Cameroon Link New Year Wishes 2012

On behalf of Cameroon Link, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope your 2012 is off to a great start. The month of January is a time for new beginnings, but it is also a moment when we reflect on the previous year. In 2011, Cameroon Link began exciting new programs with the Commonwealth of Learning, WABA, Farm radio International, Plan Cameroon and the Cameroon Ministry of Public. A review of Cameroon Link's activities sheet was made to meet up with current modern challenges. We lost dear ones, but we also received new faces on board our programmes. At the same time we have reaffirmed our commitment to continue to promote, protect and support mother and child health care advocacy in various ways through community of learning open distance skills training and sharing of experiences.
We are proud of all we achieved in 2011 especially with the reshaping of the Men's Initiative e-newsletter. We could not have done it without the support of all at WABA Secretariat, our partners, national networks, regional networks, donors and people like you, who are passionate about the work we do. In your various countries and regions, there are many ways you can play an active role in changing the world through information, education and support of expectant mothers and lactating mothers. Find out more about SUFI, Community of Learning, Farm Radio and WABA Men’s Initiative campaigns and get creative with your awareness raising activities! Take a chance to inform and engage people on important global infant and young child health issues. Also remember that change doesn't happen on its own. We have to act collectively. When at http://uk.youtube.com/camlink99, click on breastfeeding promotion at the right corner and you will find yourself at"www.waba.org.my" web site.Click on healthy community and you will be at the www.col.org. Know more about Farm Radio International by visiting, www.farmradio.org. Congratulations to our IT specialists for connecting us better every day. We wish that 2012 should open the door for "Peace, Good Health, the achievement of your heart's desires and Happiness!
James Achanyi-Fontem
Coordinator,
WABA Men’s Initiative
Email: camlink99@gmail.com
You Tube: http://uk.youtube.com/camlink99
Online Radio: http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/show/the_camlink_douala_show

Plan Cameroon, BCH Africa and Cameroon Link sign SUFI Protocol Agreement

By CAMLINK SUFI
Email: camlink99@gmail.com
Plan Cameroon has signed a Tripartite Protocol Agreement with CAMEROON LINK and BCH Africa Civil Society Organisation (CSO) to implement advocacy and communication activities for behavioural change within the frame work of the fight against malaria in the territory of the Health District of Bonassama. Cameroon entered into an agreement with the World Bank Fund for the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to implement a 5-year project: “Scaling up Malaria Control for Impact in Cameroon (SUFI) 2011-2015”. Famari BARRO signed on behalf of Plan Cameroon, Kondji Konji Dominique signed on behalf of BCH Africa and James Achanyi-Fontem endorsed the agreement on behalf of Cameroon Link CSO.
The project is structured according to the “Dual Track”, model with the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health as the Principal Recipient 1 (PR1) and Plan Cameroon as Principal Recipient 2 (PR2). Three other sub recipients (SR) are ACMS, IRESCO and MC-CCAM. Plan Cameroon is responsible for the implementation of the advocacy and communication package for behavioural change in collaboration with its two sub-recipients which are IRESCO, MC-CCAM and the civil society organisations (OSC) at the regional level, Health Districts level and the Community Based Organizations (CBO) at the health area level. 10 CSO in ten regions of Cameroon, 179 CSO in Health Districts and 15.500 CBO Health areas of Cameroon are concerned with the implementation of SUFI project.
Within the framework of the project implementation calendar, Plan Cameroon, in its capacity as Principal Recipient has entrusted CAMEROON LINK with the responsibility to take part and follow up the implementation of the activities of the Round 9 SUFI Project in its capacity as representative of the civil society organisation selected in the Health District of Bonassama to ensure that the interests of the populations are taken into account and that they are involved in the adaptation of the activities for the fight against malaria to the realities of individual capacities and communities.
CAMEROON LINK has engaged to implement the project as presented in the chronogram of Plan Cameroon. It would be recalled that Plan Cameroon places the protection of the Child at the centre of its concerns and CAMEROON LINK is conforming to the same policy of child rights as presented in the agreement.
The signed protocol agreement on 25th January,has been concluded to cover a period of 12 months from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 and It could be renewed on the basis of a positive evaluation of the performance of the activities carried out by CAMEROON LINK. Plan will put at the disposal of CAMEROON LINK, all the necessary documents and information tools for the good execution of the activities of SUFI in the Health District of Bonassama through BCH-AFRICA, which was selected as the regional civil society organisation to supervise activities in the Littoral region of Cameroon. BCH-AFRICA will also support CAMEROON LINK in facilitation where need would arise.

