At close of Na-We-We jamboree in Bafoussam: Youth minister hails Local Youth Corner’s push for civic responsibility….

The member of government made the declaration in Bafoussam, West Region, last weekend. This was during an award night organized as part of the closing ceremonies of the third edition of the Na We We sports jamboree. The tourney was organized in Bafoussam by the Local Youth Corner.

The event was coordinated by the Executive Director of LOYOC, Achaleke Christian Leke. The event was the fruit of a highly-valued partnership between the LOYOC and the United Nations Development Programme, the UN Population Fund and the British and the Canadian High Commissions. 

During the closing ceremony, school didactic materials were handed to over 200 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, affected by the ongoing socio-political crisis in the North West and South West regions. This, officials said, was to facilitate back-to-school for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Other top personalities present at the closing ceremony included: the Governor of the West Region, Awa Fonka Augustine; the Bafoussam City Mayor, Roger Tafam and administrative authorities of the Mifi Division.

Minister says LOYOC’s activities exemplary 

Speaking in an address during the award gala night held to close the event, Youth Affairs and Civic Education boss, Mounouna Foutsou, hailed the LOYOC team for its lifechanging strides through the sports jamboree and its other activities.

The member of government who expressed full satisfaction at the 2024 event, said the jamboree not only mobilises and connects youths to promote civic responsibility, the values of love and patience but importantly drums unity and peace. 

The minister particularly praised the contributions in the domain of unity and peace, insisting that the efforts fall fully in line with the values of the Head of State, Paul Biya, and those of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education in the bid to promote unity and peace. 

Minister urges LOYOC to make jamboree a national event

Minister Mounouna Foutsou in his positive evaluation of the activities of the LOYOC team through the Na We We Sports Jamboree, further described the group as the second finest national organiser of a holiday activity of that sort in the country.

The minister urged the group to expand the event into a national gathering to ensure it touches a greater number of Cameroonian youths. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue supporting the organization and its activities. 

Minister Mounouna also lauded the various United Nations agencies supporting the Cameroonian NGO. He notably hailed the global structures for their leading actions geared among others, towards empowering youths and putting in place a youth development policy in the country. 

Enriching, thrilling 2024 bonanza

The Na We We Sports Jamboree, per its organisers, the Local Youth Corner, is a youth-led initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and building bridges between displaced persons and host communities. 

The project focuses on the transformative power of sports in promoting healthy living, moral values, civic engagement, and entrepreneurial skills among young Cameroonians aged between 15-35 years. It is placed under the patronage of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education.

Besides the traditional football, handball and basketball tournaments organized to mark the event, several activities were carried out in the course of the two-month-long 2024 edition of the festival.

Notable among them were; the planting of trees, community clean ups, peer-to-peer dialogue, solidarity match and meals and cultural performances.

Free health consultations and medical screening sessions were also organized to reinforce community health development. Workshops on peace education, civic education, and social issues were also organized in the course of the gathering to strengthen the capacities of the participants. 

Participants, laureates express gratitude

Speaking at the end of the event which also featured an award gala night, participants and laureates who received awards for their outstanding performances in the course of the jamboree, expressed sincere gratitude to the LOYOC team and its partners.

The youngsters promised to make judicious use of the didactic, notably declaring their readiness to be assiduous and hardworking in school. This was said to be a sincere show of gratitude for the thoughtful and heartwarming gesture.

UN joins minister in hailing project, reaffirm support 

In an address at the end of the event, the Deputy Representative of Cameroon for the United Nations Population Fund, Noemi Dalmonte, lauded the works carried out by the Cameroonian NGO through the sports bonanza and its other competitions. 

The UN representative restated the institution’s commitment in accompanying the Cameroonian structure in its activities. The representative of the Cameroon Country Director of the United Nations Development Program, the UNDP, made a similar declaration, reaffirming the institution’s continuous openness to accompany the LOYOC team and the overall activities of the Cameroonian youth in general.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3214 of Friday August 30, 2024