A football tournament for social cohesion and peace.

Football matches serve as a framework for sensitizing communities in favour of peace and stability in Zamaï, a locality in Mayo Tsanaga, far north region of Cameroon.

Aicha, Philomène, Clarisse and Mariam joined thirty other young people this Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at the sports complex of government school Zamaï.

The encounter is part of the activities marking the organization of the project; “Youth and Stabilization for Peace and Security in the Far North Region of Cameroon”. This activity aims at sensitizing young people on the need for peaceful cohabitation, tolerance, violence against children, the culture of peace and how to couple up formal school with Koranic school.

At the start of each match and at half-time, theater-trained teenagers present sketches on the themes of peace, living together and citizenship.

“Through these activities, I learned tolerance and discipline, and all the attitudes that promote peace in the community. I fit in easily and have made a lot of friends”, testifies Mariam, internally displaced who fled with her family from Kerawa because of the Boko Haram attacks.

“This tournament gave me the opportunity to erase any prejudices I had towards internally displaced people. We want the continuity of these activities to allow us to learn while having fun and above all to strengthening our bonds with friends,” says Aicha, a young girl from the host community.

Co-funded by the European Union, the project is implemented by the United Nations System through UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP, in 12 localities of Logone-et-Chari, Mayo-Sava and Mayo-Tsanaga, deeply affected by the security crisis.