30, July 2024

From MOHWA to EYUMEMA: Can Eyumema be the missing piece of the puzzle? ⁰

For decades, Manyu has been longing for an organization which can deliver hope to its people. Many Manyu organizations have risen and fallen, breaking the hearts of many development-oriented minds.

When MOHWA rose from its own ashes like the proverbial Phoenix a few years ago, many were excited and the excitement was reinforced when MOHWA USA, Inc raised a huge amount of money for the razed Mamfe District Hospital.

No other Manyu organization had raised such an amount before and news of such an exploit spread across Manyu Division like wildfire during the dry season.

Today, MOHWA USA Inc has morphed into EYUMEMA and if the joy and unity that were on display in Ohio, USA, on the weekend were anything to go by, then Manyu has finally found that piece of the puzzle which has been missing for decades.

According to some EYUMEMA members, their organization is about to build some structures at the Mamfe Preventive Hospital which was made to act as a full-blown hospital following the burning of the district hospital some years ago.

This noble act by EYUMEMA comes on the heels of other projects such as the Manyu borehole project which has helped to alleviate the hardship of the local population.

Water is life and he who has access to drinking water has guarantees of health as good drinking water helps the population to avoid water-related diseases while enabling women, who in most cases, have the arduous task of fetching water for most households, to devote their time to other productive tasks and granting the girl child the time to devote to her studies.

Manyu has many organizations. There are hundreds or even thousands of Manyu community organizations around the world but their focus is not always to bring much-needed development to Manyu, but for members to socialize and to even compete against each other; a mentality which has retarded economic and financial progress in the region.

Across the globe, diasporic communities are being considered as engines of economic growth but in Manyu Division, the Diaspora has not made its impact felt. The unhealthy competitive spirit that is the hallmark of the people of Manyu is hurting the Division in a big and bad way.

Many Manyu people still think that it is the government which must develop their region. Unfortunately, government-driven development has remained a distant tomorrow affair in Cameroon and Manyu, noted for its plethora of academics and intellectuals has been lagging behind many other regions whose diasporic communities have organized themselves to trigger a wave of development in their regions.

NOMA, MECA, and other Manyu organizations have not been able to mobilize the people of Manyu for development purposes. Infighting and bloated egos have stood in the way of development efforts and even Ekpe which claims to be the traditional judiciary of the Division has not been able to instill order in some of those organizations or has not been able to lead collective development efforts in the Division.

But this does not imply that there are no development efforts in the Division. Individual efforts are ongoing and there are some villages which are making some baby steps towards development.

It is the absence of collective efforts which is at issue here and a source of constant criticism of Manyu people. The Division has the numbers. Its people are educated, but these assets are not being exploited to give the Division the facelift its needs and the shot in the arm that the Division’s economy is begging for. The Division’s economy does not count for much in terms of the country’s GDP and this is affecting the Division when it comes to national politics.

Power is usually controlled by those who control finances and those who make their numbers count both financially and politically. Manyu Division has not got the financial leverage its needs to count nationally.

Despite this dismal picture, some green shoots are gradually emerging. EYUMEMA may not be that silver bullet the Division needs, but its unity of purpose and determination are delivering hope to many people of Manyu descent around the world.

As EYUMEMA makes some strides towards unity and progress, it may trigger something more important which may ripple out to other Manyu organizations which have been ripped apart by conflict and mismanagement.

The joy, enthusiasm and the sisterhood which were on display for all to see over the weekend could become infectious, causing other organizations to revisit their own efforts which have been latent for a long time.

Like most organizations, there will be differences of opinion within EYUMEMA but if its leaders who have so far put on a great show can ensure that when members disagree, they should not be disagreeable, EYUMEMA will finally deliver that hope which the people of Manyu have been scanning the horizon for.

Disagreement is as old as man and when it emerges, it simply implies an organization has to take a look at the way it operates in order to engineer new ways which will keep members together. Ideological differences should never be considered as enmity and a contrary view should not be seen as a challenge.

