Ahead of World Refugee Day 2025: UNHCR Cameroon kicks off activities with Arts competition for teenagers, young adults.

The competition, organised in partnership with Afrogiveness, a local organisation that uses art to advocate for peace and development, was on the theme: “Solidarity with Refugees”. 

Participants were drawn from five countries including Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Niger.

The competition served as an avenue for participating refugee youth in the country to express their experiences and talents through essay writing, poetry, and drawing. 

According to UNHCR, this year's activities aim to amplify refugee voices, foster inclusion, and celebrate Cameroon's commitment to refugee protection and integration. 

The President of Afrogiveness, Franca Sulem Yong, explained that activities like this help to bring people together using a universal language like art.

“It is not only to raise awareness about refugee concerns, but also to unite people to recognise and celebrate our common humanity, and heal by self-expression,” Yong stated. 

She revealed that the top three participants in each category will be handed certificates, trophies, and cash prizes on World Refugee Day. 

On her part, the Deputy Representative of Protection at UNHCR Cameroon, Bettina Gambert, pointed out that the competition is a platform for refugee children in the country to express their feelings on the theme of this year's WRD. 

She added that the criteria for judging include how well the artworks relate to the theme of solidarity and how participants expressed their understanding of it.

Participants share experiences

Participants expressed satisfaction with the competition, while hoping to be among the winners. 16-year-old Rwandan refugee, Mugemana Yann-Arthur, described drawing a world map with a heart as a message of "love and no war". 

On his part, Mongendjo Hulia Sagesse, 22, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, said his work depicted three scenes illustrating themes of living together, fraternity, and love for one's neighbour. He also shared his objective of becoming an internationally recognised painter.

Mahamat Hadidja, 19, from Chad, participated in the poetry workshop. She produced a poem on the theme: "Solidarity with Refugees." 

Through her poem, she aimed to convey the importance of solidarity, noting that Cameroon is a supportive country and that refugees are not abandoned.

“I feel honored, I feel like family, it's as if I'm not a stranger," Mahamat underscored.

UNHCR World Refugee Day activities

UNHCR officials said other activities scheduled to mark WRD in Cameroon will include a Solidarity Sports Walk on Saturday, June 14, as well as an Eco-Jogging for the Planet scheduled for Monday, June 16.

The official commemoration ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 20, at the Ministry of External Relations. It will feature speeches, cultural performances, and testimonies, while on Monday, June 23, a post-WRD celebration with Junior Parliamentarians will highlight refugee inclusion in national dialogue.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3472 of Friday June 13, 2025