Cameroon Link Youth Network Strategy

By James Achanyi-Fonte, camlinknews

Cameroon Link Youth Network Strategy aims a promoting gender equality from from the base. In this article we outline how this can be achieved by the youths for the youths through a network.Goal Develop and sustain young persons to promote, protect and support environmental protection, promote food sufficiency through farming and promote good health through nutrition for well being. Foreword Cameroon Link Youth Network Strategy has been developed to guide the network towards achieving the organisation’s goals. This strategy provides the strategic framework, and focus that Cameroon Link intends to pursue in regard to attaining optimal health and nutrition for the youth in Cameroon. It is anchored on the Youth frameworks and platforms of the African Union (AU) and other regional and international youth charters meant to improve and achieve overall goals and deliverables of Cameroon Link and the host country government and sectors. This strategy has three sections: 1. Provide a background, situation analysis and the emerging issues. 2. Highlights the actual objectives and focus 3. Outlines how the strategy will be implemented defining the key issues, structures and processes. This Strategy is intended for use by all members of the network including and not limited to managers, staff and other affiliate Organisations within the Youths network. Further, it is intended to inform our partners of the principles, philosophy and belief in promoting, protecting and supporting optimal maternal, infant and young child health and nutrition interventions which are core drivers of the ministry of public health. The target beneficiaries of the strategy are young people of reproductive age, youths in and out of schools, and all other categories of people who fall within the age bracket of the youth. Cameroon Link is thus declaring her direction towards the youth for the next five years. Our sincere hope is that more partners of good will shall join hands and support Cameroon Link to drive the agenda forward by supporting and committing resources to invest in tthe Strategy. Executive Summary Cameroon Link Youth Network Strategy has been developed to guide the organisation towards achieving the organization’s goals. This strategy provides the strategic framework, and focus that Cameroon intends to pursue in regard to attaining optimal health and nutrition for the youth in Cameroon. It is anchored on the Youth frameworks and platforms of the AU and other regional organizations. Limited data hinder the measurement of the wellbeing of Cameroon youth, but the available data suggest that the youth population is large and growing, and has high educational attainment and unemployment rates—with adverse consequences: • The lack of a universal definition of “youth” makes measuring the youth problem difficult and the comparison of data across Cameroon less reliable. • The youth population in Cameroon is large (about 6 million, which is 30percent of its population of more than 20 million). • Cameroon’s relatively young population (about 30percent of its population in 2012 was estimated to be below 15 years of age), combined with the country’s high fertility rate, is likely to magnify the so-called youth budget. This trend could have positive consequences for Cameroon’s development, if properly channeled. • Youth, especially in Southern Cameroon and especially males, have higher educational attainment. However, there are large variations in educational attainment across Cameroon and its regions. • Youth unemployment rates are relatively high, with significant regional differences and adverse consequences such as poverty, migration and diseases. Femalesparticularly face extremely high unemployment rates. 2. Policies and actions for youth have not successfully addressed these challenges: • Effective youth policies require dealing with challenges facing youth that include, but are not limited to, the lack of access to a high-quality and relevant education, high rates of persistent unemployment, a high incidence of chronic poverty, political disengagement and poor environmental health. • Information on the development and implementation of youth policies in Cameroon are hard to find, but anecdotal evidence suggests that various regions are at different stages of the process. • Youth policies potentially have several challenges, and the assessment of problems facing young people is complicated by data limitations. These limitations include a lack of reliable and accurate data; a lack of comparable data across regions; a lack of pro-jobs and pro-youth economic growth agendas; a lack of comprehensive youth policies that are integrated into national development plans; a lack of broad macroeconomic policies and the need to mainstream youth policies; the fact that the costs of programs and sources for funding are not fully known; and the fact that the government lacks the capacity to undertake comprehensive monitoring and evaluative processes. 3. The key recommendations arising focus on harnessing the potential of Cameroon youth to foster economic development through their participation in the labour market and strategies to improve their living standards generally. The main strategies proposed include: • Improving the investment climate by reducing the cost of doing business so as to create jobs for youth; • Expanding infrastructure, especially in rural areas, to boost employment opportunities for youth; • Harnessing innovation, which has the potential to increase skill formation, enhance productivity and create youth employment opportunities; • Building institutional quality so that individuals and organizations are effective in responding to the needs of the youth. Definition of Key Terms Youth Empowerment: Young people are empowered when they realize that they have or can create choices in life, are aware of the implications of those choices, make informed decisions freely, take action based on those decisions and accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Empowerment also means having the ability for supporting enabling conditions under which young people