Peace Building: Nkumu Fed Fed Brings Mothers Onboard For Effective Results

    

Raymond Dingana 

An old adage states, "Peace begins with a smile,and a mother's smile is the first." This suggests that a mother's warmth, and kindness can foster a peaceful environment.

Unfortunately, mothers in the crisis battered North West, and South West Regions of Cameroon have seen smiles evade their faces due to the pain they are going through as a result of the crisis.

This has not sent them to the sidelines; rather, it has ignited their spirit of participation in peace building, which is why many have embraced peace building initiatives.

Thanks to Nkumu Fed Fed, one of the few non governmental organization operating in the crisis hit regions, these mothers are being brought on board to contribute to peace building efforts.

On Friday, December 6th, 2024, Nkumu Fed Fed, under the project titled "Mothers for Peace," brought together more than two hundred women for a two day capacity building workshop on the role of mothers in identifying and addressing early signs of radicalization, conflict resolution, tolerance, understanding the role of law, and non-violent communication.

President General of Nkumu Fed Fed, Eunice Tita Tata, 

As noted by the President General of Nkumu Fed Fed, Eunice Tita Tata, with support from the United States Embassy in Cameroon, mothers who are members of various groups attended the capacity-building workshop.

"We have been undergoing a socio-political crisis for nearly eight years, and women are tired; children are being harmed. Instead of going after those who have been highly radicalized, we are looking for ways to prevent young people from contributing to the existing problems,"

 Eunice Tita said.

She further stated, 

"If we identify early signs of radicalization, it means we are moving toward mitigating instances where we should not have more issues addressing radicalization."

Role of Mothers in Peace Building

Unice Tita noted that women have been playing key roles and have been at the forefront of peace-building initiatives in the crisis-affected regions.

"The voice of mothers, even at home, is heard more by children. Children communicate with their mothers better,"

explained Eunice Tita.

Expectations from Participants

After gaining skills in identifying and addressing early signs of radicalization, conflict resolution, tolerance, understanding the role of law, and non-violent communication, much is expected from the mothers.

"By bringing together mothers who are also part of women's groups, we expect them to share what they have learned here today so that their peers can also be informed."

Said Tita Eunice.

Participants Share Their Insights

One of the participants, Gwamesia Agnes from the Ndah Ngu Women's Group, told Drayinfos,

 "I have learned how to identify signs of radicalization in children and how best to handle them, as well as how to prevent violence against women and children."

She emphasized that radicalism is something that is acquired, and no child is born a radical, which is why mothers need this knowledge on how to best handle the situation.

Participants At The Workshop

Miranda, a member of the CBC Women, praised Nkumu Fed Fed for its engagement in peace building.

"Societal norms have caused many children to become unruly. As mothers, we have to love and care for them because they were not born this way. I learned that as mothers, we should be troubleshooters, not troublemakers."

Muslim women are also involved in peace-building efforts. Halima Ibrahim, leader of the Muslim Women's Group in Old Town, Bamenda II, said, "

We have been conducting door-to-door talks and seminars."

"Before today, we have been doing our best to build peace. With what we have learned from this workshop, we are going to change our strategy to achieve better results. Islam is a religion of peace, and we will work towards achieving peace."

The capacity-building workshop featured Pechuqui Laurata , who taught the mothers about identifying and addressing early signs of radicalization, and Melvin Songwe Shuye, who handled topics on conflict resolution, tolerance, understanding the role of law, and non-violent communication.

Nkumu Fed Fed is a gender based NGO with a goal to support the vulnerable,and needy women and youths in crisis affected communities.

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