Cameroon - France Bilateral Cooperation

Mambanda –Bonaberi Community To Get Social Development Face Lift
By James Achanyi-Fontem, Cameroon Link
Email: camlink99@gmail.com
The City Council of Strasbourg, France has respected its promise to donate a giant social animation centre to Mambanda population in Bonaberi, a neighbourhood of Douala City. This was confirmed during an inspection site visit of the level of progress of the construction works by Mr. Guy from Strasbourg, France recently. Mr. Guy is the specialist in architecture hired by the Strasbourg City Council to design and follow up the execution of the imposing multi-purpose structure following recommendations and requests by local development agents of the local council in Bonaberi-Douala after several exchanges and high level bilateral meetings.
According to the Mayor of Douala IV City Council, John Kumase, the project is going to give a face lift to the community as the building on completion will not be used only for holding meetings, but for organizing capacity building training and animation of the population of Bonaberi in general and that of Mambanda in particular.
Mr. Guy was accompanied by Mr. Philippe, who is the representative of IRCOD Alsace – France in Cameroon. Philippe has been the brain behind the negotiations since the initiative started. The project also is supported by the Cameroon government through the ministry of social welfare, the French Embassy in Yaoundé and UNICEF Cameroon.
Over 20 legalized associations and non governmental organisations are already working hand-in-hand with the social affairs unit of the Douala IV City Council on the design of the type of activities that could be planned and organized in the centre to cater for the interests of all target groups of the communities, when the construction will be completed.
During an introduction of the different facets of the building, the chief of the social affairs unit of the council, Mrs. Rebecca Ebeny Toutou, told the leaders of the different organisations present during the inspection by Mayor John Kumase, Guy and Philippe that an information, communication and technology unit will be installed in the building apart from the social animation and women empowerment opportunities offices.
Community based organisations, CBO, already operating in Bonaberi-Douala without permanent offices, would have the opportunity to book at the centre to use space there as contact point for their group deliberations and meetings on a calendar that would be arranged on a weekly basis by the administrator of the multi-purpose social centre of Mambanda.
Some registered development organisations are currently guided on operational strategies for fruitful planned activities within thematic groups covering health promotion, youth animation, women’s empowerment, human religious, support to the handicapped persons and the promotion of Cameroon culture through artistic works. The interactive meetings with officials of the Douala IV City Council hold once a month.
Mayor Kumasi used the opportunity of the site visit to call on the population to prepare on how to make use of the beautiful centre, in a way that the donor organisations will feel proud to have extended their hand to disadvantaged communities of Bonaberi-Douala, to help them out of poverty and illiteracy and gender inequality through good governance practices and the promotion of human right. The centre has been described by first observers as the first gender promotion gadget offered the population of Mambanda, where men and women would regularly share ideas on how to plan their development activities within the communities as a group in the general interest of all.
According to reliable sources at the council, the project will be completed within six months by the SYFA Global Company Ltd and the keys will be handed over by July ending for preparation of the inaugural celebration of the centre in September 2009. This is a good piece that highlights the excellent cooperation relations between France and Cameroon. For more on gender equality promotion click on http://genderanddevelopment.blogspot.com/ or http://camlinknews.blogspot.com/