NUTRITIONAL CARE AND SUPPORT AT CTC ILEMBULA LUTHERAN HOSPITAL

FROM JULY 2011 TO DECEMMBER 2011
By Asifiwe Chanafi, Focal Person
1. INTRODUCTION
Ilembula Lutheran Hospital is a Faith based Health facility. It is owned by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania Southern Diocese. The Hospital is situated southwest of Makambako town, Njombe District in Iringa Region. It is 5km South-East of Mbeya –Dar es Salaam tarmac road. The Hospital deals with the provision of Health services to the community. Due to increase in complicated and chronic illnesses the group of people who are working with Ilembula Lutheran Hospital have established the Program named CTC under the organisation umbrella. The Program has existed for six years since 2006 when it was established.

2. ORIENTATION.
Orientation to Hospital leaders, CTC and Hospital staff was conducted as it was planed.

3.PROVISION FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION SESSIONS TO GROUPS OF PLHIV ATTENDING CTC FROM JULY TO DECEMBER 2011
In July 2011 when we started to implement the Nutritional Education Sessions the CTC had the patients 3,191 patients were from June 30,2011 at Ilembula CTC.Among of them 1,836 were female and 1355 were males, whereby in December the clinic had 4,383The average of patients received knowledge on Nutrition were 1014 (31.2% from the total patients).
3.1. TOPICS TAUGHT:
3.1.1. Elimu ya Msingi ya chakula na lishe.
 Nini maana ya chakula
 Umuhimu wa chakula kwa binadamu
 Virutubishi,umuhimu na vyanzo vyake.
 Makundi ya vyakula.
These topics were taught in July 2011. Total patents attended were 894.

3.1.2. Matatizo ya chakula na lishe Tanzania
 Upungufu wa nishati na protin
 Upungufu wa wekundu wa damu
 Upungufu wa Vitamini A
 Upungufu wa madini joto
These topics were taught in August 2011. Total patents attended were 1190.

3.1.3.Lishe kwa watu wanaoishi na VVU na UKIMWI
 Uhusiano wa lishe na Virusi vya UKIMWI
 Ulaji bora (mlo kamili)
 Mbinu za utayarishaji na uboreshaji wa chakula
 Vidokezo muhimu vya uboreshaji wa chakula
These topics were taught in November 2011. Total patents attended were 1131

3.1.4.Usafi na usalama wa chakula na maji.
 Usafi wa mtayarishaji wa chakula
 Usafi wa vyombo
 Usafi wa sehemu za kutayarishia vyakula
 Usafi na usalama wa chakula
 Usafi na usalama wa maji ya kunywa.
These topics were taught in December 2011. Total patents attended were 840.

