Projects
Background
Since 2013, the Far North region of Cameroon has been deeply affected by the Boko Haram crisis, layered on top of pre-existing intercommunal conflicts. Many young people, particularly those living along the border with Nigeria, have been recruited by armed groups due to poverty, lack of opportunities, and weak community structures. Recognizing that young people can also be powerful agents of peace, SEMBE launched the RELEV Project (Strengthening Youth Engagement to Prevent Violent Extremism) in 2021, with the support of the Global Center for Cooperative Security.
The project sought to build the leadership skills of young people and strengthen collaboration between youth, community leaders, and local authorities to promote peace and prevent violent extremism.
Our Solution
The RELEV project worked in four communities heavily affected by insecurity: Aïssa Hardé and Makoulahe (Mayo Sava Division) and Moskota and Maxi-Mabass (Mayo Tsanaga Division). Sixty young people (40% girls) were selected, trained, and engaged in leadership and peacebuilding initiatives. The project also involved 20 traditional, religious, and community leaders to foster intergenerational dialogue and collaboration.
Key activities included:
- Community mobilization to introduce the project and select beneficiaries fairly and inclusively.
- Youth leadership training on conflict management, peacebuilding, and prevention of violent extremism.
- Workshops with youth and community leaders to strengthen collaboration around public policies on peace and security.
- Youth forums in Mora and Mokolo, bringing together young people and leaders to share experiences, identify challenges, and develop community action plans.
- Follow-up and evaluation, including the production of two documentaries capturing success stories from the project.
Achievements and Impact
The RELEV project achieved remarkable results in just eight months:
- 60 young leaders trained (24 young women and 36 young men) on peacebuilding, leadership, and conflict resolution.
- 4 community action plans developed and implemented, addressing local conflicts and promoting peace.
- Increased youth–leader collaboration, with young people now better recognized as credible actors for peace in their communities.
- Radio programs produced in local languages to raise awareness on peace and social cohesion, reaching thousands of listeners.
- Success stories captured, including young people leading initiatives like birth registration campaigns, repairing broken bridges, and organizing awareness sessions on peace and coexistence.
Community members testified to a visible change: leaders acknowledged the capacity of young people to drive peace initiatives, while young people reported improved knowledge of violent extremism and greater confidence in engaging with authorities.
Voices from the Community
“Hearing what other youths have accomplished taught me that we don’t always need to start with big projects—small initiatives can make a real difference.” — Youth leader, Maxi-Mabass
“This project opened my eyes to the capacities of our youth. Hearing their proposals makes me proud to support them.” — Community leader, Makoulahe
“I used to think violence at home was normal. Through this project, I learned it is also a form of extremism, and I changed my behavior.” — Young participant, Aïssa Hardé
Looking Ahead
The RELEV project demonstrated that when young people are empowered, they can become champions of peace rather than targets for recruitment into violence. SEMBE plans to build on this success by supporting youth groups to sustain their initiatives, strengthening cooperation with local authorities, and promoting education as a long-term solution to radicalization.
With your support, we can scale this model to more communities and continue building a future where young people lead the way in preventing violence and promoting peace.