Nobody knows it all and others people’s contribution, regardless of how they package them, should be seen as an opportunity for growth. The people of Manyu need all their organizations for development purposes and any organization which can hold its members together regardless of the challenges will bring smiles to the people of Manyu Division.

While many hail what they saw over the weekend, events of the past still make them to ask if the hope and enthusiasm triggered by EYUMEMA will stand the test of time. This question can only be answered by time and the leaders of EYUMEMA who have clearly demonstrated that they want to make a difference in Manyu Division.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

29, July 2024

Yaoundé: Biya creates jobs for his entourage! ⁰

Cameroon’s ailing President Paul Biya, has created jobs for members of his entourage without following proper procedures.

The almost 92-year-old Biya, who has opted to humiliate himself all over the world, has transformed all those around him into caregivers and emergency workers without seeking their opinion.

For many years now, Chantal Biya, the country’s first lady, has been doubling as a professional caregiver. She has developed great care giving skills, which have caused many observers to conclude that she might be preparing to move to the United States to serve as a caregiver since such a skill is in great demand and highly lucrative in the US.

For Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, the director of cabinet at the presidency, moonlighting as a prop to the crumbling 92-year-old Biya has given him much money as he has to work longer hours these days, especially as Mr. Biya is out of the country.

The chief of state protocol, Simon Pierre Bikele, also has a lot on his plate. He has been running all over the place like someone suffering from diarrhea to ensure that cameras do not capture some of the ugly moments when members of Biya’s entourage are doing their second jobs.

It is alleged that Mvondo Ayolo is already complaining of a broken shoulder given that he has to constantly carry the 110 kg heavy Biya whose legs can no longer help him stand upright.

Chantal Biya has continued putting on a brave face but having to change those diapers is already taking a toll on her. It is alleged that she too sometimes grumbles about her job as a caregiver, but many insiders hold that she deserves her fate having unjustifiably benefitted from the chaos Mr. Biya has created in Cameroon.

Speaking to the Cameroon Concord News Group editor-in-chief recently, a senior staff at the presidency hinted that the Unity Palace had actually been transformed into a health facility, adding that what the public is seeing in Paris is just the tip of the iceberg.

“We are sick and tired of this unpalatable drama which Biya and his entourage are staging on a global stage. At almost 92, Biya is completely finished. The level of incontinence is humiliating and diapers cannot stand such a heavy duty,” our source at the Unity Palace said.

“It is not only Biya who is a comedian. At the Senate, Niat is dealing with similar problems and his entourage is already tired. Members of his entourage know that if Niat dies, he might die with their jobs but they think he is better dead than alive,” the angry CPDM member said.

“Even Niat’s assistants have been pinned down by serious illnesses which are not allowing them to be effective. The second vice president at the Senat, George Tabetando, is screaming in pain in his Yaoundé residence as a prostrate problem is robbing him of his happiness. Cavaye Yegue Djibril of the National Assembly now breathes like an old heavy-duty truck whose engine is falling apart. They are all very sick but yielding the floor to younger people is not on their agenda. Cameroonians must find away to put an end to this crazy drama,” he concluded.

Meanwhile inside sources at the Presidency say that some CPDM members are insisting that those who are calling on Mr. Biya to run in next year’s presidential elections should be redeployed to the presidency for them to see how expired the president is. He has lost his cognitive qualities and the energy is gone. If they join the odd job crew, they will reconsider their ideas. Biya is a difficult job and no one needs such a tasking job now, a source said.

“Cameroon will be a better place without Biya. His continuous presence at the helm will only imply that things will get worse, and, by so doing, strengthening the wave of brain drain that is robbing the country of its youths,” a CPDM militant said angrily.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

29, July 2024

Cocoa & Forests Initiative stakeholders gather in Abidjan to combat deforestation ⁰

Stakeholders of the cocoa and forest initiative stakeholders recently met in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, to come up with strategies to combat deforestation in cocoa production and drive forest restoration through collective efforts.

