Yaounde: NISUDEV orientates students, parents on finding career path, discovering purpose.

The workshop was attended by children, high school graduates, parents and other participants from different academic backgrounds. It was held under the theme: “Discovering Purpose and Finding the Right Career Path”.

Highlighting the aim of the workshop, the Communication and Marketing Assistant of NISUDEV, Azumbi Audery, outlined the importance of achieving a right career path through creative living and entrepreneurial choices.

“Our idea is to help these young ones find their purpose of living not only in career but in other walks of life. We intend to make them know what awaits them in to, three, four, five and 10 years to come,” Azumbi said.

The participants were also briefed on accessing scholarships and global opportunities, not leaving out the contribution of tech innovation and Artificial Intelligence, AI, to diverse career fields.

Speaking during the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, and Managing Director of NISUDEV, Nso Delphine, defined career as a long-term professional journey of life. 

Outlining the requirements needed for a good career choice, Nso stated that: “A lot of sacrifices are needed, and with our Cameroonian context, we need many school and non-school requirements in order to have a good career; not leaving out our mentality which plays a lot to what we want to do or become in life”. 

Calling on the participants to remain focused and concentrate on their talents and dreams, she encouraged them not to let society derail them from following their dreams due to what other people think or say about it. 

Stating the objective of the workshop Nso, added that “it is not only to provide a platform for students to get orientation but also for participants to discover their purpose in finding the right career paths”. 

Guestspeakers share opinion 

The conference, which served as a platform for orientation, education and information, brought together experienced speakers, who, in their various presentations, gave participants valuable information on discovering their purpose and finding the right career paths.

The Business Development Manager at NISUDEV, Ridley Mbonjo, in a presentation on finding the right career path, stated that passion, competence and relevance, are the three things needed for a right career path. He went further to tell participants to be able to adapt to changes in technology.

“Innovation, digital technology is changing the direction of the world, it is changing what we focus on as career. The future of the world, Africa and Cameroon in particular is really changing, so if you don’t fit yourself into the system, sooner than later you are going to be irrelevant,” Mbonjo said. 

On his part, the founding president of Technology for Innovation Centre, TIC, Bill Agha, spoke on the contribution of tech innovation and AI to diverse career fields. He encouraged participants to show interest in tech innovations.

Speaking on accessing scholarships and global opportunities, doctoral student at University of Yaounde I, Toukam Louise Daniels, told the participants that only intense hard work will give them scholarships and global opportunities. 

Toukam encouraged participants to use their smart phones and computer for the right purposes to access online sites which provide scholarship opportunities and also network with others via LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X [twitter], YouTube and websites. 

Highlighting the use of responsible social media communication and engagement, the participants were taught how social media platforms can open them to the world through responsible usage. 

Enterparticipants 

The participants expressed gratitude to the organisers for the lessons learned and assured the organisers to become great and more open picking their career paths and embracing new technology and innovation.

Expressing gratitude, Djai Elizabeth, a form five student, said: “I feel fulfilled to have been one of the participants at this conference. Thank you NISUDEV for making me realise my purpose and helping in orientating me on my career path”.

Another participant, Emambou Ulrich, advised his peers not to let anything discourage them from realising their dreams and aspirations

Ulrich Angar Cederick, a Bachelors degree student in telecommunications engineering, said: “The career orientation is a vital aspect which society is most often times neglecting. We are told to go to school, do what others do but we are not properly oriented on what to do. But with this workshop, I have connected my purpose with my passion and that is what matters”.

About NISUDEV 

The Network for Innovation and Sustainable Development, NISUDEV, is a nonprofit organisation founded in December 11, 2022, in Yaounde by Nso Delphine, Bongmoyong Jonah, Ridley Mbonjo and Djai Pascal

NISUDEV was created with the intentions to transform lives and communities through entrepreneurial development, education, employment, agriculture, democracy and sustainable development initiatives.

The organisation creates impact through capacity building and accelerator programmes for start-up entrepreneurs, empowers underprivileged and Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, and women with income-generating activities.

It campaigns for youth and women participation in local development through democratic political involvement, entrepreneurship, innovation and advocacy, support the establishments and intervenes in small scale agricultural and research development.

They also train youths on market relevance and income generating skills through empowerment centres and fights against scourges such as alcoholism, poverty, drug abuse, violence and diseases.

With plans to expand to the other regions to continue its efforts to promote career development among young Cameroonians, the organisation offers workshops on various aspects of career development such as; hairdressing, pastries, fashion designing, Information and Technology development, idea orientation and direction.

It is pursuing partnerships with the ministries of youth affairs, employment and vocational training in an effort to ensure broader opportunities for its members.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3205 of Wednesday August 21, 2024