To strengthen civic participation in electoral processes: Nonprofit organisation, ADE, launches My Vote, My Voice project.

The project was unveiled in Yaounde, Thursday. This was during a press conference ADE organised. The campaign is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, NED. Officials of ADE said it will last for one year. 

Speaking at the event, the Founder and Executive Director of ADE, Ndi Nancy, expressed delight with the launch of the initiative, which she said holds great promise for the future of democracy in the country.

She highlighted that with the 2025 presidential and other elections approaching, challenges such as voter apathy, lack of information, and the feeling of disenfranchisement that face the country’s democratic process are common obstacles that cannot be ignored.

According to Ndi, the My Vote My Voice project has as aim to address these barriers head-on, by empowering citizens with the knowledge, motivation, and resources needed to participate meaningfully in the democratic process.

Zoom on project objectives

The Executive Director of ADE disclosed that their goal with the campaign is to support the registration of over 10,000 new voters in Cameroon. 

“Through this, we hope to create a ripple effect, inspiring even more citizens to take part in the electoral process and reinforcing a culture of active citizenship,” Ndi stated.

She regretted that the national voter register remains limited, standing at 8,116,960, out of a population of roughly 25 million people, highlighting a gap in full representation.

“By boosting voter registration, we strive to ensure that the voices of all Cameroonians are heard and represented in the 2025 elections. We will also educate, mobilise and advocate for the active participation of underrepresented groups as well as address the root causes of electoral apathy and encourage broad engagement in the electoral process,” Ndi underscored.

She added that: “Democracy thrives when citizens are informed, engaged and active in the process of governance. By mobilising and educating our communities, we are taking a significant step towards building a brighter and more inclusive future for Cameroon”.

Project activities

As explained by the Project Coordinator of ADE, Nde Laura, the organisation will survey voter apathy in the 10 regions of Cameroon through questionnaires and interviews with over 1,000 participants. 

This, Nde noted, is to gauge the understanding of the Cameroon political electoral process and preparedness for the 2025 presidential elections.

She added that the organisation will carry out a two-day capacity building training in each region for 100 youth, including vulnerable persons, electoral stakeholders, and influencers. Nde said this is to enhance their understanding of the electoral processes and how to engage effectively.

The Project Coordinator further revealed that they will also organise a one-day socio-cultural event and caravan in the Adamawa and Centre Regions, which according to statistics from Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, have high voter apathy.

Media outlets main target

Speaking at the presser, the Communications Officer of ADE, Nkweti Sidoan, announced that as part of the project, they will host Radio and TV programmes to raise awareness about the electoral process and calendar.

Nkweti added that the organisation, in collaboration with ELECAM, will establish several WhatsApp forums and other social media platforms including a website. The platforms, she explained, is to share information about the electoral calendar, facilitate the collection and distribution of voter cards in each of the project regions.

About ADE

ADE is a non-profit, grassroots, and youth-driven organisation. It was founded in 2019 with the aim to empower young people to act around issues that affect their lives and play an active role in the development process, thereby creating positive change in their communities and Africa at large.

ADE's work also redresses the absence of an avenue where citizen can hold the government accountable to its service-delivery obligations through informed demands. 

To achieve its vision and missions, ADE undertakes action-oriented research, administrative and legal assistance, and advocacy to effectively implement regulations, laws and policy reforms. ADE has members in all ten regions of Cameroon.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3284 of Friday November 08, 2024