The seventh meeting of the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI) Steering Committee, led by the Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests, brought together key stakeholders from the signatories to key observers, to review the initiative’s progress and outline crucial steps for sustainable cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire.

Key Highlights of the meeting included the approval of a diagnostic study on CFI’s operations and governance to clarify stakeholder roles and improve governance effectiveness; contributions towards the development of a national deforestation monitoring system led by the country’s Prime Minister’s Office, leveraging satellite tools to enhance deforestation mitigation; directives to formalise a memorandum of understanding for a collective project within the CFI landscape, prioritising the Yapo-Abbé and Bossématié forests.

The Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests underscored the importance of continued dialogue and collective actions among cocoa and forestry stakeholders. With over EUR 1 million invested in the past three years to support the CFI secretariat, IDH remains committed to providing financial and technical support to ensure the success of landscape projects to be developed and the execution of CFI’s priority actions.

It should be stressed that the power of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) is that it brings together crucial stakeholders from both the private and public sectors to address the systemic challenge of deforestation linked to cocoa and the restoration of degraded forests.That power was on full display in late June when CFI’s Côte d’Ivoire steering committee met in Abidjan. Chaired and hosted by Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister for Water and Forests, the event convened representatives from several key government institutions and CFI signatory companies.

The event brought together more than 40 participants, including Hannah Ward who recently joined WCF as Director of Environment. After attending the event, she reflected on the striking nature of just how many stakeholders were at the table.

“It was impressive to see the engagement and ownership of everyone involved, with recognition on all sides that we are at an inflection point where we must accelerate collective action to drive implementation at a much greater scale and achieve CFI’s core objectives,” she said.

Accelerating impact through landscapes

CFI is making a strong impact in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa sector, with signatory companies investing USD 197 million from 2021 to 2023 on projects in the country that support CFI’s objectives. In 2023, this provided 600,000 Ivorian farmers with technical assistance and support to increase theadoption of sustainable practices while also helping them develop 114,000 hectares of cocoa agroforestry, among other outcomes.

In addition to celebrating this progress, the steering committee meeting keyed in on CFI’s landscape approach based on collective action and co-investment. Work has begun in the priority landscapes of Yapo-Abbé and Bossématié, including the launch of comprehensive land-use assessments, stakeholder engagement and baseline studies. These will be finalised by the end of 2024.

At the meeting, attendees discussed what will be needed to accelerate progress with these two landscapes.

“The real source of excitement among stakeholders at the committee meeting was around progress on collective action in these landscapes,” Ward said.

Another important topic of discussion was how the private and public sectors can work together to develop a regulatory framework for carbon that’s fit for purpose and that spurs greater private sector investment in forest protection and other environmental outcomes. WCF is currently working with Quantis to develop a comprehensive GHG accounting methodology that members can use.

Overall, WCF and signatory companies made it clear that they are as focused as ever on CFI and its objectives. This was perhaps best summed up by WCF President Chris Vincent during his remarks.

“The results we have seen are very encouraging. However, to achieve the impact we aim for, we must go much further,” Vincent said. “WCF and its members remain deeply committed to the goals of CFI. As we move forward into its second phase, we must redouble our efforts and collaboration.”

By Cecilia M. Manjang

29, July 2024

Biya and Emmanuel Macron hold discussions at Elysee Palace ⁰

French President Macron met with the Cameroonian dictator Paul Biya on Friday July 26, 2024 at the Elysée, during a working meeting.

Emmanuel Macron first thanked President Biya for his presence in Paris on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Two years to the day after the state visit of the President of the Republic to Cameroon on July 26, 2022, the two heads of state followed up on the commitments that had been made on this occasion.

