Teen Mother Empowerment in Cameroon

Dear Donors, Friends and Supporters,

In 2011, a United Nations resolution established 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC), a day designated for promoting the rights of girls and addressing the unique challenges they face. The inaugural day in 2012 focused on the issue of ending child marriage. In 2013 the theme was “Innovating for Girls’ Education.”

2014 Theme -  "Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence", in recognition of the importance of investing in and empowering adolescent girls and, of preventing and eliminating the various forms of violence adolescent girls experience in line with the post 2015 MDGs,ending poverty with empowering Girls and Women.

For two days,  October 10 and 11, 2014  SODEIT Cameroon was able to mobilise a social Group- ABLE Brothers and Sisters made up of twenty mothers, uncles, fathers and Aunties to educate their communities in Muyuka and Buea on "Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence". The empowerment and social mobilisation campaigns was sponsored by the "Girl Effect Fund" through their continued support to SODEIT Cameroon "Teenage Mothers Empowerment Project" in Buea, Cameroon. US$1,650 was spent for the two days covering transportation, feeding and ECI materials covering RAPE, INCEST, Girl Child Education and Social Inclusion.

Sixty houses were targeted for the two days but passed the target with seventy-five houses visited with a population of over three hundred in the two towns were effected and  impacted. Thank you "Girl Effect Fund " and "Teenage Mother Empowerment" projects supporters, friends and donors.

We look forward to 2015 IDGC and; be on the alert for our next reports on Women in Financial Education and Entrepreneurship and, our  Teenage Mothers Institute new Innovation with Adolescent Girls Empowerment on ICT in Cameroon.

Friends, Supporters and Donors,

In the conference Hall of the Tiko Rural Council, Tiko Sub division, Cameroon marked the opening of the second workshop - Women in Financial and Entrepreneurship Education (WIFEE). The training was participatory in nature. Trainers and participants manuals on the subject matter were produced and used as a basis for facilitation. 30 participants from fifteen women group in Tiko were in attendance. Thr gorups represented were: Upper Block Bakossi women, Kosline Women, Njuh Womem, Bamungo women, Widows association, Resourceful women, Grand North, Mewocuda, ISENEISE, ELA, Helping Hands women,. NYA, Sawa women, Wimbum Women and , Bafut Ngwujang Women.

The first day; June 19, 2014 activities consisted of introductory activities including the opening ceremony and the delivery of the first three Modules:
00 Reception and Introduction to workshop;
01 Introduction to Financial Management and;
02 Voucher Systems, Bank Reconciliation and Financial Statements
On June 20, 2014, which was the second and last day of the training, activities focused on knowledge and skills building, through group presentations and exercises as contained in Modules 3, 4 and 5 namely:
03 Accountability and leadership
04 Budgeting, Distribution of Overheads, Audits
05 Managing Asset, and Action Plan,
After the presentation of the last module, there was both oral and written evaluation. The training employed techniques to enhance participants’ capacity of recording and reporting transactions for accountability and transparency in women groups and help them manage their finances and businesses in their individual/group business endeavors.

The workshop was facilitated by Mrs Clemence , Caroline, Favour, Tassa,  Mr Sulaiman and Williams from Tiko, Limbe, Yaounde and Buea
A mix of methods was used for the workshop. They are as follows:
• Participant observation
• Role play
• Brainstorming
• Case study, group work and group presentation
• Question and answers
• Practical Experiences
• Power point presentation
• Energizers

The women expressed regret about the duration of the training workshop which was too short for all the training modules. It was felt that future workshops should be of a week’s duration at least to deepen their knowledge. They were also very appreciative of the methods used by the facilitators and organizers. They said, the participatory approaches used at all levels of the training had invigorated them and enhanced their willingness to acquire knowledge for simulation. New horizons had opened up for them about issues of financial management, reporting and business management in groups/individuals. They therefore pledged their commitment to utilize the skills and knowledge acquired in training others to become empowered on financial management/reporting and accounting issues as well.

We look forward to you continued support for the next workshops in Muyuka, Limbe Rural and limbe Urban