BELOSY AFRICA has carried out its first Food Donation to internally displaced persons from the North West and South West regions now living in the Nguelle and Bonamome communities in Douala-Cameroon with the support of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Family, the Ministry of youth Affairs and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment. Organized by BELOSY AFRICA with the support of Ministry of Youth Affairs through the Divisional Delegation, the event took place on 01 November 2023 at the youth center in the Bonassama neighborhood of Douala-Cameroon. This event brought together, the Divisional Delegate of Social Affairs officials from the Divisional Delegations of youth affairs and the Ministry of women’s empowerment, quarter heads of the Nguelle and Bonamome neighborhoods, internally displaced persons and community representatives.
Representing the Ministry of Social Affairs at the food donation event, the Divisional Delegate of Social Affairs Mme. Manuella Ekeke Touohou,underscored the importance of the IDPs to register themselves within the administrative units of their quarters to facilitate access to certain prerogatives offered by the government in terms of access to school for their children and jobs for themselves.
The food donations from BELOSY AFRICA was materialized through 3 months of fund raising events. Firstly, the launching of the Belosy Africa charity shop at the St Monica's parish in Douala-Makepe, a local catholic church that permitted the sales of donated books on Sundays in the church premises at affordable prices. Secondly, the collection of non-perishable food through a one-month food drive.
According to the President of BEOLSY AFRICA, Mme Awungia Reine, the food donation event was an opportunity for BOELSY and its benefactors to consolidate their relationship with the internally displaced population of Nguelle and Bonamome. BELOSY AFRICA initiated its support mechanism to these communities in collaboration with the delegation of Youth affairs, women empowerment and social affairs and plan to build the capacity of IDPs in income-generating activities to facilitate their community insertion so that they can become self-reliant and improve their livelihoods. “This package has as final objective to maximize the potential of each IDP and to grow a community where the terminology of IDP would no longer define a person, but that the displaced persons will have access to the same opportunities as their host communities,” Mrs. Awungia Reine.
Meanwhile, some 40 IDPs from the Nguelle and Bonamome communities received a pack of food items each during the 2 hours event. They welcomed this donation with great joy and greeted this initiative.
According to one of the beneficiaries, “we are often victims of exploitation from many groups who have deceived us to write our names on lists promising us gifts from multiple sources. But today we are happy for this act of generosity from BELOSY AFRICA that has distinguished itself as a credible institution”
The Distribution of the food items is one of BELOSY AFRICA’s landmark achievements in its strive towards empowering communities to utilize their resources and talents to fight against poverty through resilience to disasters.