World children’s day 2020: kids took over and Cameroon turned blue.
Celebrated in an unusual context this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the World Children’s Day has been the occasion for adults, youth, and children to reaffirm their will to reimagine a better future for children in Cameroon.
World Children’s Day was a fun day with a serious message: how to reimagine the future, the future of learning, the future of education, the future of health? How to reimagine a healthier planet and a greener world? The celebration enabled UNICEF Cameroon to connect with the public in order to highlight critical issue affecting children’s lives in Cameroon and to support the engagement of children and young people as advocates for their own rights.
UNICEF Facebook superfans on field trip.
They support UNICEF advocacy efforts on digital platforms. They are thus Child Rights Champions. As a prelude to the celebration of World Children’s Day, UNICEF, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, invited them to a field trip which enabled them to see for themselves the interventions in favor of vulnerable children in the East Region.
The humanitarian trip enabled the children’s Champions to discover UNICEF’s actions for access to potable water; notably the Micro water supply system using solar energy at the Protestant hospital in Garoua Boulaï. It is an innovative water delivery system powered by solar energy which supplies the various services of the hospital and enables the maternity wards, notably the Kangourou care unit, to address potable water shortages.
The super fans also appreciated the Community birth registration system implemented with UNICEF support in 32 villages of the administrative district and 3 districts of the city of Garoua Boulaï. This enabled the completion of birth certificates for thousands of children. “Generally, when we are on digital platforms, we do not realize the extent of achievements. I am satisfied knowing that it is a reality, and that we are not in a virtual world. We have effectively touched these marvelous realizations of UNICEF for the benefit of children with our own hands,” said a super fan after the visit.
The World’s Largest Lesson with Fabrice Ondoa, in Bertoua!
We were in the Yademe-marché public school with 40 children who were very excited to meet their favorite goalkeeper, Fabrice Ondoa, who for the occasion was transformed into a teacher.
Fabrice Ondoa: children, what does it mean to be a citizen?
Children’s’ answer: our teacher teaches us to be good citizens. We must clean up everywhere, prevent brush fires, and explain to our parents why they shouldn’t set them because nature is our future! We study on desks made with the beautiful trees of our forests which we must preserve!
Fabrice Ondoa: why do you like to study?
Child’s answer: I love it when my Earth and Life Sciences teacher hands out these drawings. This makes me think. I had never imagined that when we set brush fires we destroy our environment. And I really love to go out with my Daddy to walk in nature. We all want to reimagine a new world for US, the children.
At the end of the lesson, Fabrice Ondoa joined the students to paint the walls of their school blue.
“They have taken the initiative. It’s a real pleasure to see that they themselves are engaged in repainting their world, to reimagine it. They are the future, it’s the future of this world. It is hope. One must always fight for them, to support them. If each person brought his or her contribution, we could give these children a better future,” said the UNICEF Ambassador.
The Reunification Monument turned blue
On November 19th at 7 pm, the Reunification Monument was one of the first buildings to to light up BLUE for World Children’s Day! A sign and reminder that the rights of children in Cameroon should be respected & protected!
It’s fantastic to see the Reunification Monument illuminated in blue in order to draw attention to the concerns of children in Cameroon and the most urgent problems they are faced with.
A nice homage to the children of Cameroon!
#Jerusalema at the foot of the Reunification Monument
A few hours before the building was lit up in blue, some youth, bearing signs presenting the 54 articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, gathered at the foot of the monument to appeal to the respect of childrens’ rights through a choreography on the global hit #JERUSALEMA.
UNICEF Cameroon’s staffs go blue for every child.
Kids took over
Some children and youth took over and assumed leading roles in the media, politics, aeronautics…
Annie Caroline, 11 years old, Minister of Social Affairs.
To mack World Children’s Day, Mrs. Pauline Irène NGUENE gave up her spot to Annie Caroline to assume the role of Minister of Social Affairs.
Among other things, the young minister reminded her collaborators of the need to take the measures necessary so that every child in Cameroon could have a birth certificate.
Marie-Grâce, 6 years old, co-pilot.
She took the controls of the November 20th UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flight.
And the passengers dressed up in blue to commemorate this moment and lend their support to the children.
Marie Elise, 14 years old, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon.
Jacques Boyer handed the controls of the Cameroon UNICEF office to Marie Elise who held the reins of the UN Representation in Cameroon with gusto on the occasion of the World Children’s Day.
The Representative was particularly interested in questions of health, in particular vaccination. She stated that she dreamed of a world where every child is protected from preventable illnesses by vaccination.
On November 20th, children made themselves heard in the media.
On CRTV, they spoke up for their rights and the need to reimagine a better world for children.
Summary of Cameroon Feeling.
Inspiring words from Stacey Fru, the youngest award-winning female author in Africa.
Stacey, 13 years old, is a Bestselling Multiple International Award-Winning Child Author of Chapter Books, Activist, Philanthropist, Public Speaker, Ballerina and Guitarist.The young author shared her most beautiful childhood memories and spoke about the world she wishes for children.
They reimagine a better world through drawings, video, and text.
564 children and adolescents sponsored by bloggers throughout Cameroon expressed themselves on the post COVID-19 world they wish for, within the context of a competition organized by the Cameroon Bloggers’ Association (ABC), in partnership with UNICEF.
Those who distinguished themselves for the originality of their productions received prizes awarded by Jacques Boyer last November 20th. The best texts of this competition will be edited by the Cameroon Bloggers’ Association and published in a special magazine.
Road Shows #Reimagine Startup Challenge
UNICEF, in partnership with Africa Business Solutions, has given the young under 21 Startuppers the chance to express their innovative and sustainable solutions to fight against the coronavirus and #Reimagine a better world for children.
On the occasion of World Children’s Day, the Road Shows were launched in Douala and in Yaoundé. In these two cities, children aged from 11 to 15 years, of whom 4 graduated of the previous edition of Cameroon Child & Digital, participated in training workshops on Digital technology for Robotic Assembly.
These workshops have enabled them to better learn the mechanics of motor-driven machines. At the end of the road shows, a BootCamp will be held in Yaoundé during which the children and youth will present their creations. The best solutions will receive support for their development.