can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others. These enabling conditions fall into major categories such as an economic and social base; political will, access to knowledge, information and skills, adequate resource allocation and supportive legal and administrative frameworks; a stable environment of equality, peace democracy and positive value system. Youth Development: ….the ongoing growth Processes in which, youth are engaged in attempting to: 1. meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful, and be spiritually grounded, and 2. build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives." (Pittman, 1993)… A process which prepares young people to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of activities and experiences which help them to become socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and cognitively competent. Positive youth development addresses the broader developmental needs of youth, in contrast to deficit-based models which focus solely on youth problems. “Information”refers to ideas or thoughts that individuals contribute, seek, or obtain from informal or formal discussion, investigation, or study. “Access”refers to the breaking of long-standing information barriers, bringing to a wide diversity of opinion and opportunity. The digital environment may facilitate or inhibit access. “Connectivity”refers to the sense of community or construction of social worlds that emerge from changing perspectives and expanded associations in the real world or in resources. “Interactivity”refers to dynamic, user-controlled, nonlinear, non-sequential, complex information behaviour and representation. “ICT” is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application. It encompasses radio, television, cellular/mobile phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems, and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them. Section 1: Description of the Health and Nutrition context of Youth in Cameroon 1. Background The outcomes include: CAMLINK guiding the health and nutrition investments by the government and other stake holders (public and private) towards attainment of the Organisation’s goals and objectives and also putting into effect the strategy and focus areas of the plan of action of the Cameroon Youth Charter. This strategy is meant to: 1. Provide continuity in terms of strategic planning for Youths in Cameroon. 2. Capture critical lessons in implementation to guide strategic focus and investments for youth in the medium and long term, and consolidated investment targeting youth socio-economic empowerment; 3. Align the network priorities with organizational, regional and government policies and strategies in terms of health and nutrition for youth; 4. Ensure rights-based approach to youth development through meaningful participation and representation; and 5. Mainstream youth perspective in the efforts to achieve broad development goals and priorities Introduction: Population, demographics, administrative factors, Cameroon development plan One of the greatest challenges facing the government and policymakers in Cameroon today is how to provide opportunities for the country’s more than 6 million youth so that they can have decent lives and contribute to the economic development of Cameroon. According to the United Nations (2012), Africa’s 2011 population was estimated at 1.05 billion and was expected to double by 2050. Africa is the youngest continent in the world with about 70percent of its population 30 years of age or younger. In 2011, youth, who are defined here as those between 15 and 24 years of age, constituted 21 percent of the more than 1 billion people in Africa, whereas another 42percent was less than 15 years old. Slightly more than half of the Cameroonian youth population is female, and there are more rural dwellers than urban dwellers. With such a large proportion under 15 years of age, Cameroon’s youth population is expected to grow in the years to come while the youth population in other parts of the world shrinks. Undoubtedly, the challenges for youth that are central to Cameroon’s economic development are numerous and varied - they include employment, health, nutrition, and socio-political participation. These issues differ among groups within regions (by gender, education level, ethnicity and health status). Conversely, the size, energy, enthusiasm, innovation and dynamism of youth are assets that can be harnessed for Cameroon’s development with appropriate policies that deal adequately with the issues facing them. The challenge to Cameroonian policymakers is how to harness young people’s desire for change that has the potential to translate into positive outcomes. Description of the Cameroon Youth Network National health systems, health service delivery The process to develop the network and the youth programme under CAMLINK Y4D was launched during the 2012 Cameroon Link General Assembly after realization that there was need to build a team of young advocates to fill the gap of supporting breastfeeding in a seemingly inevitable changing environment. At this forum it was officially declared that Cameroon Link was to have a slot for a youth representative to the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations (FECABPA) and issues of the youth were to be officially coordinated by an undersigned officer. Since then there has been considerable development and improvement including funding to ensure that the youth groups, individuals and organisations thrive and take root in the work of promotion, protection and support for optimal maternal, infant and young child health and nutrition in Cameroon. A number of youth related documents were drawn and revised to guide implementation and support to the country groups in effecting projects and programmes of the youth network; however these also had their gaps. There was limited clarity and direction when it came to youth programmes and interventions by then and in most cases they were implemented as smaller components under the umbrella organisations. This greatly affected and hindered growth of frontline effectiveness of young people’s involvement in the breastfeeding movement work. However with the opportunity of representation on the Board and the Organisation’s partners in full support of youth interventions, this strategy has been developed. The strategy places emphasis on support to efforts that ensure network growth into a visible force at country and international level, in contributing towards the attainment of Cameroon’s goals on nutrition. The objectives are aimed not only at attainment of full potential and growth of infants and young children, but also the attainment of a quality of health and nutrition that ensures young parents are able to bring forth a generation that is lively and healthy. 