Biya and Macron discussed advances in the cultural, economic and agricultural fields which have made it possible to deepen this partnership. They particularly welcomed the important work carried out by the Joint Memorial Commission on the role and commitment of France in Cameroon in the fight against the independence and opposition movements between 1945 and 1971. Macron reiterates the need for researchers to have access, as widely and freely as possible, to the archives to enable them to submit their report as quickly as possible.

Finally, Macron reaffirmed his attachment to the friendship between France and Cameroon, stimulated by the vitality of human ties between the two countries.

Source: Foreign Affairs

29, July 2024

South Africa: Ex-President Jacob Zuma expelled from ANC ⁰

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has been expelled from the African National Congress (ANC), the party he once led, after campaigning for a rival party in the 29 May general election, local media is reporting.

The ANC’s disciplinary committee found him guilty of “prejudicing the integrity” of the party by joining uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and has given him three weeks to appeal against its ruling, local media is quoting a leaked ANC document as saying.

The ANC has not officially confirmed his expulsion, while MK said Mr Zuma had not been notified of the decision taken by a “kangaroo court”.

Mr Zuma, 82, was an ANC veteran but fell out with the party after he was forced to quit as president in 2018 over corruption scandals. He has always denied any wrongdoing.

He had been suspended by the ANC in January after creating MK, which now sits in opposition to the ANC-led government in parliament.

In a statement, MK said it was shocked to learn from media reports that Mr Zuma had been expelled.

The disciplinary proceedings were conducted “in a manner akin to a kangaroo court”, the party said.

“It is a foundational legal principle that no person, not even those accused of a serious crime, should be punished or sentenced in their absence,” it added.

The ANC’s disciplinary committee held a virtual hearing, which Mr Zuma refused to attend, saying he wanted to be physically present.

In 2021 he was jailed for contempt of court after refusing to fully co-operate with an inquiry into corruption during his nine-year presidency.

His arrest sparked the deadliest riots since the end of white-minority rule in 1994 and led to the deaths of more than 300 people.

And he now faces corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal.

South Africa’s current president, Cyril Ramaphosa, replaced Zuma in 2018, promising to clean up government.

But in the 29 May elections, the ANC suffered its worst result in 30 years, pushing the ruling party to form a coalition to share power.

uMkhonto we Sizwe – meaning “spear of the nation” – became the country’s third-largest party, largely by taking votes from the ANC.

It won almost 15% of the vote and obtained 58 seats in the 400-member parliament.

MK became the official opposition in parliament after the second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), joined the coalition government.

Mr Zuma is barred from being an MP because he was given a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

He has chosen an ex-judge, who was impeached for gross misconduct, to lead MK in parliament.

Source: BBC

29, July 2024

Manyu Development: EYUMEMA is the new beautiful girl in town ⁰

There is nothing which keeps young men with high libido busy like the presence of a new beautiful girl in town. That was exactly the reaction caused by EYUMEMA (a woman’s voice), the new Manyu organization which is, indeed, a break-away faction of a scandal-tainted MOHWA which has fallen into the hands of wannabe dictators in Cameroon.

Last Thursday, all roads led to Ohio, USA, as hundreds of Manyu women and girls travelled from many other states in the United States to demonstrate their support for this new organization which will surely give MOHWA a run for its money.

The number of Manyu women from other parts of the United States caused a shortage of expert nurses and caregivers in other American States, prompting care facilities in the United States to ask their remaining staff to work overtime.

It was not only the scarcity of caregivers in other states of the United States that was an issue, there was also a huge Ekpe delegation noted for its voluptuous appetite in Ihio to attend the event and it is rumored that after having devoured the food and drunk the expensive drinks served, Ekpe delegation members simply demonstrated once more that their role on earth was to eat and drink without delivering any meaningful development ideas which could help EYUMEMA embrace a new and development-oriented path which will make it different from other Manyu organizations which have continued to play their roles as talking workshops.

