Cameroon’s peacebuilding efforts soon reached beyond the people who first took part in the initiative. As women who had attended peace education programs connected with other organizations, local NGOs began joining forces with IWPG to expand their work.

From 2024 onward, regional Peace Committees also became increasingly active. Through peace education sessions and community seminars, they reached residents in Buea, Simbok, and the capital, Yaoundé. This installment looks at how women in Cameroon took their first steps toward peacebuilding and gradually turned individual learning into broader community engagement.

A Woman Leader Takes the Initiative: Partnership with WID4C

The first PLTE program in Simbok paved the way for partnerships with local women’s organizations. Among those who became interested in IWPG’s peace education was Margaret Bechem Bechem, head of Women in Development for Change (WID4C), a Cameroonian NGO focused on women’s development.

After completing the PLTE program herself, Margaret recognized the importance of peace education and solidarity among women. On February 4, 2024, she signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with IWPG Global Region 4.

Since then, WID4C has held peace seminars and meetings to introduce IWPG’s vision to local women and encourage them to become involved. At seminars held in August and September 2025, participants also discussed the value of cooperation between the two organizations.

“Peace requires tangible change,” Margaret said. “The partnership between WID4C and IWPG is the most important step toward transforming our communities. When we join hands, we are much stronger than before.”

The partnership with WID4C marked an important step in bringing more local organizations into Cameroon’s growing peacebuilding network.

Reaching Youth and People with Disabilities: Expanding the Circle of Partnership

IWPG’s partnerships in Cameroon grew beyond women’s organizations to include groups working with young people, families, and people with disabilities.

On August 18, 2025, International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Global Region 4 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Centre for Youth and Family Empowerment (CEYOFE), a Cameroonian NGO dedicated to supporting youth and families. At the signing ceremony, the organization’s head, Dopgima Stella Guelleu epse Eteki Njoh, highlighted the importance of working together.

“When we work together, we can accomplish far more than we ever could on our own,” she said. “This MOU will have a meaningful impact on the lives of countless young people and women in Cameroon. It marks the beginning of a fruitful journey that can make a significant contribution to world peace and development.”

That same year, IWPG also signed an MOU with the Association for the Promotion of Gender and Disability Issues (APGDI), a local organization focused on gender equality and disability issues. The partnership with its founder and president, Umenjoh Vania Andoumbeni, further extended the network to include organizations addressing the needs of women and people with disabilities.

Although each organization works in a different field, their partnerships with IWPG share a common purpose: creating opportunities for people in their communities to take an active role in building peace.

Peace Committees Bring Communities Together in Buea, Simbok, and Yaoundé

While partnerships with local NGOs strengthened ties between organizations, regional Peace Committees focused on reaching residents directly. In Buea, Simbok, and Yaoundé, they organized peace education sessions, seminars, and community gatherings shaped by the needs of each area.

In Buea, the committee reached out to schools and women in the community.

Officially established on February 27, 2024, the IWPG Buea Peace Committee continued its local outreach under the leadership of Chair Nkanwhi Patience.

On January 20, 2025, committee members gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Soppo, Buea, to review their activities from the previous year and set goals for the year ahead. Their outreach also included visits to primary schools for peace seminars and activities connected with the International Loving Peace Art Competition.

On March 31, they held a workshop for 20 members of Suncity Solidarity Women in Wondo Quarter. Under the theme “Peace Within Me and Peace in the Family and Community,” participants reflected on how peace relates to their personal lives, families, and the wider community.

In Simbok, 85 residents showed interest in peace education.

Peace Committee activities also continued in Simbok, where the first PLTE program had been held. On August 7, 2025, 85 residents attended a committee meeting at Simbok-Mendong Presbyterian Church.

Etaka Eyong Elsie, a Peace Committee representative and monitoring and evaluation officer, introduced IWPG’s vision and explained the importance of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). Six people signed up as new members during the gathering.

Adaibum Brither Endah, a Peace Committee member and an officer of the Christian Women’s Fellowship, described the response from participants.

“The vast majority of the women who attended showed great interest in taking the PLTE course and asked when the next training session would be held,” she said.

In Yaoundé, residents came together to mark World Peace Day.

On September 18, 2025, the Yaoundé Peace Committee hosted a Peace Talk Seminar at Presbyterian Church Bastos to mark World Peace Day. More than 150 residents attended.

The seminar introduced four values considered essential to global citizenship: respect, inclusion, justice, and responsibility. Participants also learned about the DPCW, which consists of 10 articles and 38 clauses. A question-and-answer session followed, giving attendees an opportunity to discuss practical ways to promote peace in their everyday lives.

Although each committee took a different approach, all three shared the same goal: helping residents understand peace and consider how to put it into practice in their own lives and communities.

Women’s Solidarity Strengthens the Foundations for Peace in Cameroon

What began with individual participation in peace education has grown into partnerships with local NGOs and community outreach led by regional Peace Committees.

Through their partnerships with IWPG, organizations such as WID4C, CEYOFE, and APGDI have joined a wider network of cooperation. Meanwhile, Peace Committees in Buea, Simbok, and Yaoundé have continued to engage residents through educational programs and community seminars.

In the next installment, we will look at how these efforts reached schools and larger community gatherings: a peace seminar attended by 600 primary school students in Buea, a Women’s Day event that brought together around 700 people at Simbok-Mendong Church, and 14 women who took on the challenge of becoming peace lecturers, carrying what they had learned forward to others.

Next Story ☞ [Peace Journey – Cameroon ③] Children’s Laughter, Mothers’ Resolve: Peace Education Reaches into Everyday Life

Previous Story ☞ [Peace Journey – Cameroon ①] First Meeting Beyond the Screen Opens the Door to Cooperation with Local Women’s Organizations