GlobalGiving.org: Empower Teen Mothers Through Education in Cameroon

December 9 - Art and Craft Training Session in Tole, Buea.

Agbor Sarah Agbor — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:58:51 GMT

Trainees after the December 9, Training Session

Dear Donors, Friends and Supporters,

On Friday 9, December 2011 we were in Tole again with Lucy a volunteer from Australlia with our Teenage mothers. This time, it is a training session on ART AND CRAFT using coconut shell and corn stalk to produce flowers, earings, neck lace, hand bangles, and flower pots,.. etc .

At the end of the day , we were able to train 10 teen mothers as Training of Tainers (TOT) and also put plans in place to open a Community ART and CRAFT Shop in Tole for the display and marketing of the products. So that the Tole community and friends, partner visitors will be able to patronize our work, sustain talent development, give hope and livelihood to teenage mothers and their children.

Thanks to your donations.

With gratitude,

A Trainee putting on the Neck lace she produced

A Trainee displaying the flower she produced

Trainees and Lucy at work

Links:

Project page

Leading the Way

johanna pelaez — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:19:17 GMT

Our group of Teen Mothers

On our last meeting with the teenage mothers, we focused on the organizational skills each of their executive directors were going to hold. It is important that each of them understand what their role in their group is and what responsibilities are key to keep their circle together.

Materials were distributed to the 5 members in the executive board. Our staff presented some tips on bookkeeping, and the importance of recording the minutes on each of their meetings. This type of organization is still in the learning process but we have received a good response and willingness from the participant teenage mothers.

In our efforts to help them understand the importance of building a degree of independence we have given them a simple task. Our teenage mothers had brought together their best skills to put a fashion show together. The purpose of this activity is to present their group to the community and allow them take part in the decision making of the activities that will benefit them.

We hope that after elections take place next week, our meetings will come back to the normal schedule and we can finalize preparations for the fashion show!

We will now leave you with some pictures from the meeting and the Bless of God

Till then!

Generating Ideas

Understanding Organizational skills

For Colored Women

Nyamusah Frida Oyang — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:11:48 GMT

The whole group enjoying the movie

Friends and Donors!

Our last visit to the village of Tole was on the 5th of August, 2011. The purpose of this visit was to teach the “Teenage Mothers of Tole” about the rights a Woman has through the presentation of a movie titled: “For Colored Women”—perhaps some of you have heard about it or even have the chance to enjoy watching such a wonderful and inspirational film!!! While watching the movie, explanations were given as the movie progressed. The SDI team encouraged discussion by asking questions in regards to the issues being presented. At the same time the teenage mothers clarify their doubts by raising their own concerns and opinions. Not surprisingly, conflicts among the different opinions were perceived, as each teenage mother holds a different point of view about the movie. In order to minimize this opinion gap, the SDI team decided to incline in the teaching program (Sex Education, the rights of a woman, the duties of a woman towards her family, teenage pregnancy and abortion, and the impacts of their lives in the society).

Until next time!

the SDI Team

the SDI Team discusses

our Teen mothers !

some of our staff members

Hands up! Snap me Please! I'm beuatiful.

Johanna Pelaez — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:24:54 GMT

Shalord Ngong

Hello again and greetings from Buea, Cameroon!

This week’s report is dedicated to presenting you with some
of our Tole teen mother’s faces!

Our mothers love pictures, and what 20 year old does not? Tell
me about it!

In an effort to make this portal a place where you can
become more familiar with the community you are so amazingly impacting, I asked
some of our Tole Teen mother’s to pose for the lens of my camera, and share
with you a little bit about their life stories!

I now present to you amazing smiles in action:

This beautiful woman you are about to see in picture # 1 is Shalord Ngong, She is
21 years old, and her baby girl is 1 year old. Shalord dropped out of school
when she was in fifth grade because her father, a local farmer, was not able to
sponsor her studies. Left with no education and little known skills, she did
not know nor understand the responsibilities of becoming a woman. Left without
supervision lead her to get pregnant from a man who filled her with love
promises but who now barely sends food for the baby. But, Shalord has discovered
that life can actually smile to you, she is eager to go back to school and
become a pediatrician down the line! You go Sharlord!

