To encourage peaceful, informed participation in elections: ADE takes VoteCam application awareness campaign to streets, markets in Y’de.

The robust team from ADE descended to strategic parts of Yaounde for the two-day civic tech caravan after the official launching of the application during a press conference on Friday, July 24. 

The VoteCam mobile app, introduced in June 2025, is an initiative being implemented by ADE under the My Vote, My Voice 2.0 project.

Meantime, the civic literacy days in Yaounde was organised in partnership with AfricTivistes within the Ahead Africa and Digitalise Youth projects, led by the Digital Democracy Initiative.

Speaking during the presser prior to the caravan, the Founder and Executive Director of Actions for Development and Empowerment, Ndi Nancy Saiboh, said the campaign is timely as the country prepares for the upcoming municipal and legislative elections.

She stated that ADE continues to observe low levels of civic engagement and voters' participation, particularly among young women, young people, and persons living with disabilities.

“Limited access to reliable electoral information, misinformation, political apathy, and low digital civic literacy continue to prevent many citizens from participating meaningfully in democracy or democratic processes,” Saiboh stated.

Saiboh said ADE holds the strong conviction that democracy should not begin and end on election day. 

“Democracy requires citizens who are informed, confident, peaceful, and able to engage with public institutions,” she said, noting that it “requires young people and women who understand their rights and responsibilities and who have access to practical tools that enable them to participate”.

Saiboh said through the civic tech literacy day, ADE will promote the VoteCam, take civic information to communities across the seven municipalities of Yaounde. 

She said the application will boost civic awareness, strengthen political participation in the country by providing citizens access to verified electoral information and practical guidance on electoral processes, locate voter registration centres, explore information about candidates, and report electoral irregularities and malpractices responsibly.

“The platform is designed to make civic participation more accessible, especially for young people who already use digital tools in their daily lives. It also supports offline reporting in areas where internet connectivity may be limited,” Saiboh said. 

The organisation also used the caravan to conduct live demonstrations of the application, help citizens download and navigate the platform, understand its different functions, and learn how to submit information and incident reports safely, accurately, and responsibly.

She said campaign targets all seven municipalities of Yaounde and to generate more than 2,000+ VoteCam application downloads and active users, strengthen collaboration between citizens, local authorities, youth organisations, community leaders, civil society groups, and community-based organisations”.

Saiboh also disclosed that the campaign helps first-time voters understand how to participate, and make them feel that their voice matters. 

“At ADE, we believe that technology can close the gap between citizens and democratic institutions, but technology alone is not enough. Citizens must also be equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and a sense of responsibility. This is why we are combining technology with direct community engagement," Saiboh noted.

She invited the media to help relay accurate information about the campaign, explain how VoteCam works, and encourage citizens, especially young people and women, to participate.

She reminded all citizens that their vote is their voice, while appealing on them not to allow “misinformation, discouragement, or lack of information” to silence their voice. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3860 of Monday July 27, 2026