As part of the U.S. Embassy’s Gender Equity Working Group programming, Peace Corps Cameroon volunteers gave presentations on their work at the grassroots levels to mobilize adolescent girls and young women to improve healthy lifestyles.

Welcoming guests, Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew D. Smith thanked Peace Corps volunteers for their service in Cameroon and noted that the program represented the United States’ commitment to promote women’s empowerment hand in hand with Cameroonian communities.

One volunteer, Jonathan Keenan, uses soccer as a tool to educate youth about HIV/AIDS, empower girls to make healthy decisions, and engage the community to support healthy lifestyles among adolescent girls and young women.

During his presentation, he said “ During one soccer activity, we only allowed the girls to score. Any scores made by the boys were not counted.

The point of the activity was to emphasize that women’s contributions are just as important.” Caitlin O’Donnell, a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Kumbo, is doing a series of trainings with Bororo women around the North West through a series of gender empowerment workshops.

“ Several of our workshops are done in the presence of traditional leaders. That provides youth, particularly girls, with a safe space to voice their views. It also gives elders an opportunity to discover the immense contributions towards development that youth bring to the table.”

Among the guests were Senator Madeleine Haoua from the Adamawa region, girl and boy athletes from the Cameroon American Football Association, Rose Mbole Epie, CRTV journalist and anchor for the Monday Show, and Irine Epie, painter of the Reunification Monument in Buea.