2018 Mission Driven Alumni Outreach Project

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2018 Mission Driven Alumni Outreach Project

The Mission-Driven Alumni Outreach (MDAO) project titled “Connect-Inspire-Impact: Nursing the Next Generation of Cameroon Leaders” is a U.S. Government-funded project through the U.S. Embassy Yaoundé to the Mandela Washington Fellows Cameroon (MWF-C) Association. The purpose of this project is to strengthen the ties between various alumni groups, to enhance general awareness of the various exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Government (what they are, who they target, how to participate, the benefits, their positive impact), to highlight prominent members of the alumni community and to train and mentor young leaders for effective community engagement.

The project included two main phases: 

  • A three-day educational fair on all U.S. Government (USG) exchange programs in Cameroon, during which alumni and embassy staff interacted with the public to inform them about all aspects of the Fellowship: selection criteria, the application process, the content of the program, lessons learned, impact at the personal, professional or community level. The 3-D event was organized from the 13th to the 15th of September, 2018 at the Chamber of Commerce, Yaoundé. 
  • Exchange Impact Events; Part of the funds had been saved and 10 small grants, worth $500 each were awarded to alumni teams, (made up of at least 3 different alumni from different USG exchange programs) to conduct a one-day community impact session for leaders of youth associations in the 10 different regions of Cameroon.

The goals and objectives were to;

  • Strengthen the relationship between alumni across programs;
  • Enhance the participation of USG Exchange Alumni in public life in Cameroon;
  • Contribute in preventing negative messaging by amplifying positive messages and mitigating the impact of negative messages;
  • Foster leadership skills of Cameroonian youths;
  • Promote the participation of citizens in the decision-making process

The MDAO project was a great success because of the positive impact it had on the participants. The 3-day fair attracted more than the expected 1500 participants with very engaging discussions and a lot of motivated and inspired youths after the sessions. All 7 panel sessions were quite interactive with some pertinent take-home messages which spurred and motivated participants to want to create change in their various communities and set the wheels in motion for sustainable development in Cameroon. The guests had the opportunity to appreciate the skills of the USG fellows via the booths managed during the fair. The exchange impact workshops were successfully realized in all of the 10 regions. The 10 workshops brought together more than the expected 500 participants (1252 participants in total), and helped blow the wind of change throughout the national territory.

Overall, we can confidently say that through this project, we were able to add value and inspire a new generation of Cameroonian leaders who are determined and motivated to be the change they seek.

Repetition being the mother of studies, we hope to repeat this project in the nearest future to reiterate the role of young leaders in our society and to keep on reminding them that they hold the key to change.