Cameroon Link Organizes Freedom Fone & GRINS Information Workshop

Ojong Helen Ayamba, Cameroon Link Email: helenayamba@yahoo.com

Ten ICT technicians from various business institutions including the customs, telecommunications, environmental protection, computer maintenance, sales companies and communication houses took part in a one day information sharing and exchange workshop at Cameroon Link last Saturday, September 15, 2012 on the use and applications of Freedom Fone and GRINS soft wares. The key facilitator was Mike Achanyi trained by Farm Radio International in Arusha, Tanzania during a capacity building workshop as the Freedom Fone and GRINS ICT Consultant for Cameroon. Opening the workshop, the Executive Director of Cameroon Link, James Achanyi-Fontem, expressed thanks and gratitude to Farm Radio International and its partners, who made the training possible for Cameroon and acknowledged the excellent partnership relations that have existed for over 30 years today.

The CEO added that it is difficult to quantify the knowledge and benefits gained throughout the number of years Cameroon Link has been in partnership with Farm Radio and that it is through the same non-profit making international organization based in Ottawa, Canada that the Commonwealth of Learning identified Cameroon as an emerging developing country for expanding its policy of “Learning for Development”. He lauded the Cameroon ICT technicians for taking time off their busy schedules to participate in the one-day training, which he described as innovative for the work they are accomplishing in their different organizations. He called on them to be attentive and ask questions on all identified issues related to the Freedom Fone and GRINS, which are new soft ware applications in Cameroon. Cameroon is one out of ten African countries already deploying the soft wares and that the only source to get them in Cameroon remains Cameroon Link for now. He concluded by informing them that they were privileged to be the first batch of Cameroon ICT technicians receiving first-hand information on the communication tools adapted to situations in developing countries, where resources are limited. During the training which was delivered in two parts, theoretical and practical, Mike Achanyi started by express thanks to the facilitators who trained them in Arusha, Tanzania with open hearts. He said, it was with the same spirit that he wanted to share new ICT communication development skills he learnt with them. Mike acknowledged that from the beginning, he felt everything was going to be difficult because the new knowledge looked strange. But as time went on, he learnt that it was just another innovative way of doing things, with more simplified tools for reaching many at the same time, if applied in community radio stations in Cameroon.

He introduced the Freedom Fone Project by saying Freedom Fone was conceived by Kubatana Trust of Zimbabwe in 2001, Their aim was to seek alternative ways to inform and engage civil society in development issues to inspire positive social change by sharing information and ideas via Internet, email, mobile phones and print publications. Like in Zimbabwe, Mike Achanyi went on to say freedoms of association and expression are regularly repressed, in the years political and economic struggles have created a need to engage with audiences situated on the margins of the information society. By taking advantage of both text and voice functions, Freedom Fone provides a means to reach communities that do not have access to other media and remain under-heard because of literacy and language barriers. While internet in Cameroon is becoming more accessible, it is still available only to a minority urban-based audience. Mobile phone usage on the other hand is growing exponentially with over 50% of the population - including many who live out in remote rural areas – currently subscribed to mobile networks. It is for this reason that Freedom Fone has proved to be a practical communications tool for small to medium sized organisations working in a number of different sectors from community radio, agricultural development, education or health programmes, to elections monitoring or emergency relief operations. Freedom Fone makes it easy to interact on an information-on-demand basis with offline audiences that speak multiple languages and may struggle to read or write.

