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Local Youth Corner Cameroon

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 Local Youth Corner Cameroon
 Local Youth Corner Cameroon
AbbreviationLOYOC
Formation2002
TypeNGO
HeadquartersCameroon
Location
Region
Cameroon, Niger, and Chad
Executive Director
Achaleke Christian Leke
Websitehttps://www.loyocameroon.org/

Local Youth Corner Cameroon (LOYOC) is a Cameroonian non-governmental organization founded in 2002 to react on the increase in the socio-political and economic challenges facing young people.[1] LOYOC focuses on youth empowerment in the domain of peacebuilding, healthy living, preventing and countering violent extremism.[2][3]

Since its founding, working with its partners, LOYOC implements various youth-led projects in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.[4][5] In 2018, LOYOC started a free school initiative named ''The Salaam School Initiative'', to support the re-education of children affected by violent conflict in the Far North Region.[6] In 2020, during COVID-19 crisis, LOYOC implemented One Person, One Hand Sanitizer initiative where they manufactured and donated homemade hand sanitizer for communities in Cameroon.[7] It was awarded the best COVID-19 response organization in Cameroon.[8] Since 2022, LOYOC has been launching NA WE WE Sports initiative in Cameroon with various themes and several objectives including building of social cohesion, promoting peace and healthy living.[9] In 2023, LOYOC was awarded by African Union among 6 African civil society organizations outstand in championing peace, human rights, gender equality and women empowerment.[10]

History

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LOYOC is youth-led non-profit organization created in 2002 by a group of young people who migrated from various communities across Cameroon into Yaoundé.[11] With the burning aspiration to respond to some of the growing challenges which were facing young people, through LOYOC they started engaging in community development initiatives to reflect on solving problems within Cameroon communities like crime, poverty, unemployment, and others.[12] [13]

Vision and mission

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Since 2002, LOYOC has invested in promoting youth empowerment and participating in peacebuilding, preventing violent extremism and advancing sustainable development to ensure a violent-free community where youths are ambassadors of peace.[14][15][16]

Impact and Activities

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Since 2002, LOYOC has implemented various youth projects in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, working with local and international partners including, UNDP, UNESCO, IOM, UNICEF, Commonwealth, World Bank, African Union, EU, and others.[17][18]

In 2018, LOYOC implemented project in Cameroon named Creative Skills for Peace with aims of helping young violent offenders rebuild their lives and reintegrate in society.[19][20] They targeted 300 prisoners between the ages of 13 and 35 years in eight prisons across Cameroon focusing on providing trainings about entrepreneurship development, vocational training, peacebuilding training, civic education, and sports for social cohesion and peace.[21] In the same year, LOYOC started a free school initiative named ''The Salaam School Initiative'', to support the re-education of children affected by violent conflict in the Far North Region.[6]

In 2020, LOYOC in partnership with U.S. Embassy in Cameroon, they launched a project entitled: Youth United for Peace: Addressing the Drivers to Hate Speech and Radicalization, with aim of supporting solidarity and peace in Cameroon.[22][23] During the pandemic, LOYOC in collaboration with health practionals, lab scientist and youths formed a Youth Coalition against the spread of COVID-19 by implementing the operation of ONE Person ONE Hand Sanitizer initiative. The campaign left over 50 000 homemade hand sanitizers and PPEs donated to communities across Cameroon.[24][25] The coalition was awarded the best COVID-19 response organization in Cameroon.[8][26]

LOYOC is a member of The House of Sport Volunteers, a global initiative that connects skilled volunteers with sport organizations.[27][28] Since 2022, LOYOC has been launching NA WE WE Sports initiative in Cameroon with various themes and several objectives including building of social cohesion, promoting peace and healthy living.[9][29] The initiative highlighted to increase cohesion between internally displaced people from conflict-hit regions and host communities in Cameroon.[30][31][5]

In 2024, LOYOC entered in strategic partnership with Cameroon Association of English-speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) to collaborate locally with a focus on achieving peace and sustainable development in Cameroon.[32] In 2024, LOYOC launched an initiative of training entertainers on using arts for social cohesion in Cameroon.[33] Over a hundred actors, musicians, comedians and content creators were trained in Buea.[34]