2. Situation Analysis There is no universal definition of the youth population. “Youth” is traditionally defined as a period of transition from childhood to adulthood. In the African Youth Report 2009 (hereafter, the UNECA 2009), “youth” are defined as people between 15 and 39 years of age. However, several African countries define their youth population differently. For example, Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa define the youth population as those between 15 and 35 years of age; Cameroon,Nigeria and Swaziland define it as those between 12 and 30 years; and Botswana and Mauritius define it as those between 14 and 25 years. These varying definitions of the youth population make it difficult to effectively discuss issues affecting youth in Africa generally and to compare information across countries. The available data suggest that the youth population is large and growing, but there are limited data on gender and rural/urban distribution. The youth population in Africa is relatively large and is growing very fast. As shown in the figure, youth constitute about 20 percent of Africa’s population. Thus, the absolute size of the continent’s youth population is slightly above 200 million (in 2011, Africa’s total population was estimated at about 1.05 billion). Although Asia has the largest youth population in the world because of its large total population, Africa is the region with the highest youth population relative to its entire population. Because Africa’s population is relatively young (about 42 percent of Africa’s population in 2010 was estimated to be below 15 years of age) and has a high fertility rate, the youth population in Africa is projected to grow very fast and is likely to remain high for a long period of time. Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health Article 16 of the African Youth Charter focuses on the health of young people and stipulates that “every young person shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical, mental and spiritual health”. Our focus below is on the health status of young people in Africa, with particular reference to their reproductive health, mortality, maternal and child health. Although sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing an overall decline in the number of births per woman, adolescent birth rates remain high in many countries including Cameroon. Each year, births to adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 accounts for 16 per cent of all births in sub-Saharan Africa. The youngest mothers are the most likely to experience complications or death due to pregnancy and childbearing. And sexually active young women often face obstacles to accessing contraceptives and health services, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy and unsafely performed abortions. Young men also need information and services so they can be partners in preventing unintended pregnancies. Fertility The high adolescent fertility in sub-Saharan Africa means that young women contribute to the high maternal morbidity and mortality in the region. By the same token, young people in affected areas also share in the impact of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Age at First Sex An indicator used to determine the average age at which young people become sexually active and provides some insight into when most young people are exposed to risks related to pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections(STI). Adolescents rarely use protection when having sex for the first time and younger adolescents face a greater risk than older adolescents of acquiring sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. In most countries with available data, the median age of first sexual experience for young women is between ages 16 and 18. The average age at first sex in some countries - including Cameroon, Niger, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Uganda - is younger than 17. In these countries adolescents under the age of 18 are at a higher risk for sexually transmitted infections and poor reproductive health outcomes due to pregnancy and early childbearing. For young men, the median age at first sex is between ages 17 and 20. The majority of countries - 14 out of the 22 countries with available data - the average age of first sex is 18 or older. Gender differences between age at first sex are most pronounced in several West and Central African countries, such as Niger, Mali and Sierra Leone reflecting the early age at marriage for girls. Adolescent Birth Rates Although there has been a slight decline in adolescent birth rates in developing countries over the last two decades, sub Saharan Africa continues to have some of the highest rates of adolescent fertility in the world, showing almost no decline since 1990. Among the 14.3 million adolescent girls that gave birth in 2008, one of every three was from sub-Saharan Africa. Often, early childbearing is the result of child marriage with its associated negative consequences. But unmarried adolescents are also at risk for unintended pregnancy if they do not have access to comprehensive sex education and family planning services. Nearly half of the countries with available data have an adolescent fertility rate of more than 100 births per 1,000 adolescent girls. Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali are particularly high, with 192, 168 and 167 births per 1,000 adolescent girls, respectively. And high rates of adolescent childbearing are not limited to any one region in sub-Saharan Africa; the 10 countries with the highest adolescent fertility rates include countries from West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. Approximately one-quarter of the countries with available data have an adolescent fertility rate of less than 60 births per 1,000 adolescent girls. Countries like Botswana, Rwanda, Mauritius and Burundi stand out as countries with the lowest rates of adolescent childbearing across the continent. A later and healthier start to childbearing produces important gains in maternal and child health outcomes and breaks cycles of poor health. It is well documented that adolescent pregnancies carry risk to the mother as well as to the newborn. Across the globe, pregnancy and childbearing is the leading cause of death for adolescent girls. In developing countries, the risk of dying during childbirth is twice as high for women aged 15 to 19 as it is for women in their 20s and five times greater for girls under the age of 15. And the risk of maternal death is aggravated by unsafely performed abortions. Ensuring that adolescent girls have access to information and services to prevent unintended pregnancies and delay that first birth will help reduce the burden of maternal death and disability in sub-Saharan Africa. Status Report on Adolescents and Young People in Sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Alexandra Hervish and Donna Clifton, Population Reference Bureau Access to reproductive health care and services is especially important for the youth as this is the life stage in which people develop secondary sexual characteristics and typically make their sexual debut – and may start having children (Richter and Panday, 2005; UNICEF, 2011). The table below shows selected reproductive health indicators for youth in Africa. Despite its decline, adolescent fertility in sub-Saharan Africa remains the highest in the world. The proportion of women aged 20-24 years who gave birth before age 18 is also higher than elsewhere in the world. These figures are a major concern, given that teenage pregnancies have negative repercussions for the development of the young mothers, with the most important implications including dropping out of school, curtailed personal development and increased vulnerability to exploitative sexual relationships. Additionally, because of the youth of the mother the child is particularly vulnerable to perinatal mortality, and the young mother – who may not be physically mature herself – is vulnerable to prolonged labour and increased risk of fistula. Children of teenage mothers are also usually caught in a vicious circle of poverty, malnutrition, poor health and disadvantage. High levels of teenage pregnancy further reflect a pattern of sexual activity that puts teenagers at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (Swartz, 2003; Cooper et al., 2004) Modern Contraceptive Use To a large extent the high adolescent pregnancy rates in sub-Saharan Africa can be attributed to low contraceptive prevalence among young people in the region. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has shown that the use of modern contraceptive methods has changed little in the recent past throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. Although it increased from 12.2percent to 20percent between 1990 and 2000, the 2007 figure was only 21.5percent; in many countries of the region it is less than 10percent. By contrast, the contraceptive prevalence in North Africa was 60.3percent in 2007, up from 58.8percent in 2000 and 44percent in 1990 (UNFPA, 2010). Overall, rates of contraceptive use remain very low in all regions in sub-Saharan Africa among 15-to-19-year-old and 20-to-24-year-old married women. Nearly all the countries with available data for married women aged 15 to 19 have less than 30 per cent are using modern contraception. Among married women aged 20 to 24, Namibia and Zimbabwe stand out as the only countries, with more than half of all women using a modern method of contraception. Among the countries with available data, the lowest rates of modern contraceptive use are in West Africa and Central Africa. Among 15-to-19-year-old married women, contraceptive use in Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Niger, Nigeria and Benin ranges from 1 per cent to 3 per cent. And while some countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have higher rates of contraceptive use - Rwanda at 31 per cent, Zimbabwe at 35 per cent, Namibia at 39 per cent and Swaziland at 43 per cent - more than half of all married adolescents are not using any contraception. The reasons for this range from lack of knowledge about contraception, health concerns, high costs and limited supplies, to cultural or personal objections to the use of contraception (Bulatao, 1998) Child Marriage In addition to low contraceptive use, the high prevalence of early marriage in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa partly explains the high adolescent fertility rates in the sub region. Although most African countries have declared 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage, a 2006 UNICEF report stated that 42percent of young girls in the region were married before turning 18 years (UNICEF, 2006). While the practice has decreased, it is still commonplace, especially in rural areas. Overall, early marriage is generally more prevalent in Central and West Africa where it affects at least 40percent of girls under 19 years. It is relatively less common in East Africa and Southern Africa. Notably, however, even though fewer girls in Southern Africa marry in their teens, cohabitation is relatively common in this region (Mokomane, 2004). Maternal Mortality Given that a high proportion of young people start giving birth during their adolescent years, the issue of maternal mortality – death resulting from the complications of pregnancy and/or childbirth – is relevant for this age group. Available evidence shows that the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Africa remains the highest in the world and the continent contributes about 47percent of global maternal mortality. As in other developing regions, the leading causes of maternal mortality in Africa are hemorrhage and