During the practical session after installing Freedom Fone at the Cameroon Link Multi-media Centre in Bonaberi-Douala, the ICT Consultant said, Freedom Fone allows anyone with a phone to access or contribute information on a specific issue 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It takes advantage of audio and text to address language and literacy barriers when reaching out to marginalised audiences that don't have access to other media. Most important he added, compared to GRINS, no internet access is required by either you or your audience during communication. It uses interactive voice menus to deliver information to and record information from a caller. Each of ICT technicians was given the opportunity to become familiar with the menu already installed at Cameroon Link when they called the following telephone number 00237 71890376: This number takes you to a healh campaign and as you press different buttons, instructions for accessing information changed. "press 1 to access your account, press 2 to speak to a representative,… press 5 to leave a message...". You will realize that we all sometimes have to deal with this kind of system when we dial a number to top up the credit on our mobile phone account, or to talk to a support person in a communication system, etc. Freedom Fone enables you to design your own interactive menus to: Share audio information with your audience; Organise a poll to enable your audience to vote on an issue using their phone; Collect SMSs from your audience - these might be updates about specific news events, alerts or similar time critical information; and Get your audience to leave audio messages to share their opinion on a particular topic or make reports in their own language. Again, there are no geographical limitations to Freedom Fone. In fact it can be used and deployed in all countries where there is mobile network coverage, and content can be recorded in any language - even multiple languages, simultaneously. In addition to ordinary mobile phones, your callers can use landlines and internet-based phones to access the service. This means that Freedom Fone can receive and deliver crucial information via mobile phones or landlines in situations facing power constraints or where the Internet access is limited or interrupted. It provides an installer that automates much of the setup, empowering a nontechnical user to independently set up a sophisticated telephony server in an organisation under 30 minutes. The Cameroon Link ICT Officer explained the role of Farm Radio International during the training processing in Arusha, Tanzania. Farm Radio International (www.farmradio.org) is a Canadian-based, non-profit organisation that assists small scale farmers in Africa with food security. Farm Radio works with over 290 partner radio stations across Africa to train broadcasters, create radio scripts and conduct educational radio campaigns on agricultural topics that can improve the livelihoods of farmers. Since January 2010, Farm Radio has been using Freedom Fone to increase the impact of their educational radio programmes and involve more farmers' voices. Farm Radio is organizing a three month long e-Course on scripting for programming from this month. A face-to-face training on the use of barza network has been planned in Arusha, Tanzania also this month. The Commonwealth of Learning and Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation are supporting these outreach activities in Africa through Farm Radio. Examples of other usage of the Freedom Fone in other countries like Ghana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and so on were presented during the training. Closing the ICT workshop, the executive director of Cameroon Link told the ICT technicians to take advantage of the existence of Freedom Fone in Cameroon and introduce the system in their work places. The Mobigater is a unique tool to enhance workability of the Freedom Fone. Cameroon Link search are organizations involved in community radio, health campaigns, supporting women’s rights, enhancing business opportunities, election monitoring and so on. Freedom Fone would help us and you know our audiences, since it works with a voice menu, sends and collects SMS, while advertising our services. More training has been planned for ICT technicians in other parts of Cameroon in the next few months.

BCH Africa Graduates First Batch of Project Managers

Ojong Helen Ayamba, Cameroon Link: The Regional Delegate for Public Health in the Littoral, Dr. Yamba Beyas Martin, presided over the case study of Malontsa Valery Roger, a student of Building Capacity for Africa’s professional training centre in PK 14 Ndokoti-Douala on September 11. Other members of jury were James Achanyi-Fontatem, Health Communication Consultant and Kologo Niquese, a mother and child rights activist. The theme of the case study for certification as a manager community health projects was “the framework of mother and child health promotion in the district of Deido in a Douala city neighbourhood of Cameroon.

Malontsa observed that the health of the mother and the child at this century remains a great preoccupation due to an increase in the rate of mortality. Infant mortality rate in Africa stands at 51% representing some 4.7 million deaths for children below 5 years, according to UNICEF statistics of 2007. The researcher observed that if the pack of activities included the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby, the promotion of hand washing, oral rehydration therapy and the constant use on the long lasting impregnated mosquito net by child below 5 years, the number of child deaths will be reduced drastically. Other activities Malontsa suggested for the acceleration of behavior change communication are the organization of routine vaccination campaigns, the promotion of the consumption of iodized salt and maternal pre-natal consultation and intermittent preventive treatment. He noted that Cameroon subscribed to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals No 4 and 5 by the year 2015 concerning the reduction of infant mortality and the amelioration of maternal health care. The government has organized a good number of activities across the country, but unfortunately the population has not been involved at the decision making process. They have been involved as passive actors and this has led to low impact. Malontsa adds that community sensitization has been insufficient at all stages and this is seen from statistics collected during the past vaccination campaigns. It within the context of the failures that the researcher focused his attention on the identification of the role communities have to play during preparation of maternal and infant health care strategies, during execution and during evaluation in Cameroon. He analyzed the factors that encourage active participation and influence behavior change within communities through the involvement dialogue groups and potential civil society organisations. He went on to say, that the result of his research should lead to proposals not only at district level, but at regional and national levels of strategic actions for reinforcing community participation in health care delivery.

