Open Dreams and Leadership for Environment and Development Cameroon, LEAD Cameroon, convened a round-table discussion on February 9th, 2024.
LEAD Cameroon is an NGO created in 2004 with the goal of developing future leaders who will advance sustainable development. This organization since its creation in 2004 has carried out a number of projects, such as PCB reduction, which contributes to reducing hazardous polychlorobiphenyles created by industries, by using local expertise and reforestation, which restores the ecosystem.
The necessity of leadership in the twenty-first century and the obstacles the Cameroonian Youth faces in accessing life-changing opportunities were the main topics of conversation.
We noted during the exchange that, it is important to provide young people with opportunities to learn and grow and to make a difference in the world. “Learning, Inspiring and Changing...”
Our conversations also included strategies for working in synergy, such as forming a collaboration that will enable the two organizations to accomplish their shared objectives of making a lot more young people aware of the fact that change can be catalyzed when everyone takes the initiative.
Through this collaboration, we would be able to work on a number of projects, including:
establishing Open Dreams Hubs in other regions of Cameroon, including the North, Far North, and Adamawa Regions;
establishing nurturing environments for young, bright minds across the entire nation; and giving them the guidance they require to push boundaries and dare to change things.
The meeting was a success, and we are now working to develop a formal partnership agreement.
As we approach our tenth-anniversary celebration, we encourage several community engagement projects and partnerships that have the potential to empower the youth and unlock opportunities while also fostering the value of community service, which we cherish at Open Dreams.
The meeting was an initiative of Aboubakary Modibbo Amadou of LEAD Cameroon, who ended up giving souvenirs to the Open Dreams Delegation led by James Akaba, the Country Director.
In attendance also was Joseph Lambe of LEAD Cameroon who is the President of the "Youth Exchange Service (YES) Program" alumni network for Cameroon. The dynamism of the YES Alumni network is essential for the mission, which we envisage to cover the three regions that constitute the Grand North of Cameroon, and the East and South Regions of the Country, where Open Dreams is not as prominent as in the other 5 Regions of the Cameroon.
By Makoubo Krystie Fongang | Open Dreams Scholar
Team Open Dreams (others): Epiphanie Ngasoh, Shansel Mbaku, Obedine-Flore Fobuzie
Team Lead Cameroon (others): Hadidjatou Nasrou, Hamadou Rachad.