EYUMEMA, which is an offshoot of MOHWA USA,Inc, seems to have leaders with good heads on their shoulders. Under its former name, MOHWA USA Inc, EYUMEMA had undertaken to dig boreholes across Manyu Division. Although the project has been implemented in some parts of Manyu, its results have been mixed as some of the boreholes are already out of service and there is an acute shortage of certified technicians to repair the troubling boreholes- a clear sign that no reliable and effective project study had been undertaken.

Maybe with a new name, EYUMEMA will learn how to finance projects, following standard project implementation rules. Every project has a cycle and lots of things get taken into consideration during the design phase.

EYUMEMA will do itself a world of good if it employs development experts who will design the projects and help with their implementation based on standard procedures and processes.

EYUMEMA must know that for its projects to be reliable and sustainable, it must have implementation and executing agencies on the ground for quality to be guaranteed. Its executing agency should automatically be the Mamfe Council which should host permanent technical staff who will produce project documents for EYUMEMA which will be the project owner.

EYUMEMA is a registered not-for-profit development organization which should be capable of raising concessional resources for development purposes in Manyu Division and well written project documents will convince donors that their money is being used for the purpose for which they are intended.

Every well written project appraisal report or project completion report must include sections on project sustainability, capacity building and lessons learned from previous projects. And there are many of such failed projects in Manyu Division.

EYUMEMA should also not be shy to collaborate with any other Manyu organization when it comes to implementing projects in Manyu. By doing so, both organizations will avoid duplication and a waste of scarce resources. Collaboration is key in development.

Development projects must be viewed as businesses which must stand the test of time and should create jobs for those living in the project area. Projects should never be seen as gifts and they should be managed by people with innovative and futuristic minds. If this is the path EYUMEMA wants to tread, then it will be hailed and admired, and it must make the Mamfe Council its greatest ally to ensure that there is an agency which is keeping an eye on their development initiatives.

EYUMEMA should never spare any resources when it comes to the effective implementation of its projects. It must invest in capacity building as there is a huge dearth of development capacity in Manyu. There are many capacity building experts in Cameroon who are helping the World Bank and the African Development Group with their capacity building projects. Some of these experts could lend a hand and their services could also be honorary depending upon how EYUMEMA presents itself.

EYUMEMA which has already won hearts and minds across the world, including in Cameroon, must tread a different path. Its launch this weekend has already created a massive division within MOHWA groups across the globe, with many women already lining up to sign up for EYUMEMA, the new beautiful and well-built girl in town.

EYUMEMA cannot afford to fail. It must be run as a corporate body with clear development objectives. It must come up with a think tank which should develop its project pipeline. There are experts standing by to provide their technical and intellectual input to ensure that Manyu gets a facelift.

The people of Manyu are admiring this new girl in town. They hope it will not end up as others where its development objectives get replaced with eating, drinking, dancing and show-off.

By Dr Joachim Arrey in Canada

27, July 2024

Bishop Bibi urges Catholic Women in Cameroon to live Christian Faith “in all aspects” ⁰

Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Buea has called upon members of the Catholic Women Association (CWA) in the Central African nation to be consistent in practising their Christian faith, allowing it to influence all aspects of their lives.

In his homily during the opening Mass of the 10th CWA National Congress, Bishop Bibi urged the Catholic women to “work diligently to foster the mission and piety of CWA.”

“We are called to live out our faith in all aspects. Our faith should be seen in all the deliberations we carry out in this congress,” he said during the Friday, July 26 Eucharistic celebration at Regina Pacis Small Soppo Cathedral of Buea Diocese.

He lauded CWA members in Cameroon for being “a new model of faith for our contemporary world” and appealed, “You must persevere in your faith. You must make sure that you do not allow the distractions of this world to come between you and your faith.”

Despite the difficulties and challenges in society, Bishop Bibi noted, CWA members need to “always remain consistent, trusting that God, our Heavenly Father, will continue to accompany you in this journey that you have undertaken.”

