COUNTRY DETAILS

In 2007, two young people from Mamfe, Cameroon, John A. and George L., spent a few months as interns at YTF’s Owerri Digital Village.  During their time there, they learned about and gained first hand knowledge of our Community Technology and Learning Center paradigm. 

On returning to their small village in the Southwest province of Cameroon, John and George in partnership with YTF, have established the Ewelle Digital Village (EDV), a center modeled after the Owerri Digital Village but customized for their local communities needs. YTF’s partner in Cameroon, the Ayuk Tabe Agbor Bakia (ATAB) Foundation has been working to empower youth in this region of Cameroon to use appropriate information and communications technology as a catalyst to create positive change in the community.

Cameroon has an estimated population of about 20 million people with an unemployment rate of 30%.  Cameroon is highly affected by an incredibly high rate of unemployment, especially among youth.  The Southwest region is noted for its precarious high crime due to the fact that majority of its youth lack the necessary vocational skills to be self employed and also their inability to acquire loans from financial institutions because they do not have collateral security.  

Several of the programs in Cameroon are youth based and the EDV has held several community workshops addressing topics most important to the local people; entrepreneurship and sustainable development. 

During the workshops, beneficiaries develop the confidence to explain their business ideas and learn how to write business plans to sell the idea in their community.   YTF partners with the ATAB Foundation to raise resources in the form of refundable small loan schemes or micro-credit facilities that provide start-up capital for participants to start small businesses.  Providing these youth with the entrepreneurial skills and capital is critical to reducing poverty among the youth population. 

Sports are also a focus in programs at the EDV.  To keep the youth from being idle, and to promote inter-village unity, program participants organize football competitions which bring thousands of people together and unites community members while promoting fairness and tolerance.  The sports program leapfrogs gender boundaries and fosters mutual understanding, thereby contributing to the positive development of personality and character in the disadvantaged girls and boys we work with.

Communities Top 3 Challenges
Youth Led Crime
Education
Micro-Finance

Ewelle Digital Village – Additional Information

Established:  2009
Country Director:  John Agbor
Office Location (s):  Mamfe, Manyu Division
Regional Presence:  Southwest Region
Services Offered:  Capacity and Skills Building, Advocacy, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Training, Technology Literacy