Our Four (4) Strategic Community Development Programs

1. WASH (Water, Hygiene and Sanitation) Program

We rehabilitate water points, promote hygiene and sanitation and build the capacities of rural population in the prevention of water related diseases. We provide life-saving and emergency WASH materials to increase community resilience to WASH related shocks. We reinforce the capacity of existing water supply systems and reinforce the technical and operation capacities of Village Water Management Committees (VWMCs). We provide hygiene kits and supplies to help women and girls better manage menstrual hygiene. We conduct community based WASH assessments, communicate results to all actors. We collaborate with local Councils in executing water supply development projects and increasing access to clean water in line with local or Communal Development Plan (CDP)

We engage youths in differnet facets of life WASH related campaigns in schools and other learning environments ; targeting public infrastructure like school tiolets, stand stap.  

2. Decade  of Action for Road Safety Program (Safe Mobility)

• Crash management ( preparednesss and respoonse),
•  Reducing road crashes, traffic deaths and injuires, and promoting sustainable mobility ;
• Community mobilization, engagement and awarness raising including safe road usage
• Advocacy
• Peer-to-peer engagement
• Infrastructure change – advocating for modifications on the road environment to make it inclusive, accessible and friendly as well as make streets more welcoming to people of age, genders, disabilities and socio-economic and political backgrounds and to all modes of active mobility

SDG 11 POLICY BRIEF: A TRANSFORMATIVE VISION OF YOUTH
Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) – making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable highlights the important role cities play in the 2030 global agenda. The role of road safety is ingrained in target 11.2 – safe, sustainable transport systems – and is central to the realization of many others, such as target 11.6 on reducing the environmental impact of cities in order to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Key statistics

“Decisions are driven by data in today’s world”

According to UNECE, (2019);

Road crashes are number one killer of 5-29 years-old

Road crashes kill one person every 24 seconds

More than half of road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users (cyclist, motorcyclist and pedestrians)

Over 1000 children and youth less than 30 years old die every day on the world’s roads.

1.9 million Deaths of children and youth aged 10 to 24 could be prevented by 2050 if road safety solutions are implemented at scale across 77 low-middle-income countries (LMICS).

10.5 million Children and youth under 20 are injured in road traffic crashes every year.

4.2 million Premature deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution every year, of which vehicle emissions are a significant contributor

80% of 11 to 17-year-olds worldwide are not meeting WHO recommendations for physical activity

After critically considering these data and statistics, there is no sustainability without road safety
Road safety is crucial for achieving sustainable development goals, and youth are the most affected by sustainability programmes. Having most of the urban dwellers in the future already residing in urban areas highlights the need for their involvement in sustainable decision-making. Engaging youth in these programmes will create a new cohort of sustainability advocates who will inherit the outcomes of present-day urban decisions.

Young people’s voices are critical in making public transport, cities, and public spaces sustainable. Youth interact with the city environment differently from adults, and their mental health depends on city designs and green infrastructure.

Governments should:

Prioritise road safety, recognizing its centrality to creating sustainable cities and communities.

Meaningfully engage youth in designing, implementing, and evaluating urban sustainability programs and incorporate youth voices in decision-making.

Embrace the safe systems approach in designing the national road safety agendas and invest in evidence-based road safety actions.

Develop and scale up sustainable, low-emission, resource-efficient, and resilient public transport systems.

Mainstream transport safety interventions such as traffic separation and safe speed limits in sustainability programming to boost the uptake of active travel and reduce the environmental impact of transport.

Create incentives for private sector investment in road safety and public transport infrastructure to mitigate the negative impact of the transport sector on the environment.
Intergovernmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations should:

Advocate through national platforms and coalitions for meaningful youth engagement in SDG 11 implementation, monitoring, and evaluation plans.

Create mass awareness campaigns through media, workshops, and assemblies on the intersection between road safety and sustainable cities and communities.

Work with communities to design programs to improve public transport access and utilization and alternative modes like walking and cycling.

Hold governments accountable to commitments to provide safe, affordable, and sustainable transport systems.

Youth and Youth-Led Organizations should:

Advocate for integrating road safety into national climate change and environmental agendas.

Act as agents of change in the shift towards active mobility and public transport use.

Convene intergenerational dialogues to hold governments accountable for the realization of SDG 11.

Conduct peer-to-peer mass awareness campaigns on road safety and SDG 11

ROAD SAFETY AND THE GLOBAL GOALS

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) help define the youth priorities and pursuit of practical solutions that save lives and uphold road safety and sustainable mobility policies. Understanding road safety as a cross-cutting issue with other topics such as good health, inequalities, climate action, sustainable cities, and education, is essential for accelerating action across the SDGs. 

To create the biggest impact, young people have to be campaigning and advocating for policy change and implementing proven solutions that contribute to the SDGs at a community and global level.  At YADEF, our road safety actions serves as community actions for global response – saving lives and transforming communities – reducing risk and vulnerability.

