Over 30 journalists of the Cameroon Community media network(CCMN), have converged on the premises of City FM in Ntarinkon, on Tuesday November 17 for their regular network meeting aimed at evaluating the way gone and better plan for the way forward.
Organized under the distinguish patronage of the North West Regional Coordinator for CCMN Madam Rosaline Akah Obah, the meeting saw the presentation of situational analysis of the past and present status quo of the region as well as map out plans for pending projects to be executed in the coming year.
This is not the first time members of the Cameroon Community Media Network are meeting under a common platform to discuss on the way forward, as they earlier had a similar meeting in the month of August 2020.
However, the meeting that took place recently, was different as it embraced a new dynamic, following another project launched by an organization known as Society for the Promotion of Initiatives in Sustainable Development and Welfare (SOPISDEW) whose CEO is Mr. Tah Kenneth. This organization will work with the CCMN North West.
Besides discussing on how to forge ahead with the network activities in the coming days, the platform also acted as an avenue for members to evaluate their activities looking at what was and has changed in the region with special focus on how far journalists have embraced the humanitarian aspects of reporting.
Divided into 3 groups, members of the network took turns to give an assessment of their media activities while pointing out what has changed with reference to the Anglophone crisis.
Speaking during the event, the National Coordinator of CCMN who equally doubles as the Northwest Regional coordinator, Madam Rosaline Akah Obah, says she is much satisfied with the new dynamics of CCMN which is steadily growing in lips and bounds.
"One thing I must stressed on is the fact that CCMN is taking another dimension and it is actually growing in leaps and bounds, in the aspect of making sure that it can be self sustainable and so efforts like these are needed to bring together members to see how best we can put in extra efforts to see what we can still do to stay alive to stay afloat so that we can able to do our work without any leanings but actually having the interest of the community".
Having acknowledged the lucrative platforms and opportunities presented by CCMN, the Chief Executive Officer for SOPISDEW Mr Tah Kenneth, presents a project he'll want to engage CCMN members into.
"The project SOPISDEW is running in partnership with Cameroon Community Media Network CCMN is basically focused on enhancing community communication on PSEA. PSEA also known as Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, is out to sensitize members of the local community on the need for them to always take up initiative to communicate their plights and worries especially with matters partaining to sexual abuse".
On why he chose CCMN as partners to work with, he adds "We thought that to partner with CCMN which is one of the largest based community media platforms hoping that if we're going to develop outreach and communication, information and materials is going to get right closer to the field".
To the National Coordinator of CCMN Madam Rosaline Akah Obah, this project will go a long way to raise awareness on Humanitarian actions that affect beneficiaries adversely. "Connecting to SOPISDEW is another Dimension for us to see the new conflict that are on the ground and this is actually bringing in CCMN as technical partners in enhancing community communication".
For this to be effective she reaffirmed her commitment by adding that sexual violence and other sexual malpractices have been on an increase and CCMN will act as a town crier, creating awareness to make sure that such unorthodox practices are condemned with humanitarian practices encouraged to prevail on the ground.
As members of the CCMN Northwest chapter prepare to embrace the project that will be initiated by SOPISDEW together with other projects on the pipeline, it should be noted that another network meeting involving strategic planning has been scheduled to hold this December 2020 in Buea.
By Jude Ntam
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