Yaounde: C-Life Cameroon commissions young community leaders to inspire positive change in society.

The organisation which empowers African servant leaders to a lifestyle of transforming communities with integrity and professional excellence, organised the graduation ceremony Saturday, October 12, in Yaounde. 

The occasion marked the successful completion of an intensive four-month training programme of some 33 leaders and 24 interns. 

They were equipped with essential skills in servant leadership, conflict resolution, combating hate speech, among other areas. The graduates pledged their commitment to serve communities with faithfulness, diligence, and loyalty. 

Nurturing young servant leaders

C-Life Cameroon has been instrumental in nurturing young leaders who are committed to making a positive impact in society. 

Speaking to The Guardian Post, US-based philanthropist cum Founder of C-Life Cameroon, Sheila Etonga, expressed satisfaction with the achievements of the organisation and emphasised the importance of servant leadership in today’s world. 

“I can see for myself that when you trust young people with the vision, trust them enough and coach them from behind, many amazing things can happen more than you might have intended. I am very excited to see what God has done through C-Life,” she said.

According to C-Life, the initiative is more than just a training programme; it is a movement aimed at fostering a generation of leaders who are equipped to tackle societal challenges head-on. 

“We believe Africa’s biggest problem is not poverty but leadership. So, if we raise up leaders who serve the people and fear God, then we are raising up a movement that no one can stop,” Etonga disclosed. 

On her part, Country Director of C-Life, Cleopatra Ngwain, said the success of the training programme is milestone achievement as it was part of the organisation’s 2024 goals. 

“It is an achievement because it was one of our objectives for this year. Commissioning 33 young persons and having 24 for internship is a great milestone,” Ngwain said.

She disclosed that the organisation has trained over 300 young leaders over eight years of existence, who are making impacts in society at different levels. 

“Some of our partners today are people who came to C-Life and while here, defined or redefined their purpose and created initiatives which are now impacting other young people in different spheres. This is a moral boaster for us since those we train, we see the impact,” she noted. 

She said the young persons are not just graduates, but are now ambassadors for change within their respective spheres of influence.

Young leaders hail C-Life

Meanwhile, the young leaders hailed C-Life for the great opportunity. Lefeh Agnes, one of the cohort 17 graduates, said the training has transformed her perspectives on leadership and community service. 

“I am very happy to be one of the graduates as a servant leader. It is a challenge because we are commissioned to go and work for the community. We have to impact lives, bring people to Christ. We have to serve the community,” she said. 

One of the aspects that marked the training was that the trainees were tasked to initiate a sustainable project to be realised within six months after their training. For Lefeh, she has chosen to work with orphanages. 

Another graduate, Njeta Stanley, noted that the programme taught him not only about leading others, but also about serving those around him selflessly. 

“C-Life has helped me so much because it has changed me character-wise. The way I do things is no longer the same, the way I engaged in society has changed. Even in my career, the way I interact with people has changed,” he said. 

An alumnus of cohort four, Yangsi Patrick, a teacher by profession, also reflected on his journey since graduating from the programme, emphasising how the skills learned have been pivotal in his personal and professional life. 

“As a teacher, I chose to work with learners who have difficulties in learning. We work with them after school to boost their academic performance. We also work with children in orphanages,” he said. 

With issues like conflict resolution and hate speech becoming increasingly relevant, the young leaders are poised to make meaningful contributions toward building a more harmonious society.

As C-Life Cameroon continues its mission to build integrity and professional excellence in Cameroon-Africa by developing young godly servant godly leaders, it remains dedicated to inspiring change at both local, and international levels. 

The organisation looks forward to seeing how this new cohort will apply their skills for the betterment of communities.

By Clinton Tumenta

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3260 of Tuesday October 15, 2024