Cameroon Forum, Heads Of Groups Meeting UK 2014

A workshop organized by the Cameroon Forum took place on February 22, at the University College London (UCL).

This is the first ever dedicated meeting/workshop for heads of groups entitled CF-HOGM-UK 2014 UK (Cameroon Forum Heads Of Groups Meeting United Kingdom 2014). It was held under the theme:‘Workshop to Engage the Cameroon UK Diaspora Community and Mobilize its financial, social and intellectual/technical capital for development’.

The guest of honour at the meeting was His Excellency The Deputy High Commissioner who congratulated Cameroon Forum on their good works to date. Other speakers included Paul Cleal, Partner, Government & Public Sector Leader, Price Waterhouse Coopers who spoke on Emerging Africa.

Stella Poku-Owusu of the African Foundation For Development spoke on Current Global Policy Framework on Diaspora Mobilization and Engagement. Further speakers included Jean Mboglem, Treasurer of Cameroon Forum on The Cameroon Diaspora Investment Fund, Charmant Bassengue of Amis UK on Cameroon Festival, and Bella Tchombe on Mapping the Cameroon Diaspora community. The session was chaired by Madame Margeret Nyuydzewira of Camer Women and Girls.

The meeting went into three workshop stream as follows; • Workshop A: Structure and management of an efficient diaspora community platform. Chair: Dr Jey Ngole – TMG, Rapporteur: Kenneth Maimo – Banin Banso. • Workshop B : Pooling our financial resources e.g. Investment Funds, Credit Union, Njangi, collective purchasing. Chair: Samson Ndanga – Rencam, Rapporteur: Jean Mboglem – Cameroon Forum. • Workshop C: All community events; Financing and Participation. Chair: Corine Puemo – Femmes Dynamiques, Rapporteur: Bella Tchombe – Kumba Group

The closing plenary was chaired by Grace Elone of Team GE. Recommendations from all workshops were presented. These are currently being compiled by the rapporteurs, and will be formerly published shortly. The resounding message was that it is a good thing and about time that the whole community came together, and continue to forge ways of working collectively, engaging with and using a community-wide platform such as Cameroon Forum.

A task force to carry through the development of a Cameroon Diaspora Investment Fund was also set up.

Words of encouragement in this regard were voiced by Mr Julian Ebai, Jetplay Consulting, Samson Ndanga who also talked about the Rencam Credit Union.

A message of thanks to all was given by Mr Chris Nasah, chair of Cameroon Forum, thanking Mr Ralph Tanyi - Secretary General of Cameroon Forum for his diligence, and Dr Ben Page of UCL for a fruitful and ongoing relationship between University College London and the Cameroonian community via Cameroon Forum.

He also thanked the Cameroon Diaspora Youth Forum representatives Edmond Epie and Alex Kouam for their assistance during the event. He noted that the next HOGM will be organised as soon as possible in order to continue this process of galvanising the financial, social and intellectual/technical capital of the Cameroonian Diaspora for development. Prayers before grace were led by Dr Carol Tah of Cameroon Prays.

Cameroon Forum and its partners expressed gratitude to all the heads of groups who attended.