36 volunteers have opted to be available and work for the common good of their respective municipalities; Yaoundé VI, Douala III and Garoua II.
The Launching of "Local goodwill clusters” held on September 27 2023 supported by French cooperation. It took place at the Yaoundé VI town hall, chaired by Minister Mounouna Foutsou. Objective: deploy volunteers from the National Volunteer Program (PNV) within decentralized local authorities.
This initiative is aimed at strengthening communities through volunteering.
For 6 months, they will bring their skills in various fields: communication, architecture, community life, human resources, project development. The idea is to strengthen the capacities of municipalities, in accordance with the 2021 law on volunteering.
“Volunteering is a major asset for decentralization ,” said the minister, welcoming “a qualified and committed human resource” made available free of charge.
This has been described as a fruitful cooperation with France. Where these
volunteers are entirely funded by the “FSPI-R” project implemented by France Volontaires, a historic partner of MINJEC. In total, 75 civil society organizations and 50 municipal agents have already been trained since June 2023.
Yann Lorvo, representing the French Embassy, welcomed “this concrete cooperation which strengthens citizen participation and social cohesion in Cameroon”.
The “Local Goodwill Clusters” are local volunteer management units, which will identify the needs of the municipalities and mobilize the right skills.
Minister Mounouna Foutsou encouraged communities to take advantage of this system which “will contribute effectively to local development” . He recalled the importance of HIMO (High Labor Intensity) methods to involve populations.
Speaking to the 36 newly recruited volunteers, MINJEC urged them to be “pioneers” and give “new impetus” to volunteering in Cameroon.
“Your committed work will convince as many people as possible to get involved,” he told them, encouraging them to rely on the training in communication, community life and moral rearmament they received.
A ceremony placed under the sign of action, citizen mobilization and cooperation, for the development of Cameroonian municipalities.
Communication Unit, MINJEC