Boosting Cameroon Muslim female school enrollment: Chatting the way forward

Even though Islam emphasizes the right and importance of education unequivocally, access to education for Muslim women has been comparatively low. It is within this context, that the Islamic Education Secretary for the South West Region of Cameroon, Motanga Hans Hilary Hamza organized a one day symposium captioned “Sound education of a girl child, a legal priority in Islam and the security of our schools, assessing the level of implementation in the SWR”. According to Mr. Hamza “There is no chapter in the Koran that prohibits women from going to school. Beyond all reasonable doubt, we are seeking ways within the Islamic community to better the situation of the girl child especially in the domain of education so that they can adequately contribute to the development efforts of our nation. Like it often said, train a girl child, you train a nation”.

Speaking at the symposium that held at the Chambers of the Institute of Education for Pedagogy and Applied Research, the Imam of the Buea Central Mosque Complex, Aboubakar Mohammed, warned members of the Muslim community on the possible application of strict measures to move every Muslim family to get their girl children enrolled in schools. Imam Aboubakar said “all the leaders of the Islamic community are taking part in this symposium. I must say that it is deliberate, since the symposium is holding before the commencement of the school year. We have resolved to do a census amongst all the members of our community and should we find any girl child of school going age not enrolled in any of the schools around, we shall report the parents to the authorities for appropriate actions to be taken “.

The Social and Cultural Adviser at the South West Governors’ office representing the South West Governor at the forum like the representative of the Regional delegate of basic education for the South West, used the platform to reiterate the relevance of gender equity in education and the important role an educated girl can play in the realization of the 2035 Vision fixed for Cameroon to emerge by state authorities.

According to Mr. Tata, the Muslim girl has a lot to contribute for the fruition of the Vision, stressing that this can only be possible by increasing the Muslim female enrollment in our schools. Other stakeholders at the Symposium elaborated underlying challenges that Muslim women face in the community as they struggle to get enrolled in schools, also suggesting strategic roadmaps on how to overcome the challenges. Despite the Cameroon governments efforts to provide free primary education, current figures from the education ministries of the country present staggering imbalances, as girls continue to lag behind their male counterparts.

University of Buea honors Pioneer PhD Graduate in Special Education

Physically challenged Ugandan Born Elija Musenyente finishes with an A Ugandan PHD Laureate, Dr Elijah Musenyente of the 2012 Scholarship awarded by the European Commission under the Erasmus Mundus Intra- ACP Mobility Program to study a PHD in Special Education at the University of Buea, has been honored with a special sent off launched by Authorities of the University of Buea.

Congratulating Dr Elijah during the Special launch that also served as a symbolic graduation ceremony for the laureate Dr. Nalova Lyonga lauded the feat of Dr Elijah for completing his program in record three years with an outstanding result. Commending Dr Elijah for his tenacity, sense of sacrifice and dedication of service, Prof Nalova Lyonga also described the pioneer PHD graduate in Special Education as a model worth emulating by other students. Overwhelmed by the special honor accorded him by the University Authorities, Dr Elijah promised to efficiently and professionally participate and implement more programs as well as policies geared towards the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities when he returns to Uganda. Dr Elijah got impaired at the age of four from an injection administered by a non professional person in Uganda. Since then it has been a long process in the development of coping skills and great challenges and barriers to arrive at the level of a PhD. After his primary/ secondary Education, he was admitted at one of Uganda’s University to study a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. On graduation, he decided to change to Special education profession, motivated by the ambition to struggle for equality and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Dr Elija Musenyente three years course at the University of Buea, based his research on Physical infrastructure in secondary schools and the performance of persons with physical disabilities in Cameroon. Upon graduation, he says he has great interest in the areas of capacity building for service providers as well as creating awareness of the challenges faced and the means of addressing specific needs of persons with disabilities. Dr. Elija is the first University of Buea PhD graduate in the Special education Program.

South West Regional ELECAM Bureau Sets Out to the Field to Boost Voters Registration Process

Given the low voters turnout at the various registration stations of ELECAM nation wide, the south West regional bureau of ELECAM has responded to the challenge of meeting potential voters in their various communities through cultural, development and trade unions and associations.

It was graced to this foundation that the Molyko carpenters union in Buea witnessed their names inscribed into the voters list right at their workshops. Besides this laudable initiative of the regional bureau of Elections Cameroon under its recently installed boss in the person of Justice BAU OKAH BAU, the carpenters alongside other anticipated voters were sensitized on the importance of this very important civic responsibility.

Talking recently, the South West regional boss of ELECAM, barrister OKAH , said this move was just another strategy of getting more people registered into the electorate register given the fact that many people complain of busy schedules and so on. According to him, despite the reluctant attitude of many Cameroonians to turnout for the voters registration exercise, the South West bureau has witnessed a significant improvement in the number of registered voters with figures rising from 3000 to about 15000 voters this year.