The second study case examined during the presentation and review session was staged by Nombo Kondji Hermannie Carine, a jurist whose theme of research focused on Communication for development. The work presented at the end of one-year long training and field research at BCH Africa for obtaining the professional qualification and certification as community projects manager focused on the promotion of human rights in Cameroon. The president of the jury was Dr. Foyet Ignace, a jurist and economist. Nombo Kondji based her argument on the fact that parents in Cameroon do not know where their rights begin and where they end, as she quoted the Cameroon National Commission on Human Rights. She lamented on the fact that many consider their rights as a favour or a privilege, when citing the right to work, right to health, right to education, right to vote and right to well-being as examples. During her case study, she researched on the dispositions put in place by the government through existing structures, strategies, activities and other means to promote human rights in Cameroon. Her aim for carrying out research on the topic is to contribute and reinforce the promotion of rights in Cameroon through the use of communication models for development and behaviour change. This model aims at ameliorating the well-being of individuals, through their participation in development processes freely and actively through equitable sharing of benefits that result thereafter following their interventions. Nombo Kondji emphasized the fact that all actors of the public and private sectors have to show proof of diligence and intervene when incidence of human rights abuses surface within their communities. Four students qualified in the first batch certification exercise of September 11, 2012. BCH Africa professional training center was authorized by the Cameroon government through a ministerial order no. 0085/MINEFOP/SG/SDGSF/SACD of 7th June 2010.

VISAGAN NAIDOO IS COL’S VICE PRESIDENT

Courtesy of COL, www.col.org Professor Asha Kanwar, President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), announced the appointment of Mr. Visagan (Vis) Naidoo as COL's Vice President. Mr. Naidoo, Citizenship Lead at Microsoft South Africa joins COL on 1 October 2012. Mr. Naidoo has been involved in the development of educational technology policy options both in South Africa and internationally, including at COL in the past 20 years.

"COL will be privileged to have Vis Naidoo in Vancouver as Vice-President", said Professor Kanwar, "he has a vast range of experience in universities, civil society, government, international development and the private sector, at senior levels, which makes him an excellent choice for the post. His experience and background will be an important asset to COL as it implements its new Three-Year Plan for the period 2012-2015." A national of South Africa, Mr. Naidoo was Education Specialist for Educational Technology Policy and Planning at COL from 2000 to 2005. He moved back to South Africa to head Mindset Network, a non-profit organisation that creates sources and distributes educational content on a mass scale across Southern Africa using satellite and broadcast technology. Most recently, at Microsoft South Africa, he led the company's social responsibility and employee volunteer programme, focusing on supporting youth in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. Prior to joining COL in 2000, Mr. Naidoo was the Director of the Centre for Educational Technology and Distance Education, Department of Education, South Africa. During his five years as Director, he was instrumental in shaping policy environment in the area of distance education and technology-enhanced learning. COL conducted an extensive international search to select a successor to Professor Kanwar as Vice President when she was named President of COL earlier this year. The Commonwealth of Learning is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. COL is assisting developing nations improve access to quality education and training. The Commonwealth is comprised of 53 countries -- most of which are developing nations that make one-quarter of the world's population. For more information, please visit the following web sites. www.col.org/newsreleases www.col.org/akanwar

Cameroon Link holds bilateral talks with Malaria No More

By Camlink News Email: camlink99@gmail.com

Cameroon Link and Malaria No More held bilateral talks at Elig Essono - Yaounde on the 24th August, 2012 to discuss collaboration strategies within the expansion of a community of learning and radio distance learning initiative in Cameroon. The executive director of Cameroon Link, James Achanyi-Fontem was invited for a meeting with Olivia Ngou, the Malaria No More Regional Coordinator for Central Africa with headquarters in Yaoundé.