3.2. FACILITATORS
All facilitators who were attended a seminar which was conducted by the COUNSENTH AND TUNAJALI participated fully in implementation.
3.2.1. Asifiwe Chanafi
3.2.2. Apia Ndelele
3.2.3. Aristides Mtega
3.2.4. Julia Njako
4. CHALLENGES:
4.1. Lack of practical demonstration materials.
4.2. Unavailability of room for seminars, practical and demonstration.
4.3.Lack of fund for purchasing materials for practical/demonstration, stationary, brochures and Problems
4.4. Inadequate of CTC staff.
5. WAY FORWARD
5.1. Let us work together for finding solutions of those weaknesses so as to fulfill the demand in implementation of our activities for better health of PLHIV.
5.2. More seminars for refreshments are needed to those who attended seminar.
This information has been brought to your, so you can extend a hand to the needy cared by Chanafi. For more information, click on the following links:
http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/show/the_camlink_douala_show
http://uk.youtube.com/camlink99/
http://cameroonlink.info

Knock Out Malaria From Cameroon

Civil Society Organisations Drilled On Good Governance
By James Achanyi-Fontem, camlink99@gmail.com
Some 45 representatives of civil society organisations and heads of health districts in the Litooral region of Cameroon have been drilled on good governance of financial management, advocacy and resource mobilisation during a three-day workshop within the frame work of Scaling Up Malaria Control for Impact (SUFI) in Cameroon. SUFI is financed by Round 9 of the Global Fund for the fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Cameroon Link is amongst the civil society organisations selected to participate in the execution phase of the distribution of long duration impregnated mosquito nets within the frame work of the Global Fund round 9 programme in the littoral region. The workshop was organised by the regional delegation for public health in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium – Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (MC-CCAM), Plan Cameroon and IRESCO.
Key facilitators of the workshop were Daniel Sibetcheu (MC-CCAM), Sob Eric Arsene (Plan Cameroon) and Valerie Ahouama (IRESCO). Addressing the participants, the Interim Regional Delegate for Public Health, Dr. Dissongo Jean II, said the training aimed at preparing the civil society organisations in Cameroon to become fully involved in advocacy and the mobilisation of resources for Scaling Up Malaria Control fro Impact from 2011 to 2015.
Daniel Sibetcheu told the civil society leader that malaria is the cause of over 780.000 deaths in the world and 90% is from Africa. In effect, an African child dies every 45 seconds by WHO records, even though malaria can be prevented and treated through involvement of all stakeholders of a community.
It is expected that the involvement of civil society organisations will increase the use of impregnated mosquito nets by all to 80% and the most vulnerable groups like pregnant women and children below the age of 5 will be protected.
The principal strategies adopted for Scaling UP Malaria for Impact in Cameroon are:
 The organisation of a mass campaign for the distribution of long duration impregnated mosquito nets in 2011
 The organisation of routine distribution of mosquito nets to pregnant women and other sustenance strategies from 2011 to 2015
 The rationalisation of management of cases through rapid diagnostic tests before treatment at the facilities and within the communities.
It is expected that this approach will improve on partnerships with the full participation of the civil society organisations selected and the coordination of all parties involved. Participants at the workshop were informed that the project is been executed with the “dual track” policy of the Global fund. This policy calls for the involvement of the government and the civil society organisations at all levels of implementation of activities.
It is within this context that the Ministry of Public Health is the Principal Recipient 1 on the government side and Plan Cameroon is the Principal Recipient 2 as Civil Society. The two recipients are operating in collaboration with three sub recipients that include “l’Association Camerounaise pour le Marketing social (ACMS)”, Malara Consortium – Cameroon Coaltion Against Malaria (MC-CCAM) and l’Institut pour la Recherche, le développement Socio-économique et la Communication (IRESCO).
In the organisation of the strategies, 10 regional civil society organisations, CSO, 179 district civil society organisations and 15.500 community based organisations, CBO, were selected to implement action plans at the respective levels of the project.
This explains why the training was deemed important to explain the vital role to be played by the civil society organisations in Cameroon for Scaling Up Malaria Prevention for Impact. It was made clear that the Global Fund in transparency and good governance policy does not tolerate any incidents of fraud and mismanagement. It counts on the civil society organisation to play a very important role for behaviour change communication throughout the project execution process in Cameroon.
For three days, the civil society organisations’ capacities were reinforced in the areas of advocacy, good governance, financial management and resource mobilisation. The civil society organisations received two key modules prepared as guidelines for executing the work within the health district communities and for organising similar training for the community based organisation.
The Regional Coordinator for the fight against malaria in the littoral, Dr. Gertrude Bita, accompanied the training facilitators throughout their mission and an evaluation was organised at the end of each. The evaluation assisted in monitoring the level of understanding of the content of the modules delivered and gaps were closed as the theoretical and practical sessions unfolded with presentations after work in groups.

