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Origins
of YDA
Political and economic crises have hit Cameroonians hard causing much misery to communities. In response to problems of unemployment and poverty, in 1990 the Cameroonian government liberalized the economy and consequently many common initiative groups, associations and non-governmental associations (NGOs) were formally recognized as economic operators and partners in development by the government. It is as a result of this decision that Youth Development Association (YDA) saw the light of day by an authorization number: 063/G37/D14/1/Vol. 7/86/OAPP/51, founded two years ago as a social group by members determined to solve their communities’ immediate financial problems. The association decided to tackle the problem of access to education - without which there can be no development. Members of YDA are for the most part businessmen and women. The association is run by an Executive Committee made up of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, an Auditor and a Public Relations Officer. We began by opening a Community Co-educational Primary School for children disadvantaged by poverty in Bonadikombo, Mile 4 in the South West Province. YDA intends to open up more educational and training centers in other disadvantaged parts of the two Anglophone provinces, to fight unemployment and poverty by encouraging and opening up small business. Within YDA, are young people who have left school at an early age and we aim to educate them on the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and methods of prevention. Youth animation centers are envisaged for these disadvantaged youths. Disadvantaged women are not left out in this sensitization campaign, and we encourage the role of women as partners in development. In the domain of small business development, feasibility studies on a modern bakery and an ultra-modern garage projects have been made, and forwarded to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries’ (HIPC-I) an initiative of the World Bank for funding. Projects on potable water, domestic and industrial waste recycling, farming and animal husbandry are envisaged. |