Emelda Ambouchou in picture #2 is also 21, but her story is a little
different. Beautiful Princess Lyra, her
baby was born 1 year and 10 months ago but was not able to meet her father. He
had abandoned Emelda after finding out she was going to have a girl and not a
boy. In Africa the stigmas of fathering a woman as your first child are widely
present up to date. School for Emelda was sadly not one of her priorities, and
after failing to successfully complete her latest grade, she was vulnerable to
the unsupervised life abundant in these rural villages. However, there is something she is passionate
about and that is the use of computers and expanding her horizons. Emelda wants
to be part of an ICT program and see new cities outside of her village!

Finally, We have gorgeous Nadage Mbah in picture # 3, with only 19 years of
age, she is the mother of a 1 year old baby girl. Nadage and the baby’s father
live together, but this doesn’t mean her life is any less complicated.
Currently, the mother and her child are facing serious malnutrition problems
and perhaps other complications due to the absence of food and the proper care
giving knowledge by both parents. Nadage is a work in process as we are working
on teaching her the importance of attending school. We hope she can continue
her studies and perhaps become an entrepreneur in the tailoring business!

On other Updates:

We continue to make great progress in the minds and souls of
this young community. Last week, the Teenage mothers of Tole joined our stuff
in a Yoga session, which main purpose was to teach them the importance of a healthy
life style and the benefits of caring for one’s body.

Our class was filled with laughs and satisfaction. Even
though this was a whole new practice for all of them the response was exceptional
and contributed to the building of their group identity.

Infinite thanks for your support and please continue to
spread the amazing changes happening in this devoted community for change!

Love,

Social Development International

Emelda Ambouchou

Nadage Mbah

Johanna and a teen mother doing the mountain pose

Teen Mothers excited to learn the new moves!

Listenning closely to the instructions

Our ToleTeen Mothers Go Democratic- Great Success

Johanna Pelaez — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:10:55 GMT

Teen mothers of Tole Executive Board

As part of our program in empowering the Teenage mothers of Tole village, we wanted to cultivate a culture of respect, democracy, transparency and cooperation among these future entrepreneurs!

The best way to make such an accomplishment was by promoting democratic elections among the participants and electing their executive board which will be representing them before the different service centers in the south Division region of Cameroon.

When planning this activity our team was far from imaging the great impact of our intentions. As we entered the church hall where our meetings usually take place we encounter a group of: “ready to get their game on” young democrats!

Their response was exceptional and within a matter of minutes we had candidates for all positions.

As the voting progressed, we were allowed to get a better picture of how much this initiative means to them in an environment where the majority are not given the opportunity to participate in civic activities.

“Now that we are given the opportunity to manage the finances of the Tole teen mothers, we will take it as a challenge to manage the funds and welfare of our members”- Clara Amboki, Tole Teen mothers’ treasurer.

These weeks donations were outstanding! Let’s keep up our support in creating a brighter future for these young mothers!

Thanks to your invaluable support, our teen mothers of Tole are able to enjoy an atmosphere where they come together and learn the importance of caring for them and their children. Sensitizing them by providing them balance choice of refreshments and the appropriate resources to be part of these amazing changes

We are presently working with a group of 70 + young Women. Every week we have been able to recruit new participants through our emerging leaders! This is amazing!

Next week our teen mothers will join us in yoga and other exercises session. “Sport” as they called it is an important aspect at their age and an incentive to understand the benefits of a balance lifestyle.

Ethel Penda-Teen Mothers of Tole President and Son

Nadesh Oben etchi and her baby girl

SDI staff prepares refreshments

Johanna and some of the teen mothers and children

Links:

Teaching Entrepreneurship Advocacy to Teen Mothers in Cameroon

Identification of skills among Tole Teen Mothers

Johanna Pelaez — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:27:40 GMT

Teen mothers after Meeting with SDI staff in Tole

Dear Friends and Donors,

This past Monday July 4, 2011, three of our staff members conducted a meeting at the Tole Presbyterian church where 40 teenage mothers came together with Social Development International staff. After a brief session of self-motivation lead by the singing of local songs, our participant mothers selected the common skills areas present amongst them. The result of this input was the formation of 5 different groups reflecting their envisage careers as follows:

Hair dressers
Tailors
Students
Small business traders
ICT entrepreneurs

Our next step on the agenda is for them to elect their group leaders in a democratic approach by conduction elections for the following positions:

President, vice-president, secretary general, financial secretary and treasurer.