hypertension (UN, 2010). Major Causes of Death for Cameroon Youth According to UNECA (2009), the main cause of death among Cameroon youth is HIV and AIDS, accounting for over 53percent; followed by maternal conditions at 16.7percent, tuberculosis at 4.5percent, sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV and AIDS at 1.7percent, and malaria at 1.5percent. Abuja declaration, policies, Regional Initiatives, public private partnerships in health service delivery, infrastructure, progress on MDGs The range of health services delivered in Africa varies with the level of care, from the basic package at the lower level centers to specialist services at the referral hospitals located within the provinces or at national level. Nutrition Adequate nutrition is an essential prerequisite for maintaining the health status. Malnutrition is a major health problem in Africa, affecting millions of the continents citizens, especially women, children, and infants. The most common nutrition-related problems especially in sub-Saharan Africa include high rates of chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, specifically of Vitamin A and iron. Under-nutrition in Cameroon effects … Hunger and Poverty Access to productive and decent employment is one of the challenges confronting Cameroonian youth in their transition to adulthood. Poverty, in turn, has far-reaching consequences for the development of young people as it is related to the timing and ordering of transitions into adulthood. Although the value of individualism as a defining aspect of independence and adulthood tends to be associated with Western cultures (Arnett, 2001), while interdependence defines the African way of life, there is no doubt that youth poverty undermines the sequencing of the transition considered a norm in societies (the school–formal employment–marriage–family progression). Young males may delay leaving home to assume independent living and start a family because they feel they lack the capacity to support a family materially, and girls may be pushed to assume new roles as mothers because of unplanned pregnancy or as spouses where poor families may organize their child’s marriage as a livelihood strategy. Curtain (2003) showed that 15 of the 19 poorest countries in the world are in sub-Saharan Africa, and concluded that the 51 million youth in these countries accounted for 37percent of all young people in the region. It has been argued that reducing hunger is a necessary condition for the elimination of poverty, as better nutrition improves the capacity of people to produce a sustainable livelihood. Although the incidence of hunger in Africa decreased in the 1990s – early 2000s, this may have been reversed by the recent global economic downturn and sharp increases in the price of staple foods, civil conflicts, wars and migration at their highest. HIV and AIDS HIV is one of the most serious public health and development challenges in Cameroon and practically all the sectors of the society have been affected. Available evidence also shows that HIV prevalence among young people in sub-Saharan Africa is the highest of all major world regions. Among other things, the epidemic has left many young Africans orphaned and vulnerable to risky behaviours that include engagement in unprotected sex, substance abuse and crime. Cameroonian youth also have inadequate participation in decision making and social dialogue at local, national and regional levels. In Cameroon, changes in sexual behaviour patterns among young people—such as waiting longer to become sexually active, having fewer multiple partners and increasing condom use—have resulted in reductions in HIV prevalence. High-burden countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe achieved a significant decline of more than 25percent in HIV prevalence among young people. Burundi, Lesotho and Rwanda also reduced HIV prevalence among young people by one quarter. These declines are essential for curbing the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Although HIV prevalence has declined among young people in many high-burden countries, young people, especially young women, are still disproportionately affected by the epidemic. Twenty countries in sub-Saharan Africa accounted for nearly 70percent of the world’s new HIV infections among young people in 2009. Among the countries with available data, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia have the highest HIV prevalence rates for both males and females aged 15 to 24. However, rates of infection among females are more than double that of males. In addition, HIV prevalence is higher in the 20-to-24-year-old age group (both male and female) compared to the 15-to-19-yearold age group, suggesting that more efforts are needed to strengthen HIV prevention for young adults, their partners and their children. HIV status is fundamental to the uptake of HIV services, treatment and care. Data from selected countries show that most young people do not know their HIV status. Among young women aged 15 to 24, nearly three-quarters of countries with available data have less than 30percent of women tested for HIV. Among young men aged 15 to 24, Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda stand out as the only countries that are not highly affected. In some of the countries, particularly from Eastern and Southern Africa, young women are more likely to have been tested for HIV and received the results from their tests. However, this trend may be linked to their use of antenatal services where HIV testing and counseling are offered more regularly. Intersection of HIV infection and maternal death HIV is an increasing contributor to direct and indirect causes of maternal deaths in Cameroon. Ensuring that young women receive appropriate HIV diagnosis and treatment, including access to antiretroviral drugs, is crucial to manage HIV infection in young, pregnant women as well as women who have just given birth and to reduce the number of maternal deaths. This set of interventions is particularly important in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, where HIV prevalence rates are higher.. Recognize that cross-generational sex puts girls