Cameroon:National Civic Agency to support 100 SW-based Youth

By James Mukoh

The National Civic Agency for Participation in Development, also known by its French acronym ASCNPD, will support 100 Southwest-based youth this year.

    The disclosure was made, July 5, as the agency launched its second phase of assistance to youth groups. Clement Fon Ndikum, secretary-general at Buea Governor’s office, who chaired the ceremony, cautioned the selection commission to be fair and objective when selecting the groups that will benefit from this year’s support package  

    The support project ,launched early this year, according to the SG, is part of President Biya’s program of greater achievement, aimed at molding Cameroonian youth, encouraging them to be part of nation –building and be  to be patriotic in the performance of their civic duties.

    The overall goal of the project is to enable young Cameroonian youths nation-wide to get grants from the government, in order to help them improve their lot, and also promote youth employment

   The Regional Selection Commission is expected to select soon SW-based 100 youth groups to benefit from the ASCNPD project. In the South West Region, focus will be on youth groups from around the Bakassi area, Idenau and Akwaya.

    For his part, Essua Enow,  head of the ASCNPD delegation to the launch in Buea said in this year’s edition ,preference has been given to the minority groups, such as the Mbororo’s, street children, and those living in border town such as Bakassi and Ideneau.

   The selection criteria contained in a decision signed by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education. According to this decision, selection is based on group application and not individual. Groups must be young Cameroonian of not less than 18 and not more than 35 years old. Group membership must not exceed ten.

   Mr. Enow said each selected group receive financial support to the tune of two million francs CFA and will be trained on project execution.
In all, the ASCNPD project, targets 1000 youth groups nation-wide this year. Last year alone, some 750 youth groups benefited from the program
  ASCNPD is a program conceived in July 2012, by the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Bidoung Mkpatt. The vision is to give Cameroonian youths an avenue to participate in nation building and development by exercising their civic rights through projects that encourage sustainable development, and self employment.

(First published In The Recorder Newspaper,Cameroon,of July 11,2013)