With this initiative we hope to encourage them in the advocacy of their rights and the access to basic services within the country.

Links:

Teen mothers training and empowerment in Cameroon

Meeting the Teen Mothers of Tole Village

Laurel Chor — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:49:49 GMT

A welcome sign for GlobalGiving!

After being given a warm welcome by the staff, we sat down in their office to begin discussing their projects. Their GlobalGiving project consists of providing three types of education and training for teenage mothers. One type is to teach them how to take care of their child, another is to improve their self-image in the face of much discrimination and stigma and finally, the mothers are also given skills training to help them become self-supporting earners.

SDI was going to begin working with a new community: the village of Tole. As we became more curious about the teenage mothers that they work with, they decided to hand over a few information sheets that are filled in for each mother that they enroll in their program.

You know how sometimes you need a trigger for the real meaning of something to sink in? This was one of those moments for me.

The sheet had her name.

Her date of birth: December 21st, 1994. This makes her 16.

Is she still in school? If not, why? "Because she got pregnant." (Almost all girls drop out of school if they become pregnant).

Her child's date of birth: February of this year.

Does the child have any developmental or health problems? Yes.

Please explain here: "The child has passed away."

For a few minutes I could not really listen to the conversation going on. My eyes could not leave the sheet sitting in my lap, and my mind was fixated on the realities of this teenager.

Soon, we were on a bumpy and crowded car ride to Tole through a surreal scenery of tea plantations, fog and heavy rain. We arrived at the local church, where we were to meet about 20 of the teenage mothers they were to begin working with. Due to the heavy rain, only three showed up at first. They were chatty and lively; aged 18, 19, and 20, they all wanted to be hairdressers. One had actually already started her own salon a year ago! They each had one baby, ranging from 2 months to a year old. Hairdressing is actually a very lucrative business in Cameroon, where the women are always perfectly manicured and groomed.

A while later, one small girl showed up by herself. She barely reached up to my chin, and I stand at a modest 5'6". She had a unique, playful fashion sense: her head was shaved, but topped with a red beret and on her ears were over-sized, fluorescent green plastic diamonds. The torrential downpour of rain on the tin roof of the church made it impossible to speak in a normal voice to anyone more than a foot away, which allowed for intimate conversation while everyone else was busy chattering away. She was shy, but coy and well-spoken.

Her name was Nadège. I asked her how old her baby was. He passed away, she said. My heart sank. I realized that this was the girl whose sheet I had read. I am so sorry, I said. It's ok, she replied. He died of anemia. We continued our conversation and became fast friends. She dreamed of becoming a nurse, and was going to go back to school this year.

One SDI staff member told us about the attitude of the father of one teenage mother: "Even if I had a million francs, I would still not send my daughter to school! She would just get pregnant again!" She also told us about how when SDI first approached these girls, they thought the program was too good to be true, and did not believe them. SDI helps these teens in ways that are essential to their wellbeing: in changing attitudes, and helping the teens become independent and good mothers.

After meeting all of the teens that SDI was going to help, I was inspired. I was inspired by their strength, by the work that SDI was doing, and lastly I was inspired to let people know that they can help these teens through GlobalGiving.

A welcome sign for GlobalGiving!

Nadège

8th Project Report

Sulaiman Turay — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:37:43 GMT

Dear Friends and Donors,

We are glad to inform you that with your hard earned cash, we were able to redo our strategy focusing on individual communities starting with Tole-Buea with community banks and micro enterprise development in focus.

With the GlobalGiving Visitors in Cameroon soon, we are blessed to tap from their knowledge and experience to add more impact to communities.

Your continued support is ever needed. Forward ever backward never...help teenage mothers in Cameroon.