During the meeting, Mrs. Ngou informed Cameroon Link that Malaria No More is supporting the government for scaling up malaria control for impact throughout the country. The Malaria No More Programme has been launched in the Far North, North, Adamoua and East regions of Cameroon. The bilateral meeting with Cameroon Link aimed at finding ways to involve community radio stations in the Centre, South, Littoral, West, South West, North West regions through the on-going Commonwealth of Learning supported initiative in Cameroon. The regional coordinator for Malaria No More said, Night Watch Campaign is on-going in Senegal and Tanzania, during which celebrities are used for transmitting a nightly mosquito net reminder key message to the populations through television and radio channels. Messages like “It’s 9 pm… are you and your family safe under your mosquito nets tonight?” are already being broadcast in Cameroon. The involvement of community radio stations in Cameroon aim at translating the messages into national local languages in a way to reach many more families. It would be noted that Cameroon in the last few months of 2011 distributed long lasting insecticidal bed nets. Millions of families received mosquito nets for the first time in August 2011, but in order for mosquito nets to be effective, people must use them properly and regularly. For this reason, there is a critical need to educate populations in the malaria-endemic areas and inform them of the active role they can play in protecting themselves and defeating the preventable malaria disease. Malaria No More has invited other partners of social networks to join them to remind the populations of the value of bed nets – “Remember to sleep under your treated mosquito net tonight! Sleeping under a treated mosquito net is one of the best ways to protect yourself from malaria. Sleep Peacefully!”. Night Watch: “Sleep Peacefully!” The Night Watch program aims to increase the utilization of mosquito nets in communities across Cameroon through a targeted, interactive media campaign that strikes nightly at 9 p.m.. The idea is simply to broadcast a 30 seconds message with a signature tune and to recognize local celebrities – 7 nights a week through radio, televisions and SMS texting to remind people to sleep under their mosquito nets. The role of Cameroon Link would be to carry out a base line study of the community radio stations in the regions mentioned above to participate in a story design programming format and to get the local language broadcasters to translate the key messages for the local audiences. This recognizes the fact that media campaigns serve as great complements to community based health communication efforts. To supplement the media, bill boards have created and placed in strategic points of the ten regions of Cameroon. This is taking the malaria campaign message more widely. Since community radio is strategically placed, customized media messages will harness the influence of local leadership and celebrities to create buzz and highlight the need for consistent use of mosquito nets in Cameroon. Confirmed spokes persons for Night Watch so far include: Alexandre Song, Lady Ponce, Petit Pays, Richard Bona, Luc Mbah a Moute, Les Nubians, Youssou NDour, R. Kelly, Akon, Sine, Princesse Khadizah, Frederique Ottou, Afo Akom, X-Maleya and Pit Baccardi. Community radio stations would be in addition to the reminder message and the nightly media messages, design and include key facts that reinforce the need for net use and other healthy behaviours as a means of reinforcing core messaging. Malaria No More is an American International Non-Governmental Organisation. It is located in the Immeuble White, Suite 302, next to Hotel Tango in Elig Essono- Yaoundé.

Cameroon Minister of Public Health Worried about Low Breastfeeding Rates

Cameroon Celebrated WBW from August 24- 31, 2012 By Cameroon Link, camlink99@gmail.com

The Cameroon Minister of Public Health, His Excellency, Andre Mama Fouda, has called on women attached to the WHO/UNICEF recommendation to breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first 6 months and to continue breastfeeding thereafter with complimentary feeding up to 24 months and beyond. He was speaking during the launching of the celebration of the World Breastfeeding Week on the 24th August 2012 at the Biyem Assi - Yaoundé district hospital. The official ceremony was attended by ministers of women’s empowerment and the family, representatives of UN Agencies in Cameroon including WHO and UNICEF. Activities were plan for one full week in all regions following the national mass event in the nation’s capital in the presence of over 5.000 actors during from all sectors of the comunity. Ahead of the event, preparatory sharing workshops were organised at the department for health promotion on the 10th and 24th July, 23rd August, 2012 coordinated by the Sub Director of Food and Nutrition, Okala Georges. Participants outlined six points which included a feedback from the WBW 2011 and exchanged views on the theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2012, “Understanding the past, planning for the future.”

The Executive Director of Cameroon Link, James Achanyi-Fontem, told the audience at the ceremony place that over 40 national organisations involved in child rights and infant feeding issues reached over 20.000 mothers in 2011. He lamented on the fact that breastfeeding rates are as low as 20 %. He called for the integration of breastfeeding in the national nutrition programme expected to take off from 2013. Achanyi-Fontem, who is also the chair of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, appreciated the accuracy of reports presented which highlighted all out comes and difficulties encountered during the celebration of past World Breastfeeding Weeks like the lack of enough sensitization materials and funding for social mobilisation and community outreach of the populations.

