Category Archives: MenEngage

Capacity Building, Children's Rights, Democracy, Girl Child, He 4 She, Health, Her Voice Club, Humanitarian Assistance, MenEngage, Women's Rights, Youth in the Picture

Let’s Beat COVID-19 and Peacebuilding Conversations

Posted on by denismikifoundation
08
Jun

Introducing our #LetsBeatCOVID and Peacebuilding Conversations

Individuals and organizations around the globe have mobilized to tackle the global pandemic that has caused so much uncertainty; yet most of us still have unmet aspirations and fears. The Coronavirus pandemic has shaken the world but despite that peace, security and human rights issues are still a major concern across different nations.

This initiative seeks to provide young people and women with a platform to have meaningful conversations on how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected their access to their basic human rights and also their meaningful engagement and participation in development and peacebuilding processes. Share educational resources, support, and guidance to make a meaningful difference that they can apply to real life situations in an engaging atmosphere.

Participants will have an opportunity to engage in weekly virtual conversations geared towards improving their resilience in tough situations, as well as practice important disasters and emergency management skills.

We are creating a safe space and platform for meaningful and practical exchanges for ensuring peace in times of uncertainty.

To join the Virtual Weekly #LetsBeatCOVID19 and Peacebuilding Conversations beginning on the 15th of June, 2020 at 12.30 PM GMT+1 to the 29th of June, 2020.

When:

Week 1: Jun 15, 2020 12:30 PM Africa/Douala (GMT+1)

Week 2: Jun 22, 2020 12.30 PM Africa/Douala (GMT+1)

Week 3: Jun 29, 2020 12.30 PM Africa/Douala (GMT+1) 

Register in advance for this meeting at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/upIuceutpj0iG9AH8lwCYLyqmzKbh7GPSuva

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

#COVID19 #Peacebuilding #Youth4Peace #Women4Peace #YoungPeacebuilders #WomenPeacebuilders

Children's Rights, Girl Child, He 4 She, Her Voice Club, Human Rights, MenEngage, Partnerships, Women's Rights, Youth in the Picture

Cameroon Women’s Global Strike

Posted on by denismikifoundation
04
Mar

Denis Miki Foundation (DMF) will be organising the first ever Women’s Global Strike in Cameroon as part of the activities to commemorate the International Women’s Day. We will be mobilizing 30+ grassroots women and girls, women human rights defenders (WRHDs), feminists and gender activists.

The activities include;

a) Mobilize women and girls to join us on Women’s Global Strike March Past on the 8th of March in Limbe holding plackades carrying key messages to be communicated to key decision makers and the general public.
b) Organize media campaigns at both local, national and international media platforms to amplify the voices of grassroots women and girls
c) Run a #HerVoiceMyVoice Podcast Series of stories from women and girls at the grassroots level and publish on Apple and Google Podcasts and amongst different stakeholders to influence decision making processes for the improvement of the conditions of women.
d) Host a Women’s Cirlce for women to have a conversation about issues that affect them which will be recorded and streamed live on our YouTube Channel and Social Media pages to create awareness on the situations women face and bring to notice solutions that work for this situations.
e) Officially launch our Women Support and Empowerment Network and Her Voice Club through a one day Fundraising Gala for Women and Girls Rights.

To join us, call us or email us today at join@denismikifoundation.cm and 652975274 or 670264947 or 677985413 and grab you T-shirt at 5000frs and STRIKE for the Rights of every Woman and Girl in Cameroon.

Girl Child, He 4 She, Health, Her Voice Club, MenEngage, Partnerships, Women's Rights, Youth in the Picture

Denis Miki Foundation Officially Becomes A Member of the MenEngage Cameroon Chapter

Posted on by denismikifoundation
28
May

Having signed up as a global member of MenEngage in the last few months, it was considered much needed to accept the call to belong to the local chapter of the MenEngage Alliance. Denis Miki Foundation has as 2 representatives for the MenEngage Alliance Cameroon Chapter one member from the Her Voice Club to be represented by Nfomi Laura Berka who will accompany a staff at DMF for meetings.

