Peace Building: MOHCAM Honors Women Mediators,Leaders For Exceptional Contributions To Peace Building

Family Photo With Celebrated Women Mediators, Other Dignitaries 

By Raymond Dingana

Mother of Hope Cameroon  with acronym (MOHCAM), a non profit organization in Cameroon, has recognized 71 women community mediators, and leaders from across the North West Region of the country for their efforts in resolving conflicts through mediation after receiving training from MOHCAM.

Mother of Hope Cameroon is an initiative of Adah Mbah Muyang, Executive Director of MOHCAM whose Peacebuilding initiatives led to the Women's Mediation project.

This recognition occurred during a one-day Women Mediation Conference organized by MOHCAM, with additional resources from Open Society Foundations. The event took place at the Pastoral Center in Bamenda I Sub Division of the North West Region on Friday, November 30th.

The conference served as a closing activity for the first year of the project launched in May 2024, titled "Promoting the Effective Participation of Women in Conflict Resolution Processes through Mediation" using a bottom up approach.

Programmes Director of Mother of Hope Cameroon,  Siri Cynthia Wakuna

Explaining why MOHCAM chose mediation, the Programmes Director of Mother of Hope Cameroon,  Siri Cynthia Wakuna stated, 

"You may wonder why we chose mediation. Mediation provides an entry point for women to be part of important decision making structures. It is a subtle and accepted practice that women naturally engage in at home as mothers and caregivers. They mediate informally, so we thought it wise to leverage this widely accepted skill within the community"

She also mentioned that they have been in discussions with community leaders to encourage them to allow women to practice mediation in their communities.

"These women have been involved in solving day-to-day issues such as marital conflicts, and land disputes, and even church related problems. After their training, they have mediated over 200 cases. As the year comes to an end, we felt it was important to bring them together, strengthen their capacities given that they were trained between June and July."

 

Challenges Faced During the Training of Women Mediators

Siri Cynthia Wakuna explained that navigating the security challenges in the divisions was one of the biggest obstacles.

 "We didn't want to follow the approach of other projects that simply moved women to urban areas to escape difficulties. We felt a strong need to engage with community women directly."

She acknowledged that mobilising the women was not easy and that language barriers posed significant challenges, necessitating the need to simplify the training to ensure everyone understood.

Wakuna also announced the development of a model specifically for women mediators at the grassroots level, utilizing traditional tools to respect and leverage local cultures, rather than undermining them.

What’s Next for the Women After the First Phase of the Project

Given the ongoing crises in communities across many communities in the region, Wakuna said they are sending the women back to their communities to continue resolving conflicts through mediation so that peace can reign.

"We are expanding our scope. In year two, we will gradually transition from community focused efforts to regional connections, ensuring that regional initiatives are linked to local communities. We will work with ministries to ensure these women are successfully integrated into all processes."

Recognized Women Mediators Tell Their Stories

One of those recognized for her outstanding work is Bridget Tumangru from Babessi, Ngoketunjia Division.

"I have empowered women to understand that men are not the only ones to occupy important positions in our communities .If they are polite ,and patient, they too can hold these positions. I have educated my fellow women on the importance of educating the girl child, emphasizing that life is not just about marriage."

She noted that her journey has not been easy, as some men accused her of empowering their women to challenge them.

Another Woman Mediator, Ngeh Nicholine from Bui Division shared her contributions to fostering peace in her community. 

"I have advocated for peace in my community through mediation, ensuring that conflicts are managed before they escalate. Thanks to my efforts, traditional councils are gaining steam. I was accepted into the traditional council after explaining to community leaders the necessity of functional traditional councils," 

 Ngeh said.  

Ndasi Gilbert Myongamsen is among those who trained the women in conflict resolution processes through mediation. Reflecting on his contributions to their success, Ndasi said, 

"During my time with MOHCAM as a consultant, I helped develop two important documents. I designed a handbook titled An Essential Guide to Community-Based Mediation, which these women carry in their handbags to facilitate their work in the field. I also developed a comprehensive training manual."

Ndasi Gilbert Myongamsen

What You Need To Know About The MOHCAM

Mother of Hope Cameroon with the acronym MOHCAM is a non-profit Women and Youth rights led organization working in Cameroon. Mohcam is an organization with the United Nations Special Consultative Status (ECOSOC). MOHCAM advocates against human trafficking, child marriage, and gender-based violence in homes, schools, and communities. 

Group Picture With MOHCAM Staff

MOHCAM educates and economically empowers underprivileged adolescents and young women through income-generating activities to build resilience and sustainable development. MOHCAM has experience for 15 years of implementing diverse projects on promoting gender justice and human rights, policy development, advocacy on women and girls' rights, sexual and reproductive health rights, education, and peacebuilding in conflict-affected regions in Cameroon. MOHCAM works in the communities and schools.

They have as mission building a violence-free world for women and youths.

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