COL Healthy Communities Workshop

Highlights of CLP Content
By James Achanyi-Fontem, Cameroon Link
Gail White Presents COL Workshop Programme
From: camlink99 | Oct 6, 2011 |
This video highlights Gail White's welcome and presentation of the week's programme of the Commonwealth of Learning Healthy Communities workshop. Gail White is the Executive Director of the Media Training Centre, MTC, for Health in Cape Town, South Africa. MTC was host of the COL workshop. Cameroon Link was there and made this video for sharing

Patrick Prendeergast of CARIMAC Jamaica on CLP sustainability
From: camlink99 | Oct 2, 2011 |
Patrick Prendergast of CARIMAC Jamaica in this video shares his experience on how to sustain a programme, emphasizing on the project design, increase of funding possibility and capacity building. Patrick added that there needs to be clarity at the planning stage of any Community of Learning Programme. The tool kit unit on sustainability was discussed and experiences shared with COL partners during the healthy community workshop. Cameroon Link produced video with the inclusion of power point project to facilitate understanding for the issue and for sharing. For more on the Commonwealth of Learning sustainability, visit the web site at - http://www.col.org

Blythe Mckay on FRI Networking Strategies
From: camlink99 | Oct 1, 2011
Blythe Mckay, the Farm Radio International Manager of Programs and Partnership addressed participants at the Commonwealth of Learning healthy communties partners' workshop on networking opportunities and impact in Cape Town, South Africa.Cameroon Link was there and produced this for sharing.

Franklin Huizies of AMARC
From: camlink99 | Oct 1, 2011 |
Franklin Huizies is the Vice President of AMARC Africa. In the video shared here, Franklin makes a contribution on CLP trends and how issues should or can be approached for greater outcomes in media development.

Discover Radio Atlantis in South Africa
From: camlink99 | Oct 1, 2011 |
Radio Atlantis first went on air on 1 September 1995. The station's mission statement is to act as a medium to empower the community in its broadcasting area, through education and information and providing a voice and entertainment to such communities and promotes the rights of those who have been denied their basic human rights in the past, in particular women and children's rights.
The radio, which broadcasts on the 107.9 FM Stereo frequency to Atlantis; Langebaan; Sea Point; Cape Town; Abbotsdale; Mamre; Philadelphia; Tableview; Malmesbury; Darling; and Klipheuwel, is registered as a section 21 company and broadcasts in Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa. Radio Atlantis reaches listeners in LSM groups one to eight of all ages. The station broadcasts 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
This video was made by Cameroon Link during a study visit to the station in September 2011 by Commonwealth of Learning Healthy Communities Partners, who attended a workshop in Cape Town hosted by the Media Training Centre for Health. The Executive Director of MTC, Gail white, made the arrangement since her centre is promoting a health education programme at Radio Atlantis.
During the session videoed here, COL partners learnt about how the station's listeners' club contributes in the design of story episodes. The programmed listened here concerns the fight against drug abuse amongst youths within the community. Since the programmes impact on the listeners, they are given an opportunity to tell their own story through testimonies. Cameroon Link produced this video for sharing.