Please share with friends, family and co-workers

Thank you.

Eight Project Report - March 2011

Sulaiman Turay — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:08:30 GMT

Frieds/Donors,

We are grateful once more for your untiring sacrifice to see our project achieve its objectives. We are able to get 84% recovery from the Micro credit revolving loan scheme. That is, two more direct teen mothers beneficiaries are surviving with their family through your hard earn cash.

We look forward to your continued sacrifice; especially this time when we are about to launch community banks and micro enterprise project for rural and peri-urban communities in cameroon; which is an extension of our teen mothers entrepreneaurship advocacy.

Share with friends, family and co-worker; Our link - htt://togo.gg/3643

Thank you

Links:

Search for us on Great non profits

Seventh Report - December 2010

Sulaiman Turay — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:01:54 GMT

Dear Donors,

With your hard earned cash, which you have sacrificed to give hope and smile to teenage mothers and family in Cameroon. We are able to increase the number of our micro credit revolving Loan scheme beneficiaries by 2 in December 2010.

Your continued support is needed more than ever before.

Please share with friends, family and co-workers our project link- http://goto.gg/3643

Thank you.

Links:

Teaching Entrepreneurship Advocacy in Cameroon

Six Report October 2010

Sulaiman TURAY — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:18:06 GMT

Hi Friends and Donors!

This year SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL has raised $ 2,599. As a result, we have been able to give hope and smile to a total of 59 mothers and 94 children, out of the 100 mothers and 200 children targeted, having been empowered with life skills. Twenty-five mothers and 35 children have received mutual health coverage for a year, and five mothers have received start-up capital of $100.

Help us reach our goal on or before 31 December 2010, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL plans to continue capacity building on entrepreneurship, advocacy, child care, give micro credit and health care coverage.

Help us continue to make a difference in Cameroon, South West Region, Fako Division! Thank you for your continued support.

In service,

Links:

Fifth Report - July 2010

Sulaiman TURAY — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:16:22 GMT

Friends,

Our revolving credit scheme recorded 81% recovery and we are able to expand the scheme to more beneficiaries who have already been trained. There is an increasing demand for our training sessions from Ekona, Muyuka, Tiko, Mbanga, Tole – (rural farming areas). We look forward to your continued support. Link- http://goto.gg/3643

Once more we are grateful for the wonderful support; without which this project would not have recorded the success we are recording. Thanks.

Share with friends, co-workers and family to continue the support. Cause title:Teaching Entrepreneurship Advocacy to Teen Mothers. Cause link- http://goto.gg/3643.

Fourth Project Report : Teen Mothers and Children in Cameroon - April 2010

Sulaiman TURAY — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:47:31 GMT

Egbe Constance Egbe -Long Street Beneficiary, Buea

Dear Friends, We held the second workshop on February 26 and 27, 2010, with 29 mothers in attendance. This gives us total of 59 mothers and 94 children, out of the 100 mothers and 200 children targeted, having been empowered with life skills. Twenty-five mothers and 35 children have received mutual health coverage for a year, and five mothers have received start-up capital of $100 each. “I thank SDI for their sense of direction in helping teen mothers like us…otherwise my family would have remained paupers. Now I can boast of providing for my family.” --Egbe Constance Egbe, beneficiary at Long Street, Buea. Now we have 34 mothers trained without the associate micro credit and health care and 41 more to be trained to get micro credit and health care coverage, to meet our target of 100 mothers. There are more than 64 children of teen mothers yet to get health care coverage. What is the way forward? We have decreased the child mortality rate, created businesses, supported teen mothers, and gave them voices for active participation in the socioeconomic development of their communities. What do you think about our project? How can we work together to attract wider support? Link:http://goto.gg/3643 We look forward to your continued support, without which the road to achieving our strategic intention is rough and stormy. Cheers Link:http://goto.gg/3643

Links:

Support teen mothers and children in Cameroon

University of Buea and SDI Cameroon Collaboration

Sulaiman TURAY — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:40:50 GMT

Dear friends,

We are glad to inform you that the University Buea http://www.ubuea.net is supporting our cause by providing resource persons for our cause workshops. The impact: less money is spent on consulting and more on our target beneficiaries.

