Auteur/autrice : elvisteke

The Foundation for Peace and Solidarity (FPS) has launched the second phase of the Vote Smart Cameroon project, dubbed “Beyond the Ballot,” to strengthen electoral integrity, promote inclusive governance and build democratic trust ahead of the 2027 municipal elections.

Supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), the six-month project runs from October 2026 to March 2027 and covers the Centre, West, Northwest and Southwest Regions.

Building on the first phase, which focused on newly registered voters during the presidential election, the initiative seeks to encourage sustained civic participation and greater citizen involvement in governance and accountability.

It targets young people, women, conflict-affected communities, electoral stakeholders, governance actors, media professionals and civil society organisations, particularly groups whose voices are often underrepresented in democratic processes.

Five key activities will be implemented, including the establishment of Civic Integrity Sandboxes to promote dialogue between citizens and governance actors, and community verification networks and rumour clinics to counter misinformation.

The project will also introduce citizen governance scorecards to assess local government responsiveness and accountability. In addition, 60 monitors from youth groups, women’s organisations and civil society will be trained to identify electoral risks, barriers to participation and gaps in public trust.

Three evidence-based policy briefs will also be produced, offering recommendations on governance reforms, citizen participation, accountability and electoral integrity.

By the end of the project, the organisers expect to establish three platforms for citizen-institution dialogue, train 30 media experts, civil society actors and community leaders in information verification, and strengthen civic networks across the four regions.

The initiative aims to sustain the participation of young people, women and conflict-affected communities in peaceful, inclusive and accountable democratic processes beyond 2027.

Thirty outstanding laureates of the 2026 General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level examination have been honoured at the 2026 Barnabas Mbigha Excellence Awards (BMEA), held in Yaounde on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

The ceremony, chaired by the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Pauline Nalova Lyonga, brought together the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, and the Minister of Public Health, Dr Manaouda Malachie, alongside senior government officials, education stakeholders and medical students from the University of Yaounde I.

Beyond celebrating academic achievement, the event highlighted efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and position Cameroon as a medical tourism destination in Central Africa.

Speaking at the ceremony, Barnabas Mbigha, Chief Executive Officer of the Peace and Comfort Medical Foundation, outlined the foundation’s vision of developing state-of-the-art medical facilities equipped with modern technologies while improving access to primary healthcare.

He said the initiative is already taking shape in the Littoral Region, where healthcare services are being developed to address the needs of the population. A health facility has also been put in place, with particular attention to hypertension and the need for effective prevention and management.

The programme featured an interactive session on hypertension, while participants also explored proposed initiatives involving the diaspora to support development efforts.

The 30 laureates received awards in recognition of their outstanding performance during the 2026 GCE Advanced Level examination.

Closing the ceremony, the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Pauline Nalova Lyonga, emphasised the importance of supporting academic excellence and investing in healthcare. She also appreciated the initiative for recognising outstanding students and contributing to efforts to address healthcare needs.

Through its focus on academic achievement and healthcare development, BMEA 2026 highlighted the importance of recognising merit while supporting initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of communities in Cameroon.