Discover Radio Altantis, Cape Town, South Africa
From: camlink99 | Sep 30, 2011 |
During the last Commonwealth of Learning Healthy Community Partners Workshop in Cape Town, the host organisation, Media Training Centre for Health, MTC, planned a field to Radio Atlantis.
Radio Atlantis is one of the community radio stations authorised to operate in South Africa. After several years of existence, it is working towards autonomy and would be housed by its own permanent building shortly. The road was long, but because its activities impacted on the livelihood of the community, it survived through production of dedicated programmes on issues facing youths in the community like drug abuse.
During the trip to Atlantis, COL HC Partners were introduced to the station authority, who highlighted the struggle for survival of the station. It was a community radio put in place to fight Apartheid, but it is today, a promotion of livelihood tool. In the video presented her by Cameroon Link, COL partners intorduce themselves and the station manager tells a short story of Radio Atlantis

Zahir Koradia of Gram Vaani
From: camlink99 | Sep 30, 2011 |
In this video, Zahir Koradia from Gram Vanni in India talks about how to integrate mobiles into community learning programmes (CLPs). He exchanged with the 23 participants of the Commonwealth of Learning Healthy Communities Partners' workshop hosted by the Media Training Centre for Health in Cape Town from the 12th to 17th September, 2011. He shares through this video produced by Cameroon Link some experiences of case studies on the use of mobile applications, their strengths and weaknesses and how to use them most appropriately. He also mapped out a tool kit module which assists users to reach many people within communities at a time

Joke van Kampen on Story Design
From: camlink99 | Sep 29, 2011
This video shows an excerpt of the presentation by Joke van Kampen of Malawi Story workshop during the COL Healthy Community seminar organised at MTC Cape Town, South Africa from the 12th - 17th September, 2011. Joke emphasized that to master the issue and programme matrix, you have to go through all the steps yourself. This video was made by Cameroon Link for sharing.

Ian Pringle Presents CLP In Cape Town
From: camlink99 | Sep 28, 2011
During the COL Healthy Community Partners Workshop organised from the 12th - 18th September 2011 at the Media training Centre for Health in Cape Town, Ian Pringle, COL's Media Education Specialist and the key facilitator traced the path of Community Open Distance Learning and the policy of the Commonwealth of Learning. Cameroon Link was there and made this video for sharing. For more on the issue treated in this video, visit the COL web site at - http://www.col.org



Charles Simbi on the Bag of Life Programming in Malawi
From: camlink99 | Sep 26, 2011
Charles Simbi is one of the expert trainers of the Story Workshop Organisation in Malawi. Charles and Gladson facilitated the story design workshop which led to programming on mother and child health care on Lebialem Community Radio in Menji, in the south west region of Cameroon. The organisation of the COL Healthy Communities Partners workshop in Cape Town created room for a second come together for sharing of experiences on the impact of story design programmes on community radio stations in Africa. In this video, Charles Simbi shares the experience of the impact following broadcast of the "Bag of Life Programme" in Malawi. He emphasizes on the issue of the programme matrix to dig deep into the heart of issues facing any community, because this highlights shared responsibility in finding solutions to problems. For more on story design programming in Lebialem Community Radio, visit the web site at - http://cameroonlink.info or http://www.col.org

Blythe Mckay on M & E
From: camlink99 | Sep 23, 2011
Blythe Mckay is the Farm Radio International (FRI) Program and partnership manager. Farm Radio International is a Canadian-based, not-for-profit organisation working in direct partnership with over 325 radio broadcasters in 39 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity. It is a strategic partner of Commonwealth of Learning and its mission is to support broadcasters in developing countries to strengthen smallholder farmers in rural communities. It was established over 30 years ago in response to the fact that farm radio broadcasters in the global south did not, for the most part, serve small-scale farmers.
Rather, they were geared toward large-scale commercial farmers - an audience with very different needs from the largely subsistence farmers that make up the large majority of the populations of these regions.
By producing and sharing radio scripts, a weekly news and information service, and other valuable resources with radio broadcasters, Farm Radio International is improving the relevance and quality and increases the quantity of farm radio programming of partner stations that, collectively, serve over 220 Million scale-scale farmers in Africa.
Blythe Mckay was invited to Cape Town, South Africa by the Commonwealth of Learning to share the FRI experience in Monitoring and Evaluation of its work with the African broadcasters during a COL Healthy Communities Partners workshop from 10th - 17th September 2011. FRI is serving over 51 community radio stations in Cameroon and this video was made for sharing by Cameroon Link. Cameroon Link is playing the role of FRI Focal Point in Cameroon. To get more about the work of Farm Radio International and Commonwealth of Learning, visit the following web sites - http://www.farmradio.org, http://www.col.org, http://cameroonlink.info

