By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Sustaining Peace Foundation (SPF) has held a targeted outreach program in Douala aimed at empowering widows and orphans.
Held over two days (May 25th-26th) at the Barean Baptist Church Kotto, the program provided participants with valuable skills training that can generate income. Additionally, SPF offered comprehensive health screenings, testing for a variety of diseases to ensure the well-being of the community.
Linda Kanjo Kekwi, CEO of SPF, speaking after the event expressed her delight at the program’s turnout and positive outcomes. She highlighted that this outreach followed a similar event held three years ago at the same location.
“While the program was dedicated to widows and orphans,” Kanjo Kekwi explained, “I’m happy to see internally displaced persons and others participating, especially during the health screenings.”
Kanjo Kekwi emphasized the importance of community building. “Seeing people genuinely happy motivates me greatly,” she stated. “This is my way of contributing to a stronger Douala and Cameroon as a whole.”
The skills acquisition training focused on practical income-generating activities, including production of powdered soap, soybean products, petroleum jelly, and rubbing alcohol.
The outreach program also offered comprehensive health screenings. A total of 70 individuals received testing for malaria, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, H-Pylori, and other health concerns.
Building on this success, SPF is planning a Widows’ Summit in June, coinciding with International Widows’ Day.The outreach program comes on the heels of the recent launch of SPF’s Skills and Habilitation Center in Yaoundé on April 13th. This center provides ongoing support to widows and orphans facing challenges related to trauma, health issues, lack of skills development, and human rights abuses.
“Sustainable Peace Foundation is here to build peace through empowerment,” declared Kanjo Kekwi. “Our Skills and Habilitation Center addresses the issues we’ve encountered while working with vulnerable populations across Cameroon.”
According to her, “Positive peace is a powerful driver of change in developing societies fostering sustainable prosperity and a lasting peace.”
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