at risk for HIV Cross-generational sex between an unmarried adolescent girl and a man 10 or more years older is not unusual in Cameroon. These relationships are often driven by economic need and expose young women to HIV. Many researchers have found that girls and young women are less able to negotiate condom use in cross-generational sexual relations due to an imbalance in power and a girl’s lack of control in decision making. Consider other health-related behaviours that put young people at-risk for HIV infection Many people have their first experience with tobacco, alcohol and drugs during adolescence and youth. These are risky behaviours that have negative impact on young people’s wellbeing and also lead to poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. For example, alcohol use often contributes to risky sexual behaviour, such as multiple sex partners, inconsistent condom use and transactional sex. In addition, young people who sell or use drugs are at higher risk for HIV infection. They may not have access to information, sterile injecting equipment and services such as HIV testing and counseling. Consequences for Adolescents and Youth Among young people living with HIV, some contracted the virus through vertical transmission from the mother to the child. Although there has been significant progress in reducing pediatric AIDS infections, sub-Saharan Africa continues to have the highest rate in the world. The future course of the AIDS epidemic in Cameroon depends on a number of factors including HIV and AIDS-related knowledge, degree of social stigmatization, risky behaviour, access to high-quality services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), provision and uptake of HIV counselling and testing services, and access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Reaching young people with sexual and reproductive health and family planning information and services to prevent maternal HIV infection in the first place is also necessary. Since adolescents remain a high-risk group (both for HIV infection and pregnancy), HIV prevention programmes must address their specific sexual and reproductive health needs. Young people—especially young women—need access to family planning services and comprehensive sex education so they have a full understanding of how to prevent HIV and can gain competence in negotiating condom use. Technology and Behavior Change (Africa’s Mobile Youth) Recent marketing research indicates that 80percent of youth own three or more personal media devices, 96percent go online daily, and for 78percent of youth, cell phones are the most popular method of remote communication. Young people are much more likely to jointly experience events, not in someone’s living room, but rather via text messages, My Space, Twitter, blogs, or instant messaging. Mobile technology has been a game changer for Africa. The World Bank and African Development Bank report there are 650 million mobile users in Africa, surpassing the number in the United States or Europe. In some African countries more people have access to a mobile phone than to clean water, a bank account or electricity, the agencies add. Youth are using mobile phones for everything: communicating, listening to the radio, transferring money, shopping, mingling on social media and more. Furthermore, the industry has transcended divides between urban and rural, rich and poor. Cheap Chinese handsets are readily available, with some going for as little as USD20. Africa has a history of inflating taxes for mobile consumers and operators, but countries like Kenya, recognizing that handset prices represent a barrier to development, removed their 16% general sales tax in 2009, increasing sales by more than 200percent, the Global Mobile Tax Review reports. Mobile phone penetration in Africa has therefore increased rapidly in the past 12 years, going from 1percent in 2000 to 54percent in 2012, as stated in Deloitte’s report by The Sub-Saharan Africa Mobile Observatory. Young people are the largest group using cell phones and their software applications, says SimthandileMgushelo on his blog Voices of the World. In his country, South Africa, 72percent of those between the ages of 15 and 24 have cell phones, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. Internet prices are coming down and speed is up, writes J. M. Ledgard in Intelligent Life magazine, thanks to fibre-optic submarine cables running along the East African coast and connecting several African countries, including Cameroon, South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan and the Comoros. Other fibre-optic cables run along Africa’s west and central coast. Ledgard predicted that by 2014, 69percent of mobiles would have Internet access. In response to the burgeoning demand, markets are transitioning slowly from so-called feature phones with limited data access to low-cost Smartphones with access to the Internet. Facebook splits costs with the network operators and phone manufacturers and Google has followed and is providing free Internet access and also eliminating language barriers by becoming multilingual. Face-to-face conversations are out, texting is in. Hangouts are no longer the craze for youth. Texting or SMS (short message service) has overtaken speaking on a mobile phone. Even when young people are physically in the same space, they will secretly text each other. “Often, we’ll SMS something we don’t want to say out loud.” Just a few years ago most people considered this kind of behaviour rude; now it’s so frequent, it’s grudgingly tolerated (Africa Renewal). Even during social events like weddings, funerals and religious services, it’s typical to see teens and young adults hunched over, peering into a small screen, thumb and forefinger poised ready to fly over the tiny keyboard to send a text message. It’s no longer a fad; it’s ingrained in the culture. Emerging Issues and Recommendations The most critical actions to be taken to harness the potential of young people today as well as future generations include: Sexual and reproductive health and rights: All young people have a need for comprehensive, age-appropriate and accurate sexuality education. Effective