The NA-WE-WE Sports Jamboree is an annual summer holiday youth-led community initiative since 2022 that aims at using sports and recreational activities as a vehicle to foster social cohesion, moral, civic, and entrepreneurial rearmament as well as healthy living between and among displaced persons and host communities. This jamboree is youth-focused (15-35) and adopts an innovative sports approach inspired by global sports for peace and development tools that focuses on using sports to bring people from different walks of life to play, dialogue and build relationships; raise awareness while providing basic amenities to communities as well as inculcate core moral, civic and entrepreneurial values the athletes and spectators

The 2nd Edition was officiated by H.E. the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education. We reached 5000 DPs; mobilized 500 athletes; over 100,000 people engaged physically; and over 3000,000 people through media engagements.

WHY SPORTS?

Historically, Sports has proven to be a uniting force for Cameroonians despite the socio-cultural differences. Sports and recreational activities remain one of the most innovative ways to bring people together to dialogue, share ideas and work together. The choice of Bafoussam was informed by the need to respond to the growing influx of young men women and children into the western region of the country who have been forcefully displaced by armed conflict in the North West and South West regions. There is thus the critical need to create a safe and innovative space for these diverse communities to dialogue and find common ground toward sustaining a safe, secure and prosperous community.

To respond to these challenges, Local Youth Corner Cameroon and her partners have adopted sports and recreational activities as key tools to provide safe spaces for dialogue, peer-to-peer learning and critical thinking, youth leadership, social cohesion, influence attitude and life skills. This Jamboree will promote civic, moral and entrepreneurial rearmament of young people which will ensure resilience and wellbeing. Physical and mental exercise is a healing process that affects attitude, self-esteem, skills and behaviours. This healing process helps to prevent high-risk social behaviours, meets the existing demands and helps to achieve the physical, mental and social well-being of the entire community.

ABOUT US

Local Youth Corner Cameroon is a youth-led non-governmental organization with over 20 years of experience working on peacebuilding and community development. With our offices in Yaoundé, Buea, Bamenda, and Maroua, we have executed over 600 projects and worked with over 100 national and international development partners. The impact of our work has earned us several national and international recognitions including; The 2023 Canada Human Rights Award in Cameroon; the Youth Connekt Cameroon Champion by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education; the 2018 Luxembourg Peace Prize, and recognition by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, just to name a few. Our work has also been recognized and featured on CNN African Voices Changemakers in 2021.

For More information on how to participate:

Find/follow us on our social media platforms;

Instagram: https://rb.gy/0tjvn

Facebook:https://rb.gy/uifzr

Website: https://rb.gy/c96rd

Twitter: https://rb.gy/aoqrg

Podcast: https://rb.gy/2p9dg

LinkedIn: https://rb.gy/y9bkg