Looking at the theme for WBW 2012, "Understanding the past, planning the future”, it was made public that World Breastfeeding Week was 20 years old already, while the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding launched by WHO and UNICEF in 2002 celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Executive Director of Cameroon Link and FECABPA, said it was an opportunity to access the achievements of the past 20 years, evaluate national policies and especially the 2005 Decree on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes and its implementation, analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats before planning for the future and bridging the gaps. To facilitate execution of the action plans submitted by the different nutrition associations, documents, T-shirts, exercise books, folders and sensitisation leaflets were distributed to the associations. Infant and Young Child Feeding Association in Cameroon organisation a WBW 2012 village at the ceremony place in Biyem Assi Hospital to show case the activities and shared information and research documents on the breastfeeding trends in Cameroon, regionally and globally. WBW 2012 SPECIFICITIES I. Background and Rationale Since 1991, the international community has celebrated WBW from 1 to 7 August of each year. This event gives an opportunity for the Ministry of Public Health and its partners to raise awareness on the importance of breastfeeding for child survival and promotion of maternal health. Indeed, 20 years ago the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) launched its first World Breastfeeding Week under the theme of the “Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)”. In celebrating this anniversary , it was the right time to take stock of what has happened during these years , celebrate successes and achievements and see what has not been done, to be able to plan the future better, and to support all women in their ability to feed their infants and young children and care optimally . The DHS surveys conducted from 1991 to 2011 showed a marked increase in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months between 1991 and 2004. This was due to the implementation of the National Policy of Breastfeeding validated in 1994 by the Ministry of Public Health, community awareness and training of health personnel during past World Week of Breastfeeding (WBW ). The trends of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Cameroon recorded are as follows: 1991 = 7 % , 1998 = 12 % , 2004 = 24 % , 2006 = 21 % , 2011 = 20 %. From the above you will note that there has been a regression from 2006 until 2011. The consequences of this decrease are numerous both for children, families and the community, as the heavy price is rated in terms of infant deaths and illnesses of children. 122 % of infant deaths occur according to the infant DHS - MICS IV. In Cameroon, one in three deaths is due to poor practices of breastfeeding. To reverse the trend, we need to promote and encourage breastfeeding at community-based level with the interventions of fathers, mothers, youths and the community as a whole. There are local associations and international NGOs that support the health system by promoting infant and young child feeding. As part of the celebration of World Breastfeeding Week 2012, emphasis was placed on promotional activities of breastfeeding within communities across Cameroon. II. General Objective Promotion of breastfeeding through community-based activities III. Specific Objectives 1. Educate and sensitize communities, mothers and women of childbearing age on breastfeeding advantages to the mother and child. 2. Boost activities in the community to support all women in their practice of breastfeeding. 3. Inform the community that the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding is a right of the mother and a right of the child. In short, it is a human right. 4. Strengthen advocacy with communities for strong action in favour of breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding. 5. Involving community volunteers and members of CBOs in the implementation of activities during World Breastfeeding Week. IV. Expected results 1. Communities, mothers and women of childbearing age are sensitized and aware of advantages of breastfeeding. 2. Activities within communities in favour of supporting women in their project of breastfeeding are driven. 3. The community is informed that the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding is a right for the child , mother and above all, a human right; 4. The plea for strong actions are taken in favour of Breastfeeding is enhanced. V. Methodology Execution Strategy 1. Animation of mothers' groups and communities on breastfeeding through educative talks. 2. Production and distribution of documentaries on breastfeeding; 3. Awareness campaigns through the media and opinion leaders 4. Animations of radio quiz and organisation of national local languages broadcasts on WBW; 5. Organisation of Debates, open door discussions / exchanges.