COL Healthy Communities Partners Workshop In Cape Town

23 participants drawn from 14 Commonwealth countries ended a workshop on the expansion of healthy communities in their various countries and organizations within the action plan designed from 2012 - 2015. The countries invited were South Africa, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Bangladesh, India, Jamaica, Fiji, Solomon islands, Canada, United Kingdom and Namibia.
The Director of Media Training Centre for Health, Gail White at the opening of deliberations told participants that it was an honour for her organization to receive and host people from all regions of the world in beautiful and historic Cape Town, South Africa. She wished that the exchanges of experiences were going to assist in the expansion of the work of the various organizations in their countries.
The workshop ran from the 11th – 17th September, 2011 was stimulating and productive because a remarkable group of people and organizations, new and existing COL partners, groups focused on media, health/development and resource people in areas from research to mobile contributed in various ways in sharing their work and experiences.
Ian Pringle, the key facilitator and COL Media Education Specialist focused on the use of media for non-formal education about health and development, specifically community learning programmes that are local, collaborative and participatory. The use of radio along with face-to-face methods and increasingly mobiles was very resourceful means of developing Community Learning Programme agenda for amelioration of livelihoods
From 2009 – 2012, knowledge sharing has been focused on seminars on educational media, community learning programmes, connecting with the COL newsletter and web site. In capacity building, over 700 individuals were engaged in training, of which 40 per cent were women. There has been increased use of community Open Distance Learning by 48 community groups in 10 nations at regional and national levels.
Community Learning Programmes (CLP) has been realized in Belize, Jamaica, Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Solomon Island. These programmes have been produced locally blended and multichannel, collaborative, participatory, story-based and low cost effective.
Community Radio Programmes are beginning to have wide coverage, consistent message, creative, engaging with delivery through one-way and one to many people options, while the face-t-face approach is two ways, collective, links to mobilization and has limited scale.
With the introduction of mobile technologies, the programmes are more interactive, one-to- many, one-to-one, wherever and whenever they are realized. The participants before departure from Cape Town agreed that community various groups have to be involved in programming that include Community networks, experts, policy makers and media.
Elements of participation are feedback, action, discussion, content and decision making. It all starts with making decisions on the programme. Grassroots networks are supportive through story and experiences-based strategy. This means getting to use smart people, because smart people learn from experience and smarter people learn from other people’s experience, Ian Pringle observed.
He emphasized on the fact, that it is low cost when we have dedicated people involved in the programme, field based recording, collaborative management, inputs to community media outlets and promotions. The revenue resources should be varied for sustainability.
Addressing COL’s 2012 – 2015 Healthy Communities initiatives and a proposed framework, Ian Pringle shared with the partners an insight, which they built on during the week. Teams of small group work were established to reflect on the necessary additions for consolidating the action plan. Ekta Mittal of Maraa, India and Blythe Mckay of Farm Radio International Canada talked about developing capacity building materials, an Online CLP toolkit and Distance training course on educational programme development were presented.
The framework and template of the online toolkit were shared based on team assignments, while the framework of the Farm Radio international distance course to be developed over a week in 2012 was presented by Blythe Mckay.
This was followed by a workshop stream on learning the CLP model step by step by Ian Pringle and Joke van Kampen of the Story workshop in Malawi. The main outcomes were the awareness and skills developed in key CLP tools and processes through hands-on use of methods and brainstorming on different steps in the programme development process and new ideas and initiatives were proposed for the different CLPs by each team.
There field trips to Atlantis Radio, Wine Testing Vine Yard region of southern Cape and historic Rubben Island just to name a few tourism and learning attractions. At Atlantis Radio, Commonwealth of Learning Partners were shown how local community radio stations in South Africa operate, how issues are chosen for discussion during programming and the relevance of listeners’ clubs.
To live the realities of the Commonwealth of Learning Healthy Communities Partners’ stay in Cape Town, South Africa, please visit web page at – http://uk.youtube.com/camlink99

