Training Sessions a Success

We held two training sessions for the board of directors/ program leaders last week. The purpose was to create a standard format for presenting health and social topics in a positive environment. Government Technical High School (G.T.H.S) Kumba were gracious enough to offer their facilities to us which allowed for a classroom for technical training and a football pitch (soccer field) for practical implementation. We focused on two main objectives: a football camp format and a topic presentation format. The idea is to create a relaxed atmosphere where the youth and leader get to know one another, become comfortable, and have a free exchange of information on health and social topics in the form of discussions as opposed to lectures.

12 young adults in Kumba composed the team of program leaders and they were very receptive to the training. I can see their passion for the objectives of this program.

After a few icebreakers to get things started, we went over the two formats and got started reviewing key information about each of the topics. Then we split into small groups to strategize an approach to present the health and social topics. Each group have several presentations on some of the different topics which led to further discussion of the topics and implementation strategies. The format we have selected for engaging the youth in the topics is as follows:

1. State the Topic and why it is important

2. Ask questions to learn what the youth may know or think they know about the topic. Begin the Discussion.

3. Present key information about the topic.

4. Use an activitiy like role play or true/false to provide a practical viewpoint

5. Ask the youth how the topic applies the them in their every day life - when they go home

6. End of Day: "What did we learn today?"

We have targeted youth from the age of 12 to 18 for now. Topics include, but not limited to: adolescence, healty relationships, communication with parents, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, condom negotiation, teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and violence against women.

After a successful morning session, we moved to the pitch and practiced the football format we discussed earlier. This includes: jogging, stretching, warmups, ball skills, football drills, and match play. We implement the discussions of topics within a training session. Interacting with the youth, encouraging them to feel free during the discussions, and mastering the football drills are some of the main goals for the program leaders.

These training sessions took place for the better parts of Thursday and Friday of last week. After training, we moved to the Cameroon coordinator's house to share a meal together. It was a tiring two days, but we all looked forward to implementing what we learned during the youth camps the following week.

We De Land Africa - Bushfallers

Translation: We have landed in Cameroon. Bushfaller is a term for any foreigner who visits Cameroon (and possibly anywhere in Africa) or a natural born who has gone to Europe or US and come back after sometime...I consider myself the latter. HA!

We made it safely! After a long layover in Paris, we took off for Douala and arrived around 7pm Tuesday. We ate some fufu and arrow and slept at the Saffana Hotel. THe next day, traveling through Douala was difficult. We sat in traffic for about 2 hours - a delay caused by a bridge closure. A 12-inch diameter waterline burst right in the middle of the main bridge crossing the Wouri River which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. I know this because I saw the old section of pipe on the road as we passed. Luckily, the paving restoration was almost complete. It was created a great disturbance in the flow of traffic through the most populous city in Cameroon.

Once we arrived at the moto park, something like a bus station, we hopped on a bus piled high with our luggage and some other goods including a dining room table and chairs and were off to Kumba. Along the road we were stopped by police who kept one small girl when she could not produce her school ID. After some arguments and shouting, we were on our way and arrived in Kumba by 3pm. The road from Douala to Kumba was recently paved. 2006 travel time was 5+ hours. 2010 time (less police stop) was about 2 hours. The roads have not changed in Kumba, however.

We immediately went to the pitch where many of the board of directors were anxiously awaiting our arrival. We got started by discussing the format for the football part of the sessions and then played a small match. Afterwards, we moved to the Cameroon coordinators house (no apostrophe on this keyboard) where we shared a wonderful meal together of corn fufu (starch base), ndole (wonderful vegetable), doudou (fried plantains), boiled plantains, and catfish in tomoato sauce (bomb). After we discussed a bit about the future of the program, touching on the training sessions, youth camps, and the months to follow. I can see the board of directors are dedicated to the mission of CFDP and will be the backbone of a successful program.

Some Pictures from Past years...

Football Pitch, Barombi Village, 2008 - Perhaps the unofficial Start of the Cameroon Football Development Program. All young men in the Barombi village were equipped with donated soccer shoes from the US - more than 35 in all. The village also received a team set of jerseys donated by Wheeling Central High School, Wheeling, West Virginia.

Mbo Barombi Village, 2008 - University of Dayton Students stand next to a public tap stand in the village at the Inauguration Ceremony for the water supply system they helped design, fundraise for, and build. They are dressed in traditional African dresses. The men wear stocking caps and neck ties particular to the Barombi Clan.

Lake Barombi 2008 - University of Dayton ETHOS Students and Barombi youth go for an afternoon swim in the lake. The students lived in the village for 2 months and worked with the local water management committee to build a gravity-fed water supply system.

Kumba, 2008 - CLICKS Organization stands together before a friendly match. CLICKS is a youth organization dedicated to improving the lives of the less fortunate. They volunteer their time helping at local orphanages and hospitals. They also sponsor the studies of some Kumba youth by providing them school fees, books, and school supplies.

Return to West Africa

Cameroon Football Development Program is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving the health of West African youth by encouraging community-building through soccer. We are currently in the start-up phase and have partnered with Soccer Dreams Without Borders, a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Evergreen, Colorado. Our first initiative in Cameroon will be implementing training sessions for 15 program leaders and hosting three day-long youth soccer camps. The leaders have been working together since April 2010 to lay the ground-work in Kumba, Cameroon. The 2010 Program Kick-off will run from July 28 to August 8, 2010. An experienced cinematographer will be on the ground to document the 2010 Kick-off and tell this story to the world.

The summer camps will provide over 100 Cameroonian youth the opportunity to play soccer in a safe and structured environment. They will learn from young adults in the community about HIV/AIDS prevention and the life skills essential to promoting social development. Additional desired outcomes include instilling a sense of self-worth and accomplishment in youth to overcome the dismal atmosphere created by poverty, promoting hope for the future, and providing a platform for individual growth and community development. Donations of soccer balls from Seton Hill University, Wheeling Jesuit University, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and many other individuals will be used during the Program Kick-off and for weekly educational soccer sessions to continue in the fall of 2010. Soccer shoes will be a vital incentive to encourage commitment from program leaders. Additionally, the United States Soccer Federation PASSBACK PROGRAM donated 140 youth t-shirts so everyone who attends the camps will receive something to remember the experience. We believe there is a great opportunity to create awareness of the ability to use soccer as a development tool in Africa and engage communities in the United States to act. Donated soccer equipment (balls, jerseys, shoes, and other playing and coaching materials) will be used as an incentive and reward for coaches and teachers who implement the educational soccer sessions. Documented proof will ensure program legitimacy and allow for evaluation and growth.