The aim of the MenEngage Alliance is to raise awareness of the influence men have in ending gender-based violence and speaking out against all kinds of inequality. This meeting was held on the 25th of May 2019 in Buea and was represented by one member of several organization all over Cameroon some of which includes; Big Step Outreach Network, Mother of Hope, Community Center for Intergraded Development, Hope family Life, Vision in Action, Reach Out Cameroon, MINPROFF and others.

The program started at 8:45am with the arrival, registration and introduction of member organizations. Also talks on why engage men in gender equality and several reasons where given like they form an integral part of the society and can also contribute to end violence. The Criteria was shared as to how one could join the movement like signing their memorandum of association by implication accepting their terms and conditions. Some organizations where voted such as:

  1. MenEngage Cameroon Coordinator; Community Center For Intergraded Development
  2. Child Rights Constituency; Hope Family Life
  3. Women’s rights Constituency; Mother of Hope Cameroon
  4. Youth Constituency; Sustainable Women Organization.
  5. Key population Constituency; Vision in Action
  6. HIV/AIDS Constituency; Big-Step Outreach Network.

DMF signed the Memorandum of Understanding and officially became a member of the MenEngage Alliance Cameroon Chapter.

Capacity Building, Children's Rights, Girl Child, He 4 She, Health, Her Voice Club, Leadership, MenEngage, Orphans & Vulnerable Children, Partnerships, Volunteerism, Women's Rights, Youth in the Picture

Her Voice Club Formed Following Focus Group Discussions with Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) on their Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR)

Posted on by denismikifoundation
23
Jan

Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) are faced with challenges particularly while engaging in relevant policy and program design processes that directly affect their lives. An example of this is absence and lack of meaningful engagement of adolescent girls and young women in national AGYW and youth related policy and program processes supported by or linked to the Global Fund. Gender inequalities limit the ability of young women to protect themselves from infection.

In 37 countries only 30% of young women had the knowledge to prevent HIV. Young women with HIV also face stigma and discrimination. To respond adequately to the needs of adolescent girls and young women, their voices and ideas must be heard. They must have the opportunity to shape policies and programs that affect them. This report presented is based on information gathered following consultative sessions through Focus Group Discussions with 48 AGYW in Cameroon to ensure their opinions and voices are captured to shape the decision making, implementation processes in the HIV/AIDS respond plans in Cameroon through the Global Fund.

        This report presents field consultation and analysis from this target group that represents their voices and opinions on a wide range of methods through which services like education can be provided to them. It provides a platform where we can ensure that they are able to seek and claim their rights to sexual health and HIV services. It highlights methods to contribute to the fight to end gender-based violence, a cause and consequence of HIV infections and proposes ways to create safe spaces for young women to become advocates and leaders in the HIV response and change harmful social norms to empower them.

The sessions that began with girls from 13 to 18 saw a lot of them having a lack of knowledge on HIV/AIDS. This was noticed because some of their answers to questions asked were incorrect and they were lacking on important knowledge about HIV/AIDS for example when it was coming to the difference between HIV and AIDS. A lot of them who were shy to speak at the beginning were able to start talking after a few minutes and we could watch their confidence grow and immediately after the session and our departure from the school a lot of them went on the internet to read more about HIV/AIDS and started following us on Facebook. The girls who participated at the Apostolic Comprehensive Secondary School have now began a club called Her Voice Club.

The AGYW who participated in the sessions out of the school campus had their sessions in outdoor environments, a choice made to create a space where they were comfortable and felt safe. The discussions created new friendships, exchange of life experiences and situations, knowledges and methods to engage them fully in the Global Fund processes. To be able to continue building on their capacities for their fully engagement in the Global Fund processes they proposed that a Whatsapp group should be created which was done of them and the Expert Trainers and the project team at DMF. A secret Facebook group was also to be created so that participants without Android Phones could be members. The team at DMF regularly shares workshop and consultative meeting opportunities at both the local, national and international levels, coach them in the application process so they can begin the engagement processes. Some are working closely with the team to build the article for the International Journal of Public Health so that they can be introduced to the processes and their capacities built.

