Estelle Marilyn Nguemo Chime, an alumna of our Women’s Leadership in Public Life program, won an alumnae action plan grant to provide a 3-day leadership and project planning training for 26 young women, ages 19-32, from urban and rural areas. The Young Women’s Project Planning & Leadership Workshop was held in Douala, Cameroon from August 5-7, 2008. Marilyn, led the training herself, along with Stephenie Foster of American Legacy Foundation and Kah Walla, a City Council Representative and Director of STRATEGIES!

In Cameroon, 45% of the population is under the age of 15. Voter turnout is extremely low, with only 4% of registered voters actually voting in the last elections. There are few after-school or youth leadership organizations, and those that exist are church-based and are limited in the skills and activities they offer. Young people feel disillusioned, like their voices and concerns are not heard. There is very little accountability among public leaders, so social and economic concerns often go unresolved. There is a tremendous need for training that empowers young women to take action and be empowered to improve their own lives and communities.

The women started out as shy and very timid participants. It was difficult to get them to participate and be responsive, as well as to be heard across the room when they spoke. The content and topics were challenging, and new to many of them. They discussed gender stereotypes, the difference between gender and sex, types of empowerment, and project planning. As one participant, Eunice, stated, “Women are sealed in a container. We have goals, but with all these stereotypes of us, and we cannot get out of the container.” They also discussed other generalizations and fears in society that prevent people from taking action and seeking change, and thereby perpetuating the problems.

For example, many young women see marriage as the only means of advancement, and there is intense social pressure to secure marriage even by early sexual activity. There is now a high rate of teen pregnancy and school drop-outs, and such young mothers are even more vulnerable. Fear of political corruption and violence leads many to stay home on election day, but this allows the corrupt leaders to remain in office. In fact, only 4 of the 26 participants had ever voted, and one participant stated that she stayed home for fear of tear-gassing by police. Kah’s response was, “That tells me that you have never been to a polling place, because if you had you would know that there was no tear gassing of voters on election day.” They were also informed that City Council meetings are open to the public, and that citizens can even address the Council—but very few people ever use that opportunity. As the days progressed, the young women were challenged to seek accurate information, to overcome their fears, use opportunities to share their concerns with elected officials, and know the policy-making process. It was difficult for them to be told that it was their fault for “allowing” the corrupt leaders to continue in office due to their own passivity, but as it began to seep in, they saw the need to become more involved in public life.

On the last two days, the young women were asked about issues in their communities that concern them. They listed unemployment, sanitation, malaria, girls’ education, stray livestock, teen pregnancy, infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, teen prostitution, refugee assistance, and water pollution. They also were asked to involve resource people, including government officials who are responsible for addressing these issues. They then drafted and revised action plans to address these issues, with the top five action plans being offered micro-grants for implementation.

By the end of the three days, the young women had totally transformed! They spoke up, developed concrete action plans, and were well on their way to making a difference. It was inspiring to see the changes in them, and to hear about what they plan to do to make life better for others in their communities. Some of the top projects selected were:

• A project to combat teen pregnancy by working with prefects in a local high school
• Advocacy on the environmental degradation and poor waste disposal
• An anti-malaria project and community clean up
• Establishment of a Revolving loan fund for young women entrepreneurs
• A Plan to deal with stray livestock and prevent damage to crops

Six additional projects are being supported with consulting advice, fundraising assistance, mentoring and referrals for other in-kind support.

Certificates were distributed to all the participants, and they were so proud! I hope that our readers will be interested in supporting these projects.