PRIORITIZED SDGs

Road safety is an accelerator of multiple SDGs and, therefore, it needs to be considered in the agendas of leaders and policymakers if we want to reach the goals by 2030 in different countries globally. As part of this strategy, the Youth Actions for Development Foundation (YADEF Cameroon) has prioritized 6 SDGs according to their correlation with road safety – with urgent attention need especially in protecting school pupils in Cameroon

YOUTH TODAY FACE A COMBINATION OF UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES IN EVERY CONTEXT.

Adolescents and youth have already lived through two major global crises that have disproportionately impacted their health, well-being and future opportunity – the 2007 to 2008 financial crisis and the COVID19 pandemic.1 Millions of young people face the growing insecurity of military conflicts, violence and displacement. Young people also face persistent employment challenges, a shrinking jobs market, and barriers to accessing quality education.2 Mental health, road traffic injury and interpersonal violence also significantly impact the health and well-being of young people globally. Road traffic crashes are the number one killer of those aged 5 to 29, with more than 1000 young people under 30 years old dying daily on the world’s roads.4 This is against the backdrop of increased uncertainty and urgency as the climate emergency takes hold in the face of inadequate action by leaders worldwide.

Failure to tackle these intersecting issues is reinforcing systemic inequalities, preventing intergenerational justice and stopping millions of young people worldwide from reaching their full potential in life.

It’s no surprise that young people lack trust in policymakers. Youth face exceptional challenges seeded by the global financial crisis, with limited recovery decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both crises have led to a sharp increase in youth unemployment, and exacerbated inequalities between and within different generations. For the first time in history, today’s youth have less disposable income than previous generations and have specific challenges accessing secure jobs and affordable housing. 2019 research of OECD countries showed a decline in trust since the global financial crisis compared to the rest of the population and that only 46% of young people expressed confidence in their national governments. Similarly, youth perceive they are not represented in governance institutions and that they have limited political influence. Youth are underrepresented in political institutions and public administration; the same 2019 research revealed that only 26% of staff working at youth ministries were under the age of 34. In addition, a 2021 report of the Inter Parliamentary Union tells us that as little as 2.6% of parliamentarians are under 30 and 1.1% of these young members of parliament are women.

Meaningful youth participation is key to solving this disconnect between young people and policymakers; it is crucial to developing effective policies that reflect the specific needs of youth and address major challenges such as road traffic injury. It is also important for repairing trust between governments and youth, and building a more cohesive and fairer society. Meaningful youth participation requires using the appropriate tools and mechanisms to guarantee that young people’s specific needs, views and skills are recognized, valued and weaved into the very fabric of society and how it functions. Meaningful youth participation requires a shift in mindset that challenges current perceptions of youth and bias which undermines their contributions to the policymaking process. It requires a change in ways of working so that multiple mechanisms and approaches ensure all youth can influence policy, not just those with the time and resources to participate. It requires commitment and funding to act upon the perspectives, ideas and contributions of young people and that the act of participating is not simply another workshop or event of lost youth contributions with no follow-through.

The fundamental right of youth to meaningfully participate in policymaking processes is not a new idea. It is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in article 12 – the right of all children to be heard. For those older than 18, the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the SDGs recognize the right to meaningful participation for people of all ages as a pathway to building inclusive and sustainable communities. The need to integrate meaningful youth participation into UN agencies and its ecosystem is being spearhead the UN Youth Envoy and the UN Youth 2030 strategy

It is however clear that despite efforts to mainstream meaningful youth participation; it is often ad-hoc at best and lacks investment and political will. At its worst, governments do not view meaningful youth participation as a relevant or necessary part of policymaking.

• Safe road use
• Safe vehicles
• Post-crash response
• Safe roads and roadsides
• Safe speed

Are all safe systems that protect young people. YADEF Cameroon works to implement these systems and mechanisms to make roads safer for Cameroon youths. Support our gesture and reach out to us via (+237) 672631947)

Road Safety: Decade of Action for Road Safety in Cameroon; promoting safe mobility and reducing road crashes and fatalities

Urban road safety in most Cameroon cities is deteriorating, with youths most exposed and more likely to die or sustain serious injuries on their way to school, to work, or while at the wheel. The greatest challenge is the increasing phenomenon of untrained and reckless motorcycle taxi drivers on the roads, a sector that has expanded due to high youth unemployment rates. Youths searching for livelihoods have jumped into this line of public transportation without any training or a valid driver’s license1. Due to this, they disregard the traffic rules and drive recklessly, endangering their lives, the passengers, and those of other road users. Injury severities upon crashes are further aggravated by the almost inexistent usage of helmets by riders. Despite this “death trap” in motorcycle taxi usage for the most disadvantaged youths – students who are the highest users, public authorities have failed to provide sufficient and regulated policies on motorcycle taxi driver licensing and helmet usage. Adding to the insufficient coordination of road safety activities, existing regulations are met by partial application by authorities and insufficient public awareness leading to high degree of non-compliance by road users. As a result, authorities need to regularize and enforce driver licensing programs for motorcycle taxis and enforce helmet usage. In addition to these issues, youths, most victims of crashes have often suffered more consequences due to lack of pre hospital First Aid and the inadequate ambulance services in most cities.