References

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  1. ^ Collective, Welance com-a Freelancers. "Cameroon's Anglophone Crisis: Youth Is the Key to Peace". peacelab.blog. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  2. ^ "Young leaders in Africa & the Middle East responding to COVID-19". www.oneyoungworld.com. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  3. ^ "Anglophone Crisis: Comedians wan use comedy 'heal' pipo for Cameroon displacement camp". BBC News Pidgin. 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  4. ^ "LOYOC, stakeholders seek meaningful youth participation, collaboration in promoting YPS in Cameroon". Cameroon News Agency. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  5. ^ a b "Sports jamboree to enhance peace, living together, underway in Douala – NewsWatch Cameroon". 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  6. ^ a b AfricanNews (2021-05-18). "Cameroon NGO works towards putting children back in school". Africanews. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  7. ^ "One Person, One Hand Santiser: keeping communities safe from COVID-19 | Chevening". 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  8. ^ a b admin (2020-08-20). "Cameroon Government Awards Local Youth Corner Cameroon »Best Covid-19 Response Project in Cameroon »". LOCAL YOUTH CORNER | The Official Website. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  9. ^ a b "'Na we we' sports for peace launched in Douala". Cameroon News Agency. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  10. ^ Kodjo, Tchioffo. "AUC Awards Civil Society Organizations for championing Peace, Human Rights, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment-African Union - Peace and Security Department". African Union,Peace and Security Department. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  11. ^ "Founding Members - Peace by Africa". Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  12. ^ https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/ea935ffd-10ad-4b20-a458-5ca9847d6dbe/9781000614053.pdf
  13. ^ "First Person: From a life of violence to a culture of peace". United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  14. ^ "(Hello Africa) Cameroonian campaigner fights against violence among youths-Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  15. ^ "Youth Integral to Shaping Peace Processes as Leaders [PODCAST]". allAfrica.com. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  16. ^ "SALAAM INITIATIVE". LOCAL YOUTH CORNER | The Official Website. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  17. ^ "HPC - Project planning tool". projects.hpc.tools. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  18. ^ "Achieving quality and inclusive education in Africa: youth perspectives from Cameroon". the Education Commission. 2016-07-27. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  19. ^ Save Right For Kids. "Creative Skills For Peace (CS4P) Project Save Right For Kids (We are The Voice of The Voiceless)". Save Right For Kids. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  20. ^ "2017 BridgeBuilder Top Idea: Local Youth Corner Cameroon". GHR Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  21. ^ Atabong, Amindeh Blaise (2018-08-16). "Cameroon initiative helps young violent offenders become 'prisonpreneurs,' peace builders". CIVIC IDEAS. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  22. ^ "Anglophone crisis: Dog, Rat, Ambazozo example for hate speech weh deh di cause palava for Cameroon - LYC". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  23. ^ Cameroon, U. S. Embassy in (2020-11-03). "Remarks for the Launch of Project to Fight Hate Speech". U.S. Embassy in Cameroon. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  24. ^ "One Person, One Hand Santiser: keeping communities safe from COVID-19 | Chevening". 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  25. ^ "Youth key in fight against coronavirus". World Bank Blogs. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  26. ^ "Meet young people stopping the spread of COVID-19 and supporting communities". Voices of Youth. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  27. ^ "Over 50 organizations across the world inaugurate "The House of Sport Volunteers"". sportanddev. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  28. ^ "Over 55 organisations across the world launch 'The House of Sport Volunteers'". Gulf Times. 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  29. ^ UNAOC (2022-03-27). "United Nations Event Reinforces Power of Sport in Preventing Violent Extremism, Launches Youth-Focused Campaign | UNAOC". United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  30. ^ "Cameroonian Youth Address Internal Displacement Through Sport". Voice of America. 2023-07-16. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  31. ^ Christian, Achaleke (2023-05-17). "NA WE WE Sport Jamboree : Using Sports to Build Social Cohesion - 2nd Edition- Yaounde Cameroon". LOCAL YOUTH CORNER | The Official Website. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  32. ^ "Promoting sustainable development: CAMASEJ, enters strategic partnership with LOYOC Cameroon". News Upfront. 2024-01-29. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  33. ^ "Local Youth Corner engages Cameroonian entertainers in sustainable dev't art". Cameroon News Agency. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  34. ^ "Buea: Local Youth Corner trains entertainers on using arts for social cohesion, community dialogue". Buea: Local Youth Corner trains entertainers on using arts for social cohesion, community dialogue. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
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