Bamenda: Youth Outreach Programme Celebrates African Child At YouthFESTAC 2024

June 18, 2024

By Raymond Dingana

On June 16, 2024, the Youth Outreach Programme (YOP) hosted the second edition of the Youth Festival of Arts and Culture (YouthFESTAC) to celebrate the Day of the African Child in Cameroon's crisis-affected North West Region.

The event that took place at the Big Mankon Cathedral Hall, featured a variety of cultural activities, including traditional dance competitions, a fashion design contest, and a cross-country race. Despite the ongoing socio-political challenges in the region, YOP organized this festival to provide young people with an opportunity to engage in and celebrate their cultural heritage.

Traditional Dance Competition

In the traditional dance competition, the Forest Children group from the Northwest region took first place in the junior category, winning 200,000 FCFA. Nchu Ntenku came in second, and Makongui from the West region placed third, winning 150,000FCFA, and 100,000FCFA respectively.

In the youth category, Zion dance group emerged victorious, earning 200,000 FCFA, while Mbaya dance group came in second, receiving 150,000 FCFA.

Traditional Dance Winners, Children Category

The fashion design competition was won by Eddy Fashion, followed by Star Fashion in second place and Silvie Kloding in third. The winners received 200,000 FCFA, 150,000 FCFA, and 100,000 FCFA, respectively.

Winners, Fashion Designer Competition

Chwefung Vanessa, a member of the Zion dance group, expressed her gratitude for the YouthFESTAC event, stating that it provided a platform for her group to showcase their talents and receive fair compensation, unlike previous competitions.

"When I heard of YouthFESTAC, I thought it was going to be like the others. I was proven wrong when we were called to come collect our cash prize of FCFA 200,000. My gratitude goes to the YOP for this initiative,"

said Chwefung.

According to Mr Omer Songwe, the team lead of YOP, the primary objectives of the event were to bring children together to celebrate the Day of the African Child and provide them with the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.

"The first objective we have is to get children participate in celebrating the Day of the African Child. It's a day that African children are celebrated and we think that it is key for them to participate,"

Omer said.

YOP Team Lead, Mr Omer Songwe Addressing The Population

Also on the menu in this year's YouthFESTAC was a cross country race in the children, youth and senior categories. The first, second, and third winners in all categories earned 75000 FCFA, 50,000FCFA, and 25000FCFA respectively.

YouthFESTAC Team Lead Surprised with Birthday Cake at Event

On June 18th, 2024, during the YouthFESTAC activities, the team lead, Mr. Omer Songwe, was caught off guard by a special birthday surprise. As he was addressing the crowd, a cake with his name written on it was brought before him.

Mr. Songwe was visibly moved by the gesture. He expressed his gratitude to his daughter, Muma Sandrine, and all those responsible for orchestrating the surprise.

Speaking to Drayinfos, Muma Sandrine explained the reasoning behind the surprise.

"Daddy is rarely around on his actual birthday, as he is often traveling for work outside the region or even the country. We chose to celebrate it during the YouthFESTAC event so that the African children could also be a part of his birthday celebration, which is the kind of thing he truly enjoys."

The unexpected birthday celebration added a heartwarming touch to the YouthFESTAC proceedings, showcasing the deep familial bonds and the team's appreciation for their leader's dedicated service.

Mr Omer Songwe Cutting His Birthday Cake

The Youth Outreach Programme (YOP) was established in 1993 as a youth development association, with a mission to empower young people to make informed decisions and actively engage in development processes. The organization's office is located at 1st Floor, Nangah Building-Ringway Street in Bamenda.