Azi Development Organisation Joins COL Initiative in Yaoundé

By Ojong Helen Ayamba, Email: helenayamba@yahoo.com The Azi Development Organisation (Yaounde Branch) led by Fonge James Ngufor joined the band wagon for the promotion of mother and child care last July 24, 2012 when the organization endorsed the national action plan for the World Breastfeeding Week this year. The exchange workshop was chaired by the sub director for food and nutrition at the ministry of public health in the presence of COL Cameroon Link partnership liaison, James Achanyi-Fontem. Speaking during the exchange workshop for preparation of the launching of the World Breastfeeding Week in Cameroon by the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, Azi elites in Yaoundé announced plans to carry out activities in Menji during the celebrations in collaboration with Lebialem Community Radio. The world breastfeeding week will be launched at the health district of Biyem Assi – Yaounde on the 17th August and activities will continue up to 23rd August 2012. The theme is . The members will contribute to radio story design programming on infant and young child feeding with the mother and child health care and rights initiative launched on the station in October 2010. The Azi Development Organisation Branch in Yaoundé was set up on the 4th February 2011. The objective of the organization is search means of securing and guaranteeing opportunities for the promotion of the well being of its members and the development of common initiative activities for the socio-economic advancement of the local populations in Lebialem. The organisation inculcates a strong sense of responsibility, discipline, fraternity, unity and solidarity amongst its members and the people from Azi – Lebang in Lebialem. Members meet in Yaounde on the third Sunday of each month to share experiences and gifts. Azi Development Organisation, Yaounde Branch, promotes excellence amongst its members and youths from Lebialem Division in the south west region of Cameroon. World Breastfeeding Week this year commemorates the 20th anniversary of the World Breastfeeding Week and the called for implementation of the Ten Steps in all maternity facilities with the context of Global Strategy launched by WHO/UNICEF in 2002. For this reason, it would be strengthening communities in Lebialem to increase greater participation and responsibility in promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding and optimal young child feeding rights Its activities will focus on Information, education and sensitisation of communities through Lebialem Community Radio and the organisation of briefings with educative talks, coach mothers’ support groups on the importance of breastfeeding and encourage the communities to be more supportive of breastfeeding mothers and their families.. t is expected that by the end of the World Breastfeeding Week in Cameroon on the 23rd August, 2012: • More people would have been aware of the risks of not breastfeeding • More people would be aware of the benefits of breastfeeding • Unethical Marketing Practices will be better monitored • More people would bee involved in Code monitoring activities • More Mothers would be supported by Fathers Support groups • More radio programmes on breastfeeding promotion would have been realised by the community rural radio stations with jingles and spots carrying specific messages at particular periods. The exchange workshop was an opportunity for sharing past experiences and impact of community of learning activities. For more information, write to fonge James Ngufor – email: fongejames@yahoo.com or the secretary, Achajeng – email: achajeng@yahoo.com

Azi Development Organisation Joins COL Initiative in Yaoundé

By Ojong Helen Ayamba, Email: helenayamba@yahoo.com The Azi Development Organisation (Yaounde Branch) led by Fonge James Ngufor joined the band wagon for the promotion of mother and child care last July 24, 2012 when the organization endorsed the national action plan for the World Breastfeeding Week this year. The meeting was chaired by the sub director for food and nutrition at the ministry of public health in the presence of COL Cameroon Link partnership liaison, James Achanyi-Fontem. Speaking during the exchange workshop for preparation of the launching of the World Breastfeeding Week in Cameroon by the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, Azi elites in Yaoundé announced plans to carry out activities in Menji during the celebrations in collaboration with Lebialem Community Radio. The world breastfeeding week will be launched at the health district of Biyem Assi – Yaounde on the 17th August and activities will continue up to 23rd August 2012. The theme is . The members will contribute to radio story design programming on infant and young child feeding with the mother and child health care and rights initiative launched on the station in October 2010. The Azi Development Organisation Branch in Yaoundé was set up on the 4th February 2011. The objective of the organization is search means of securing and guaranteeing opportunities for the promotion of the well being of its members and the development of common initiative activities for the socio-economic advancement of the local populations in Lebialem. The organisation inculcates a strong sense of responsibility, discipline, fraternity, unity and solidarity amongst its members and the people from Azi – Lebang in Lebialem. Members meet in Yaounde on the third Sunday of each month to share experiences and gifts. Azi Development Organisation, Yaounde Branch, promotes excellence amongst its members and youths from Lebialem Division in the south west region of Cameroon. World Breastfeeding Week this year commemorates the 20th anniversary of the World Breastfeeding Week and the called for implementation of the Ten Steps in all maternity facilities with the context of Global Strategy launched by WHO/UNICEF in 2002. For this reason, it would be strengthening communities in Lebialem to increase greater participation and responsibility in promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding and optimal young child feeding rights Its activities will focus on Information, education and sensitisation of communities through Lebialem Community Radio and the organisation of briefings with educative talks, coach mothers’ support groups on the importance of breastfeeding and encourage the communities to be more supportive of breastfeeding mothers and their families.. t is expected that by the end of the World Breastfeeding Week in Cameroon on the 23rd August, 2012: • More people would have been aware of the risks of not breastfeeding • More people would be aware of the benefits of breastfeeding • Unethical Marketing Practices will be better monitored • More people would bee involved in Code monitoring activities • More Mothers would be supported by Fathers Support groups • More radio programmes on breastfeeding promotion would have been realised by the community rural radio stations with jingles and spots carrying specific messages at particular periods. For more information, write to fonge James Ngufor – email: fongejames@yahoo.com or the secretary, Achajeng – email: achajeng@yahoo.com