Reflecting on the 60th Anniversary of the existence of CWA in Cameroon, the Local Ordinary of Buea Diocese said, “It is the gift of faith that has sustained the Catholic Women Association in its mission since 1964.”

The Cameroonian Catholic Bishop, who has been at the helm of Buea Diocese since December 2019, first as Apostolic Administrator, and since February 2021 as the Local Ordinary, thanked God for the diverse gifts and blessings CWA members have received over the past six decades.

“The CWA as an apostolate has done a lot in strengthening the faith of Catholic women in our country and in the diaspora,” he said during his July 26 homily.

The July 24-28 congress at Bishop Rogan College in Cameroon’s Buea Diocese has been organized under the theme, “CWA Women: Artisans of Human Fraternity for World Peace in Church that Goes Forth.”

Participants in the national event that has brought together over 500 Catholic women from across Cameroon are to elect new leaders for the association.

In his July 26 homily, Bishop Bibi underscored the importance of electing servant leaders, saying, “This Congress is an opportunity to craft out methods of providing good leadership for the entire Catholic Women Association.”

“Let us take our time to prayerfully choose leaders who act after the heart of God and foster the growth and holiness of the CWA wherever they are found,” the Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in March 2017 as Auxiliary Bishop of Cameroon’s Bamenda Catholic Archdiocese said.

He implored, “May the Blessed Virgin Mary, our mother and model of faith help us. May she protect us so that the deliberation of this Congress may benefit families and society at large.”

Source: aciafrica

27, July 2024

Cameroon-born German politician racially assaulted ⁰

A Cameroon-born German CDU candidate for a regional election in the country’s east was racially assaulted while out campaigning, police said Friday.

Adeline Abimnwi Awemo was putting up posters in Cottbus, in the northeastern state of Brandenburg, with her family on Thursday when a 29-year-old stranger attacked her, grabbing Awemo by the throat.

“You are not human beings,” the assailant is reported as saying.

Awemo, who has German citizenship, had to go to hospital after the attack, police said.

The Secretary-General of Awemo’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party condemned the attack.

“It perfectly illustrates what is going on in our country… Violence and hate are on the rise,” Carsten Linnemann told journalists from the Funke media group.

“The increasing risk for people who are politically active for our country is intolerable. Violence must never become a means of political debate,” the Brandenburg CDU wrote in a post on Instagram, adding that “most importantly” Awemo was doing well again.

The regional election takes place on September 22nd.

The German far right has made significant inroads in Brandenburg and in other former communist East German regions such as Saxony and Thuringia.

In recent times, Germany has seen a rise in politically motivated attacks.

In 2023, authorities recorded 60,028 offences of this sort, around 1,100 more than in 2022.

Source: AFP

25, July 2024

Football: Historic French club Bordeaux to become amateur after bankruptcy ⁰

Former French Ligue 1 champions Bordeaux on Thursday said they will become an amateur club for the first time in almost 90 years after filing for bankruptcy.

They had announced earlier in the week that they would accept their relegation to the third-tier Championnat National by French football’s financial watchdog, the DNCG.

Bordeaux, based in France’s south-west, won the last of their six top flight titles in 2009.

They first turned professional in 1937.

The club needs to find 40 million euros ($43.6 million) to balance their books and had been in talks with the owners of Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), before the American investors pulled out of negotiations earlier this month.

“On Tuesday, the club filed for bankruptcy with Bordeaux’s commercial court, to be able to begin necessary restructuring,” they said in a statement.

“The club had to give up asking to maintain its professional status” as it risked “heavy sanctions” if it presented a recovery plan to the DNCG that did not reflect its future financial reality.

Bordeaux were relegated to Ligue 2 in 2022, just 12 years after reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

The town’s mayor slammed the decision by Bordeaux’s controversial owner Gerard Lopez, who has invested 60 million euros into the club since 2021.

“I’ve learnt with consternation the sudden and personal decision made by Gerard Lopez,” Pierre Hurmic told AFP.