Up to 70% of youths use motorcycle taxis as a means of transport in most Cameroon cities, meanwhile, motorcycle crashes are responsible for 34.2% of road traffic deaths in Cameroon. Lack of Helmet usage by these riders and their passengers accounts for most severe injuries and deaths involving motorcycle crashes. For example, of the thousands of motorcycle crashes observed in Douala city, helmet usage has always been inexistent, and head injury are predominant, with females more likely to be injured as males, further raising the need for women’s urban road safety. Similar studies in other cities have shown over 95% of crash victims not wearing helmets, with youths as motorcyclists or student passengers, more likely to sustain serious to critical injury. Crashes involving motorcyclists have been attributed to inadequate training on road safety, with more than 80% self-reported cases of not having attended any formal training. The lack of proper licensing and training, and enforcement of helmet usage in Cameroon is a leading cause of poor driving practices taking away lives of children and youths.

In Cameroon, most crash victims lost their lives due to poor pre hospital care and just a few arrive hospitals by ambulances – many cannot even afford the cost. Coupled to the prolonged transportation time of victims to hospitals, due to its proximity, YADEF sees an urgent need for interventions in improving First Aid care. Given that motorcycle taxi riders, roadside cleaners, school gate wardens are most often around the scene of crashes or the first to arrive, equipping them with First aid skills is quintessential to promote post crash care and reduce the negative consequences of crashes. But the most frustrating part about some these crashes is that youth themselves turn to focus more on taking pictures and posting on social media rather than mobilizing emergency First Aid or reference for pickups by near by health or crash response agencies.

 YADEF engages with the following actors to bring meaning change and increase safety of road users in Cameroon;

• City Councils (Mayors) and Regional Governor: These are stakeholders/decision makers responsible for enforcing traffic regulations at the regional and city levels.
• Ministry of Transport: They are responsible for driver licensing programs and
  mandating of traffic rules and regulations.
• Motorcycle taxi associations: A collection of motorcycle taxi operators with a
  defined agenda most often for social purposes.
• Students and Youth Association: School students and youth groupings whose
  members are passengers or riders of motorcycles.
• Female passengers: Consists of a target population of girls or women who are
  passengers or riders of motorcycles.
• Roadside Cleaners and School wardens: These are people that could form the
  first line of defense in the event of a crash.

How YADEF does address these issues?

We apply an integrated approach that influences pre-crash, crash, and post-crash events to improve urban and rural road safety for the most disadvantaged youths, children, motorcycle riders and females. 

Pre-crash events: we advocate for improvement and enforcement of motorcycle taxi driver licensing/training, advocating for the inclusion of First Aid training in driving school curriculum; we organize routine meetings and interviews with the identified stakeholders to discuss on a motorcycle and youth road safety agenda; Mobilize youths (students and riders associations members), engage and educate them on safety behaviors and driving practices, doing this through workshops and practical raining (skill enhancement). We also do organize training sessions on female/girls usage of motorcycle taxi; produce/recommend key motorcycle riding/maintenance guidelines for motorcycle associations, using international best practices.

At crash: We advocate for enforcement of helmet usage from city government counterparts and motorcycle taxi riders’ associations, using paintings, drawings and graphic designs illustrating the advantages of helmet usage and including key messages such as “#the last seconds matter #Use Helmets # Stay alive”. Organize arts and culture events with the above messages in the presence of decision-makers; Organise training sessions for riders on helmet usage.

Post-Crash events; Here, we do mobilize youth, train young riders, school wardens and public road cleaners on post crash first aid management. We organize Youth-led peer-to-peer “train the trainer” events for youths.  

Through this program, we have been saving lives of children, women, riders and other road users in Cameroon. With your support, we can do more than this by saving more children from the cruelty of road fatalities.

3. Peace Building and Social Cohesion Program.

Uniting people and communities, building bonds and bridges to keep the connectivity. Building solidarity linkages that brings people together even in hard times and challenging moments. Family counseling, family conflict management and living together. Serving as a Liaison and partnership enhancer between international body and rural communities. Serving as a liaison with other domestic and international organizations focused on sustainable development, ranging from charities, orphanages, foundations, philanthropic bodies, educational institutions, think thanks, inter-governmental bodies and international NGOs to United Nations Organs in serving the vulnerable. We promote regional integration, arts, cultural endeavors’ and diversities, mutual co-habitation, social co-existence and peace. Serving as a mediator for “Development Cooperation” between the rural communities and the international community for community development  – SDG No 17

We hold the opinion that if you want to build strong and accountable societies, start ne building strong and ethical families. This is the root and foundation of every society. This why at YADEF, we commit ourselves and move down the pyramid to educate families on the importance of peace for community growth and development.

4. Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Program.

Promoting safe accommodation and advancing the respect of the housing, land and property rights of women and girls in conflict setting. Reducing the vulnerability of women and girls in the event of disasters, hazards and providing necessary support and emergency rescue operations. Working with local Councils in reinforcing execution of communal development plan. We carry out studies and communicate risk to communities as preparedness measures to reduce gravity of environmental damages.