Capacity Building, Girl Child, Governance, He 4 She, Health, Her Voice Club, Human Rights, MenEngage, Partnerships, Women's Rights, Youth in the Picture

Call For Expert Trainers

Posted on by denismikifoundation
27
Dec

PROJECT THEME: “Engaging the Voices, Opinions and Perspectives of AGYW groups in HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Processes through Focus Group Discussions”

GOAL

The goal of this project is to provide a space for the meaningful consultation of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Global Fund Cameroon processes as well as in Divisional, Regional and National processes to reduce new HIV infections among AGYW aged 15-24 to meet Global Fund targets.

OBJECTIVES

  1. To get the voices, perspectives and opinions of AGYW before designing and implementing HIV prevention polices/processes,
  2. To actively engage AGYW in HIV prevention efforts to improve acceptance and sustainable ownership of interventions, increase retention of AGYW in treatment programs and maximize impact
  3. To incorporate solutions proposed by AGYW into HIV prevention/treatment initiatives because AGYW are experts at understanding their own issues and designing solutions.

 

METHODOLOGY

-Together with the team at DMF, Expert Trainers will establish necessary criteria to carry out the study.

-Study procedure, will be explained to each participant by the experts prior to administering consent.

-Together with the team at DMF, the Experts will develop an interview framework that will enable the focus groups to examine risk factors for AGYW as well as strategies proposed by AGYW to address HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

-The team of experts will determine the language of study, how the study will be conducted and the coding and consolidation system to make the study effective and the results reliable.

There will be 6 focus group discussions, 3 composed of AGYW aged 15-19 and another 3 composed of AGYW aged 20-24. Each group will comprise 8 participants making a total of 48. All sessions will be recorded and shall take place in Limbe between the 3rd to the 13th of January, 2019.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Expert Trainers in the fields of Health, Community Outreach and Service with proven track records on HIV/AIDS related programs most especially with previous and/or ongoing collaboration with Global Fund programs in Cameroon will be given more priority.

To apply send a One Page Abstract on the project theme attaching your most recent Curriculum Vitae (CV) to Denis Miki Foundation at contact@denismikifoundation.cm copying; Miss Emilia Miki emily@denismikifoundation.cm, Mr Emmanuel Vifansi emmanuel@denismikifoundation.cm, Miss Ndolo Ekema ndolo@denismikifoundation.cm and Mr Parviel Chirsir parviel@denismikifoundation.cm

Deadline: The deadline for submission of abstracts and CVs is the 30th of December 2018 at 11.59PM.

ABOUT DENIS MIKI FOUNDATION

Denis Miki Foundation is a development initiative that since December 2013 has worked with rural and urban-poor communities in Cameroon. Our programs at Denis Miki Foundation focus on primary health care, water, hygiene & sanitation targeting primary school children, youth, women and the underprivileged persons, conservation related activities, community development projects, vocational training and promoting sustainable agriculture, arts and talents promotion activities. DMF’s missions are to contribute to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and community development by empowering the people and their communities. We have as objectives to sustainably develop and enhance the capacities of the poor, vulnerable and rural areas of Cameroon.

 

ABOUT HER VOICE FUND

HER Voice is the result of various consultations with women organizations and women’s funds citing challenges faced, particularly by young women, while engaging in relevant policy and program design processes that directly affect their lives.

Through its “Community Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative”, the Global Fund has invested in HER Voice to support the meaningful engagement of adolescent girls and young women in national AGYW and youth related policy and program processes supported by or linked to the Global Fund, for an initial period of 12 months.

HER Voice believes that to respond adequately to the needs of adolescent girls and young women, their voices and ideas must be heard. They must have the opportunity to shape policies and programs that affect them. HER Voice collaborates with and compliment other initiatives geared towards strengthening quality of interventions targeting adolescent girls and young women.

The HER Voice Fund is jointly managed and administered by SHRH Africa Trust (SAT) and Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS Service Organizations (EANNASO).