The Eye Newspaper: HOFNA Hits Another Milestone, Organises Girls Leadership Booth Camp

Sunday, August 20, 2017

HOFNA Hits Another Milestone, Organises Girls Leadership Booth Camp

*****With report from N.S. Jean Marie

HOFNA Empowering the girl child

Some 40 young girls aged 13-19 have been armed with knowledge on how they can better lead their peers and effectively become leaders in the society. This was during a three day all girls leaders boot camp that held in Bamenda from August 17-19, 2017. Holding with the theme “inspiring the next generation of female leaders”, the young girls selected from the two Anglophone regions were availed with basic knowledge on how to overcome inferiority, be assertive, master their bodies and the need to go back to school and remain in school.

Opening the three day event, the Board chair of Hope for the Needy Association, HOFNA, Yaa Gladys Viban reminded the girls that to be leaders in the society, they must be proactive, ready to take risk, have sense of direction, cultivate the habit of problem solving and identify role models that they look up to them in life. She emphasized that for them to become leaders, they must be academically strong, have the knack to serve, as well as develop the love for volunteer or just doing something for nothing. “We need to make the girls to start seeing themselves as full participation in nation building and as partners in the development process” She said.

On her part, Chongwain Christelle Bay Nfor, director of HOFNA, said the girls were selected on their expressions of possessing leadership skills. She explained that HOFAN launched a call for applications and “we asked what they think about leadership and their visions and their responses guided us to do the selections”. HOFNA Director reiterated that fact that after the three days boot camp, the girls shall be assigned mentors to guide them in their leadership journeys in order to make sure they realize their dreams.

It should be recalled that the young girls were schooled with practical knowledge on how to address gender based violence, making good decisions, healthy friendships, team work and entrepreneurship, knowledge on female body changes like how pregnancy happens, how to communicate with a partner and prevent unwanted pregnancies and STI/HIV and how to produce local detergents that can make them financially viable.

Through interactive presentations, Comfort Musa cautioned them not to do online what they cannot do offline, like sharing nude pictures online and charting late in the night with opposite sex online.

Hope For the Needy Association, HOFNA it is worth mentioning is a not for profit making organization that focuses on leadership, development education promotion, advocacy on sexuality and reproduction related issues and the environment. Organized by HOFNA the girls’ leadership Boot camp was realized with additional funding from the Israeli embassy in Cameron.