sex education programmes have been shown to reduce misinformation, increase the use of contraception to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections and promote positive attitudes and behaviours. HIV/AIDS Integrate reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services. Linking these two services is a cost-effective strategy to meet the needs of young people. Youth-friendly, integrated services are needed throughout the region, providing convenience, privacy and low-cost or free services, including HIV testing and counseling and male circumcision where necessary for young people. Particular attention should be given to young people who engage in intergenerational and transactional sex as well as adolescents who are exploited in sex work. Social Networking The increasing use of the Internet and mobile phones in Cameroon has been accompanied by increased and widespread use of web-based social network sites. These sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events and interests within their individual networks. Among the positive impacts of social networking is the opportunity they offer young people to connect with others who share similar interests and activities across political, economic and geographic borders. These sites are also increasingly being used in education, medicine, finance and legal applications. Studies show that policies to address the challenges facing youth have not resulted in a great deal of success. These failures are attributable to a number of factors including the inadequacy of information about youth that is necessary in the design of policy, weak coordination amongst government agencies, donors, regional organizations, and the failure to design specific policies that are suited to deal with the problems of Cameroon youth. • The AYR indicates that African governments have responded to the challenges of youth, but these challenges still persist. There is a need to foster youth involvement in the process of policy formulation and to consider youth issues within a general framework that incorporates regional and global responses. Specific policy recommendations are provided in the AYR, from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Although the reports recognize the need for African countries to take further steps to develop and implement their national plans and to fully assess their progress, no study has been done to evaluate the aspects of youth policies. • Several African countries have made progress in developing youth policies, as embodied in the African Youth Charter, a regional framework for youth development, as well as in other reports. The existence of a national youth policy does not necessarily mean that it is being implemented – or that it is particularly good for young people. But overall, the progress seems to have been slow, and the available policies or actions do not adequately meet the challenges presenting to the youth. • Computers and other mobile gadgets are a viable way to deliver prevention information and promote skill development. While psychological science has established the dangers of these new media (e.g., Internet, video games) such as increased violence and addiction, we must also consider the potential strengths of these strategies and employ them appropriately - this is not only possible, but sometimes preferable to adolescents. Section 2 Strategic Direction/Background and Context of the Strategy Thematic Areas covered by Strategy Cameroon Link Youth Network exists as a component of IBFAN Africa and like the mother Organisation works through the existing government and non government structures within the network regions. The Organisation has been key in providing guidance and support in the areas of Policy analysis and formulation; Strategic planning and programme cycle management; Setting standards and quality assurance. Cameroon Link also provides technical support to regional groups and ministry of public health on nutrition and food security related issues, including capacity development and technical support supervision; interventions on nutrition emergency preparedness and response; nutrition and health related operational research as well as monitoring and evaluation of the overall nutrition, food security and health related interventions with specific emphasis on maternal, infant and young child feeding and related programmes. The Y4DA Network implements through Cameroon Link structure how it utilizes the approach of integration to include aspects of the youth and youth-friendly service delivery to reach to the young men and women within the communities in the country. The key intervention areas are listed below: Section 3 Strategic Interventions The achievement of the objectives outlined above will among others, entail the pursuance and implementation of the following strategic interventions. Programme Management Outcome 1 Improved programme quality, governance, accountability and competence Objective: To ensure Cameroon Link functions at the highest level of organisational accountability, effectiveness and efficiency Specific Objectives 1. To increase the visibility of CAMLINK vision, purpose, brand and safe guard the reputation of the organisation. 2. To strengthen organisational infrastructure and operations; 3. To ensure effective succession planning and democratic decision making at governance and management levels; and 4. To develop a stable, highly qualified and motivated workforce that actively delivers the organisation’s mission. Programme Strategies 1. Analyse impact of Camlink Youth Network programmes and strengthen outreach services to attain an effective response to priority advocacy areas; 2. Strengthen the Organisation’s infrastructure and operations to ensure a healthy and responsive organisation; 3. Resource global governance to enhance the collective power of the Organisation and increase the commitment to the vision and purpose; 4. Investigate the major opportunities and barriers of integration; 5. Support program implementation by members through provision of technical support for community development; 6. Enhance a participatory approach through pilot projects and sharing of best practices; 