“It confirms the risky management that has led our club in the space of three years from the elite Ligue 1 to the amateur level,” he added.

A host of well know players — past and present — have played for Bordeaux including World Cup winners Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, as well as Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

“I feel extremely sick like everyone who loves the club,” 1998 World Cup winner Lizarazu said on Instagram.

“What’s happing is unfortunately the result of disastrous football and financial management for many years,” he added.

One consequence to the move is that the club’s academy will close and a host of professional players will leave the outfit.

The new Championnat National season begins on August 16 with Bordeaux expected to play at their 42,000-capacity Matmut Atlantique home, France’s sixth biggest stadium, for the campaign.

Source: AFP

25, July 2024

Stepping up efforts to check child labor in African cocoa-producing communities ⁰

Child labour is a common phenomenon in African cocoa-producing communities, most of which are in West and Central Africa. The use of child labour in cocoa-producing communities is spurred by poverty which impedes efforts by farmers to employ adult labour for their cocoa production.

According to the World Cocoa Foundation, “Cocoa is grown by millions of smallholder farmers with a high prevalence of poverty. Many cocoa-growing families have no choice but to put their children to work because they cannot afford other sources of labour and it is often an accepted cultural practice to help keep the farm running.”

Though culturally accepted in African cocoa producing communities, the World Cocoa Foundation is striving to remedy this situation to give children in cocoa-producing communities a chance to have a normal childhood and an opportunity to get the education they need to make informed decisions later in life by establishing broad coalitions with other key sector stakeholders.

In a message on its website, WCF has indicated that it has been working with several key actors to give children in those communities a new lease on life. “In broad coalition with governments, companies, and development organisations, a layered approach has been adopted. The primary goal is to combat child labour through a diverse set of solutions. These include efforts to confirm that children possess a birth certificate and have access to quality education. Child labour monitoring and remediation systems have been leveraged as essential tools, focusing on mitigation and providing remediation support to children involved in, or at risk of, child labour. Efforts also extend to assisting their families and communities in addressing the underlying challenges and poverty, one of the primary root causes of child labour. To address the issue of child labour we are working with our partners help increase farmers’ incomes in rural areas,” the WCF said.

WCF and its partners are setting up child labour monitoring and remediation systems to help authorities identify child labour issues and address in a timely fashion and appropriately.

“Child labour monitoring and remediation systems are set-up in order to identify and address child labour. They can be embedded in a company’s supply chain or at community level. It involves systematic monitoring, identification of child labour risks and remedial actions such as education and alternative livelihood support,” WCF stressed.

Meanwhile the World Cocoa Initiative, for its part, has undertaken a series of measure to help with efforts to check child labour. Among those efforts are the training of community members to monitor and report on the commitments of government and companies on child labour – to strengthen accountability towards local communities and their voice in global debate; the engagement with Government and local authorities to identify needs and strengthen systems to prevent, identify and address child labour and forced labour risk; setting up an online platform through which cooperatives, farmer and gold mining associations/groups can access free piloted, validated tools and training materials to improve their systems to prevent, identify and address forced labour; while at the same time allowing policy makers, law enforcement agencies and relevant government ministries to access dedicated platforms to strengthen their work.

The World Cocoa Initiative is also promoting good practices with supply chain actors at the national and international level, while building the capacity of community-based organizations to strengthen advocacy and accountability in the tracking of government commitments. It is also organizing community-based awareness raising activities with community members, in particular women and vulnerable groups, on forced labour indicators, child labour, rights and access to social services; providing hands-on trainings in alternative livelihood activities for cooperatives and at-risk vulnerable families and the setting up of Village Savings and Loans Association in Ghanaian cocoa-producing communities; and setting up a remediation fund to support child labour victims.

Also, with funding from the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, ICI, Solidaridad and the Rainforest Alliance are collaborating to address child labour and forced labour in the cocoa supply chain and gold-mining communities in Ghana.

By Cecilia M. Manjang