Strong civil society for sustainable development in Cameroon

Project Number: 134.1070

Our partner organizations in Cameroon, which are active in various projects, are helping to improve the living and working conditions of the population, particularly in English-speaking Cameroon, where a conflict with the Francophone central government has been escalating since 2016. Mission 21 is making an important contribution through its local coordination. The local coordinator, Lumumba Mukong, supports the project managers and partner organizations and coordinates humanitarian aid with churches, international and local NGOs. The coordination helps with networking and connects the local players and Mission 21 in Basel. It is also committed to advocacy in the area of "Good Governance and Human Rights".

Background information

To ensure that the commitment of Mission 21's partner organizations and churches in Cameroon has the desired impact, the organizational and personnel development of the partner organizations plays a central role. There is a need for training and further education in the area of project and program management (planning, reporting and accounting). Our employee Lumumba Mukong and his office coordinate the country programme in Cameroon and regularly conduct training courses for the project managers of the partner organizations.

In addition, training on civil society topics such as human rights, gender equality, the fight against climate change and similar issues is becoming increasingly important in order to bring about sustainable change. Maintaining and expanding the network, exploiting synergy effects and learning from each other are important components of this project.

Project goals

The aim of the project is to increase the impact of the projects in Cameroon. It also develops capacities in the partner organizations and strengthens networking between different actors. The coordinator Lumumba Mukong forms a bridge between the partner organizations in Cameroon and Mission 21 in Basel. This improves the flow of communication and program management. Mission 21 can thus respond more specifically to the needs of the people on the ground, especially in the current political crisis, which has led to a large number of internally displaced persons since 2016.

Target group

The coordination office works together with the partner organizations of Mission 21:

Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC)
PUCA
"The Alliance 2023", which includes AI-ChrisWoV, the Emmanuel Sisters and the former Stucki Foundation as well as mandate partners of Humanitarian Aid, including the CBC (Cameroon Baptist Convention) and local non-governmental organizations.

Activities

The scope of the coordination office primarily includes the following activities:

Program management (planning, monitoring and evaluation)
Relationship management with and support for partner organizations, especially in capacity building
Network and public relations work, including guest services
Training on topics relevant to civil society such as climate change, human rights and gender equality
Ensuring the flow of communication between Cameroon and Switzerland

Project progress

Since 1 January 2025, this new, independently managed project has been strengthening partner organizations in Cameroon in managing their administration well and promoting human rights. The aim is to improve institutional accountability and effectiveness and, in particular, to protect and promote the rights of women and children in the area of human rights.

In this first year, several training workshops were held on the topic of organizational management. Eleven partner organizations and 53 people took part. A baseline study on unequal treatment in the organizations was carried out in order to develop targeted measures for greater gender equality. Training courses were also held for children and women on their rights. More than 1,500 people were reached through radio programs and public events to raise awareness of gender-based violence. As a result, awareness of the problem and prevention at community level was increased.

The coordination office serves as the central hub for Mission 21's engagement in Cameroon. In 2025, the office was able to renew its official recognition and strengthen its strategic cooperation with embassies, international organizations and local civil society networks.

As part of its commitment to climate justice, the office initiated a project to separate household waste, in which 90 households took part; 80 percent of these were newly won over to the topic. This pilot initiative serves to lay the foundation for environmentally conscious action and measurable concrete measures for climate friendliness in a community.

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