SCALING UP COMMONWEALTH OF LEARNING IN CAMEROON

By Helen Ayamba Egbe
Emal: helenayamba@yahoo.com
Discussions on scaling up the Commonwealth of Learning in Cameroon have opened with the National Focal Point, Professor Ivo Leke Tambo, according to Canal 2 Tv International. In an interview, Professor Tambo highlighted how far COL activities have evolved in Cameroon since 2003 and action that has taken place since he was appointed by the Prime Minister. In the interview, Prof. Tambo also explained what Commonwealth means to Cameroonians.
Professor Leke Tambo was appointed by the Prime Minister in 2006 and since then the Commonwealth of Learning has worked with many ministries and organised groups. He added, that it was judged important to have a national focal point that could help to coordinate the various activities of the Commonwealth of Learning in Cameroon. With the setting up of the Commonwealth of Learning, the agency was considered as an instrument put in place by the 54 governments of the Commonwealth family to promote especially Open Distance Learning, Information and communication Technology as far as it is applied to education for sustaining development and livelihood growth of members of the groups and individuals in the member countries.
Before 2006, the Commonwealth of Learning was a consultant for organizing a national workshop on Open Distance Learning in Cameroon with the technical support of the Ministry of Higher Education in 2003. It was during the workshop that the recommendations were made at the end for Open Distance Learning to be introduced in Cameroon. Before the 2003 workshop, the Commonwealth of Learning had been working with the University of Dschang in the programs of Agriculture and the lead person was Professor Ajanganji. University of Dschang initiated programs in agriculture and various areas.
When Professor Ivo Leke Tambo was appointed in 2006 as the focal point, a major problem arose when the different ministries started writing to the Commonwealth requesting for the creation of Open Distance Learning possibilities in their sectors in Cameroon. When the mails requesting the establishing of Open University were received at the Commonwealth of Learning, the reply was that the government had first to implement the workshop recommendations made in 2003, which stated that to insure that Open Distance Learning goes on smoothly in the country, a legal framework to facilitates the introduction must be put in place. The legal frame needed to answer questions on what modules that Cameroon wants to implement and whether the Open University will take a module of the formal university by running face to face programs and at the same time having groups as students who are outside learning setting, by using the distance model? The document needed to say what people want to do? What the role of other partners would be and who wants to intervene? Another major problem was on how quality of the learning process and certification was to be assured?
All of these issues had to be addressed for the harmonization of diplomas and their recognition, because we know in Open Distance Learning, there are some degree mills, where some institutions issue junk degrees. What these institutions do is that they receive money in exchange of degrees created from their Lap tops. They even produce Masters or P.HD degrees without the persons going through any educational institution. These are degree mills and it is the role of the government to check against these malpractices and insuring that these types of things do not happen in Cameroon. That is why it is necessary to develop a legal framework and this has been realized through the support of the Commonwealth of Learning. A local consultant, Professor Ajanganji was recruited to work with the Commonwealth of Learning and the university concern to produce a framework document and a draft decree for introducing Open Distance Learning in Cameroon. The document was forwarded to hierarchy and everybody is waiting for it to be signed before it becomes effective.
The next other program done in Cameroon with the assistance of the Commonwealth of Learning, concerns the introduction of Open School in Cameroon. The operational document and developed programs for introducing Open School in the Ministries concerned with Education have been prepared. This document is also with hierarchy and everybody is waiting and expecting the reaction of the government, because this document takes care of non-formal education. Thus with the Open School modules, Professor Leke Tambo emphasizes that, people who have abandoned school for one reason or the other at different levels, can come back and learn at their pace and at their own time. When the document would have been signed, it is going to help a lot to regulate non formal education.
