Building a Better Future in Cameroon

Cameroon is a country of youth: 41 % of the 18.5 million population is aged 14  or under and the median age is just 19. It is also perceived to be a society where corruption is rife: it ranks 141st (out of 180) for perceived corruption in the Transparency International 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index. No wonder then that FITCAM (the IGI Focal Integrity Team in Cameroon) has prioritised tackling corruption in the education sector. The potential impact on the life chances of millions of young people is clear.

The project on Public Ethics and Governance in the Education Sector will focus on the country’s south west province, covering all levels of education from schools to universities over a period of 7 months. Its objectives are to encourage an anti-corruption ethos by training education professionals, raising awareness of good governance procedures and increasing public confidence and participation.

In the initial phase of the project the FITCAM will commission 4 experts to develop a manual of materials for use in training workshops. These materials will then be used in three-day workshops for education sector professionals, focussing on anti-corruption strategy and practice. Participants will spread good practice back in their own work environments and will report regularly on implementation. In the final phase measures will be taken to raise public awareness of corruption and how to combat it, through radio programmes.

 This imaginative and promising initiative builds on previous work by IGI in Cameroon in election monitoring in the 2007 local elections and in youth participation. Some money has already been pledged but we further need help to raise the £12, 628 required to fund the project over 7 months.

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