BLP graduates 20 beneficiaries in Buea

The international non-profit organisation Bright Lights Projects has graduated over 20 beneficiaries of its flagship Girls Shall Rise project. The graduates chosen from communities across the South West Region deeply affected by the ongoing Anglophone crisis graduated from three institutions where they have gained various skills.

The institution named the Cameroon Opportunities Industrialisation Centre, COIC, Royalty World and Bendi Designing Home, groomed the young women with skills in making bags, dresses, sanitary pads, clothes, canopies, shoes, earrings, face caps, catering and hotel management, welding and craftsmanship.

7 graduated from the Cameroon Opportunities Industrialisation Centre, COIC, 8 from Royalty World and 5 from Bendi Designing Home respectively. The entire graduating team had the full costs of their training covered by BLP for the entire period of the training.

Addressing the graduands during the ceremony, Franco Bonghan, the Executive Director of BLP, reminded them that they were chosen based on their need. In this light, he encouraged them to make the most of the skills acquired, to better themselves, families and communities at large.

Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Franco Bonghan, the Executive Director of BLP, while celebrating the young women for their perseverance, expressed his desire to have more vulnerable and needy persons empowered with such skill.

“We are looking forward to launching an empowerment centre in Bamenda, where we will be able to train more of these girls. Most of our resources are spent on tuition fees in the various establishments where they are being trained, thus this centre will enable us to use the money for tuition to train more vulnerable girls”.

Taking up the challenge to train young vulnerable women hit by the crisis, Bonghan said was part of his drive to positively contribute to making society better since the government cannot do everything.

Speaking to the press after the graduation ceremony, Ngeh Faithfulness Akum, one of the beneficiaries of BLP’s Girls Shall Rise project said despite the challenges she was ready to help others.

The training she said was particularly difficult since she had to play the role of a mother in the house by cooking and taking care of her elder sister’s children, while also focusing on the training. Because of the dual tasks, she regretted that she was often late, but she was grateful that she completed the training with flying colours.

On her part, Yongbang Veronica, another beneficiary, expressed her appreciation to BLP for contributing to making her a better woman. With the knowledge and skills acquired, she promised to copy the example of BLP, by training other vulnerable and needy people free.

The graduation of the 20 beneficiaries is an extension of the Girls Shall Rise campaign started in Guinea Conakry by BLP, continued in Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and extended to Cameroon in 2021. It was extended to Cameroon because many girls who left their villages because of the Anglophone crisis found themselves on the streets with no assistance or family support. The project aimed to assist them with some vital skills.