The Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) in partnership with Trees for the Future Cameroon has opened talks with a US Non-governmental Organisation, Youth Advocacy Network (YAN), to work hand in hand to foster the training of young Cameroonians in IT. The first meeting took place on May 8, 2013 at the ERuDeF’s head office at Malingo Street Buea. It brought together two Fellows from YAN, Josh Nathan and Clara Crowe, a Peace Corps Volunteer working with Trees for the Future Cameroon, Mattew Piscopo and the communication team of ERuDeF.
The purpose of this working relationship is to place young High School Cameroonian students in strategic organizations where they can enhance their skills in IT. They will be expected to help organizations with such things as building Websites, Blog pages, creating Facebook and Twitter accounts and other forms of e-communication. At the end of their stay with each organization, they would have moved one step up in their learning process, it is hoped. Two High School Students have already been ear-marked to start this training with ERuDeF in the month of June. This first phase of training would last for one month. “It is a laudable initiative because at the end of the students’ stay at ERuDeF they must have been able to build their capacities in ICT. Given that they too have basic skills in Information Technology, it would be a win-win situation given that ERuDeF staff would also pick up some skills from these young minds” says Regina Leke, Coordinator of the interns.
It should be noted that the Youth Advocacy network was formed by an American couple in Cameroon a number of years back. Josh Nathan and Clara Crowe are the first Fellows to Cameroon working on this initiative. They are basically involved in training students on Information Technology and placing them in organizations where they can be mentored even after the Fellows are gone.
By Ita Nawom Semndze