7. Conduct baseline assessment, create and use indicators that add value to programme interventions; and 8. Strengthen the monitoring, quality improvement and evaluation including promotion of evidence based practices. Desired impact • A flexible and responsive Organisation with effective governance and management at all levels, clear delegation of powers, as well as strengthened cooperation, coordination and support mechanisms Service Delivery Outcome 2: Enhanced Delivery of Quality Services Social Marketing Programs - Peer Education Peer education is a common approach for helping youth to adopt responsible behaviours, but reaching large numbers of youth effectively remains a challenge for many programs. Although large diverse audiences can be ideal for raising awareness of reproductive health issues, they are not always suitable for intensive interpersonal activities. Working with small groups of youth Participatory techniques designed to encourage audience members to personalize information, gain confidence, and practice new behavioural skills are most effective when used with a small number of participants who share common demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Small homogenous groups allow peer educators to cover more material, engage participants more fully, tailor messages appropriately, and effectively address concerns and questions. Using structured participatory approaches Social learning theory asserts that young people learn by observing and imitating a behaviour and receiving support to maintain the behaviour. Based on this scientifically tested theory, peer education activities should avoid didactic presentation and instead aim to motivate participants to internalize risks and make the commitment to practice healthy behaviour. Reaching the most vulnerable youth Out-of-school youth, orphans, street youth, and commercial sex workers are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviours, and therefore have a greater need for peer education services. Reaching sufficient numbers of youth face-to-face on a repeated basis requires collaboration among many organizations. One option for expanding coverage is to use experienced peer educators as trainers and supervisors of a wider network of volunteer peer educators linked to schools, youth clubs, and other organizations. Practical tools such as standardized guidelines for peer education sessions can reduce variability, maximize audience participation, and ensure emphasis on key messages. Recruitment and training In order to be credible, youth peer educators must be true peers - similar age range, sex, marital status, and sexual experience - to the program’s target audiences. This should emphasize the ability to listen, guide discussions, and talk about sensitive topics. A major challenge is to recruit and train peer educators who are poised and self assured and, at the same time, comfortable deferring to experts when appropriate. David Wilson, “PSI Youth Sexual Health Programme: Cameroon, Rwanda, Madagascar,” unpublished report, April 25, 2002. Program design focusing on environmental and contextual factors An effective way to deal with health issues is to take a holistic approach that considers not only youths’ physical and mental well-being but also their social, economic and cultural environment. Well developed commercial infrastructure allows programs to deliver products, information, and services to youth conveniently and affordably. Improving the accessibility and quality of reproductive health care for youth Youth-friendly service provision, Integrating health programs with opportunities for personal development can attract females to youth centers Cooperation from parents and other influential adults to achieve program results It is important distinction between soliciting support from adults and basing youth programs on the perceptions and values of adults. More information is needed about the extent to which parents and other adults influence adolescent behaviour, and how to most effectively promote dialogue between adults and adolescents on reproductive health. Standard guidelines for program design, marketing, and research Behaviour-change programs that are evidence-based need staff with the ability to direct and analyze research, convey complex behavioural concepts to research and advertising agencies, and apply best practices in youth programming. These specialized skills are not widely available in Cameroon and thus future programs should devote resources to build local capacity in this area. Collaboration, Coordination and Networking Outcome 3 Enhanced collaborative, Information sharing, coordination and networking with stakeholders, members and the development partners Cross Cutting: Gender, Environmental Conservation, Monitoring & Evaluation Outcome 4 Gender mainstreamed at all stages of planning and implementation Objective: To ensure that gender issues are streamlined into all Camlink Y4DA work. Strategies 1. Observe gender equity and equality in recruitment, leadership, networking, and in all coordination processes (i.e.: planning, implementation, M&E); and 2. Lobby and advocate for improved basic health services provided to youth, men, women and children by members and partner organizations. Strengthening Institutional Capacity and mobilizing resources Supervision, monitoring and review of services Outcome 5: Mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation strengthened and institutionalized Framework for monitoring and reporting, indicators, supervision and monitoring of progress, interpretation of progress Resource Mobilisation Outcome 6: Increased investments in youth development and empowerment Article 16 of the African Youth Charter calls for provision of technical and financial support to build the institutional capacity of youth organisations to address public health concerns including issues concerning youth with disabilities and young people married at an early age. Financing of services Outcome 7: Capacity and resources for implementation consolidated Coordination and monitoring of progress enhanced and consolidated at the levels of Cameroon, youth networks and youth servicing organizations. ;"