Reach Out Cameroon has organised a football tournament, alongside other community events, all aimed at fostering a culture that promotes and aims for a more pluralistic society where diversity is celebrated and used as a strength, and also one that is more inclusive.
This activity is in line with the 2023 Global Pluralism Award won by the Executive Director of Reach Out Cameroon, Omam Esther.
The launch of the football tournament in the Northwest region was launched on July 26, at the Bujong Field in Bamendankwen, where there was an impressive turnout on the part of the population and community members. At the site were also teams from Reach Out Cameroon, who carried out screening and vital sign checks for free, on those who turned out for the event.
The football match to kick-started the tournament thrilled the spectators who turned out to witness the sporting event. In the football boys’ category, Zone 6 FC battled it out against Nkah FC, and out-best them by three goals to 2 in regular time.
In the football girls’ category, Ntenefot All Stars played against Ayaba Unity. After regular play time, Ntenefor All Stars carried the day. They defeated their counterpart 3-0. .
After the football matches, Reach Out organised a training for women the next day. It was aimed at giving them skills that would make them economically empowered. The programme mostly targeted displaced women who are in need of economic empowerment. After the training, the women are given seed capital to help them start up their economic venture which Reach Out and team will guide them through, ensuring that they are given the best guidance all along, so that they can succeed and be able to be self-sustaining as they go through the challenges brought about by the conflict.
At the event in Bamenda, Reach Out’s Head for Economic Security told reporters that under this project, they have to organise football tournaments for peace in two communities, the Northwest and Southwest regions. “We also have to train five women-led groups and give them grants. So one group is from Bamenda, and then the other four from the Southwest”. She said they are out to bring the community together, to have them socialise and bond with each other, as the crisis has driven people apart and since football brings people together, they are using it as a vehicle to drive home the message of pluralism, inclusion and diversity.
Reach Out football for peace tournament event in Bamenda
Speaking at the ceremony, the First Deputy Mayor of Bamenda I Council, Ndumu Anne called on all present to be agents of peace, and to also contribute to peace in community in whatever they do. She thanked Reach Out Cameroon for choosing their community.
The Executive Director of Reach Out Cameroon was awarded the “2023 Global Pluralism Award” by the Global Center for Pluralism for her works that made her stand out from many others in the field. It is inline with this, that her organisation, in the spirit of the award, which is to identify best practices in the field of pluralism and to disseminate innovative and successful approaches to promote plurality, diversity, and inclusion, organised the football tournament.
With funding from the Global Center for Pluralism (GCP) Reach Out is thus implementing this project titled “Promoting Diversity and Pluralism in Conflict-Affected Communities of Cameroon” After Bamendankwen in the Northwest region, the next stop point will in the Southwest Region, particularly in the Fako Division, where Mudeka, Tole, Limbe and Buea will host the events.
Reach Out in a statement said, “The main objective of the project is to promote peace building, social cohesion and improve the livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Gender Based Violence (G.B.V) survivors and women’s economic groups”.