The University of Dschang has been running a program in agriculture and other areas. This is in many ways considered as a non formal program. At the University of Buea, they introduced through the support of the Commonwealth of Learning, a program in teacher education by distance, which is functioning in the 10 regions of Cameroon.
To do this, Professor Leke Tambo and others received training from Quebec and later from the Open University in Lagos, Nigeria. Although he spent about two weeks with the Open University in Lagos, and even with the other institution in Quebec before moving to China with Beijing University, these travels helped for designing the Cameroon program, which is non formal in several ways because it has taken into consideration the teacher who is in the field and preparing for a Bachelors degree and other programs.
Cameroon is looking forward to the first batch of the program graduating and the national focal point of the Commonwealth of Learning sees this as part of the major programs involving universities. Talking about the visit of Ian Pringle to Cameroon, he said the media specialist has not been very long in the Commonwealth of Learning, and the first thing will be that he is able to access the situation as far as the introduction and the use of media in education and in the different sectors of education is concerned in Cameroon. Cameroon expects that he would be able to evaluate the situation about where the country is and he would be able to inform the Commonwealth of Learning on the level at which activities are in Cameroon. Ian Pringle should be able to say after Cameroon’s evaluation whether the people are sleeping or not in relation to the rest of the other countries of the Commonwealth.
If we are making progress, Prof. Leke Tambo said, the COL Media Specialist might be able to tell Cameroon where and how to move forward following his visit. He mentioned in the interview that he was very proud to receive a very good report from Mr. James Achanyi Fontem, who he considers as the engine of the pilot program in Lebialem of the south west region of Cameroon. He noted from the report, how many people were able to be mobilized within the communities in a very short time and the high quality of the participants. Professor Leke Tambo already responded after reading through the report and wrote a letter of appreciation of the efforts to introduce the radio story design programming on Lebialem Community Radio in Menji.
The national focal point observed that it is a very good program, especially as it is using community radio for educating populations on Mother and Child Health Care. This is a COL Healthy Community Initiative and his wish is that sustainability should be built into the program, because very often we have seen in some cases, the Commonwealth of Learning comes in, or any other organization comes in and gives support for a period of time and when they withdraw, the activities collapse. Sustainability might be the concern of COL programs as well as impact and its potentials, since the quality of people who are involved on the ground count for a very good future like in the Lebialem media pilot program.
COL Gender Mainstreaming
Speaking generally about gender mainstreaming, according to Professor Tambo, it is not just the Commonwealth of Learning concerned about these issues. All international programs like those supported by the World Bank and other kinds of donors emphasize the role of gender main streaming in all programs, because we cannot continue to act, behave and work as if there is only one sex in Cameroon. There must be sex balance in programming. When there is sex balance, he believes, in many ways the country will advance, because as it is often said, one part of the body cannot move leaving another part behind. All parts of the body must walk together, as far as this matter is concerned in Cameroon.
At the level of the State, His Excellency, President Paul Biya, the President of the Republic of Cameroon, has been able to encourage Gender mainstreaming and scaling by appointments of women to ministerial positions. Many more women than ever before are holding cabinet positions in Cameroon. Others are holding positions of Senior Executive in government, Corporations and the private sectors.
With this, Professor Tambo thinks scaling up the pilot problem in Cameroon should emphasize on gender main streaming. The gender mainstreaming project in Cameroon is moving very well. We have seen women commanding in the army, giving instructions and men move. More and more of such progress are coming. Professor Tambo believes that Cameroon is in the right track as far as gender is concerned. We may not be moving as fast as some people think, but a lot is going on, he concluded.