The first workshop is now scheduled for 27 and 28 November 2009. You are all welcome and we look forward to your continued support.

Cheers

Thank You

Sulaiman TURAY — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:33:33 GMT

September 21, 2009

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for all your help during GlobalGiving - USA global Open challenge. The challenge ended on 18 September and our project ‘Teaching Entrepreneurship and Advocacy to Teen Mothers’ accomplished a lot. We are very grateful for your generous contribution and help to Social Development International (SDI).

We raised a total of US$ 1,875 with 51 donors, the campaign continues till 31 December 2009 to get the permanent spot to continue fund raising for our project(s). We are asking for your continued support. Go to: www.globalgiving.com/3643

The U$ $ 1, 875 raised will be helpful to ensure Entrepreneurial, micro credit, Child rearing practice, advocacy skills transmitted to 30 teen mothers, capital provided for 5 teen mothers to start business, health care coverage for 15 teen mothers, and 25 children ensured.

In addition, because of your support we have been asked to stay and continue fund raising to mobilize more donors and raise more funds till 31 December 2009. It means, our project still has a better chance to raise support and awareness about mothers and children plight. Donate now: www.globalgiving.com/3643

Tell friends, colleagues and family to support our cause.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks from all of us here at Social Development International (SDI). It has been your generous support and deep faith of social responsibility that we are able to work with these groups of beneficiaries for their education and livelihood. We will be posting more stories and updates on this project.

Many thanks once again. We would highly appreciate to hear any feedback from you.

With kindest regards,

Sarah, April, Sulaiman and the SDI Team sdebrun@sodeit.org, aprilleblanc@sodeit.org, sulaiman@sodeit.org URL: http://www.sodeit.org

PROJECT TEAM

Sulaiman TURAY — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:02:02 GMT

Teaching Entrepreneurship and Advocacy to 100 Teen Mothers

SDI Cameroon - Teaching Entrepreneurship and Advocacy to 100 Teen Mothers in Cameroon

ADDRESS SDI Cameroon Chief Street, Bomaka, Buea, SWR, Cameroon. Tel.: +237 9 957 6066 or 7 450 5791 http://www.sodeit.org

MISSION

To facilitate the social and economic empowerment of the poor and vulnerable inhabitants in communities, enabling their participation in the process of building a more developed, integrated, egalitarian, peaceful and sustainable nation state.

PROGRAMMES

Our programmes regarding community empowerment & social inclusion, and social protection & risk management help to eradicate social and economic risk and vulnerability in our communities. To date, we have worked with over 300 women and girls in Fako, Meme, SWR, Cameroon. SDI is currently working with women, girls and OVC on entrepreneurship, training, advocacy, health/TB/Malaria/HIV/AIDS, medical care coverage, OVC education support, ICT training and snail farming.

We are helping the risky and most vulnerable population to help themselves and help community.

SDI’s current projects with Global Giving:

Teaching Entrepreneurship and Advocacy to 100 Teen Mothers in Cameroon.

This project will enable 100 teen mothers to develop themselves as entrepreneurs and community leaders and to strengthen their families and communities by ensuring that public policies consider their experience and input. With entrepreneurship, leadership, medical care coverage, micro credit and child care practices, teen mothers’ productivity will increase and entire families and communities will be positively impacted.

Personnel Overview

Sulaiman Turay, Co-Founder and CEO, Accounting, Finance and Development Consultant: 15 years working with education, corporate world & NGOs in 3 continents

Anna Osang Bebou, Co-Founder and Head of Gender unit: 7 years in development field in church and NGO groups

Akwene Godwill Chenyuei, Project Coordinator and Educational Psychologist: 7 years teaching and working with NGOs in different capacities

Mirabel Ajeibe Ngyah, Field Assistant: 2 years working with SDI OVC and women projects

Butchegom K. M. Solange, Applied Social Linguist: new entrant in SDI, with 3 years working with education.

Personnel Statistics Sulaiman TURAY, Co-Founder and Executive Director Founded in 2003 Employees: 5 Volunteers: 38