On Monday, August 4, the community of Mbengwi, in Momo Division of the North West Region, came together for a clean-up campaign at the Government Teachers Training College and the Government Technical Teachers Training College.
These institutions, which train primary and technical school teachers, have been dormant since the onset of the armed conflict in the Anglophone regions.
“These are schools that the Meta people had in the past clamored for them to exist in their area. The schools were transferred to Bamenda due to the armed conflict,” explained Ndangsa Kennedy, Mayor of Mbengwi Council.
Among the volunteers was Samuel Njofri, a local resident who made a plea for the protection of education.
The schools have borne the brunt of the nearly eight-year-old conflict, which has displaced thousands of students and forced the closure of numerous educational institutions.
“I am just begging that we all embrace peace and love; let us consider educating our children,” said Njofri.
Despite various peace initiatives, the crisis continues to affect the region deeply.
Conflict resolution experts argue that locally-driven solutions are crucial to effectively addressing the conflict.
“The strategies that have been put in place, to a greater extent, have not been of significant impact.
When the strategies come from outside the community, they are not going to work.
People want to feel involved in finding solutions to their problems. When solutions are imported, they likely are not going to work, and that has been the case of the Anglophone crisis,” emphasized Dr. Laiven Visitor, Conflict Resolution Expert.
The community has thus launched an appeal for the reopening of these schools and others for the next academic year.
“We are appealing that those who are supposed to study in those campuses should come back for the next academic year,” urged Mayor Ndangsa.
In Mbengwi, as in many areas of the North West Region where education has been severely impacted, there is a hopeful anticipation for a smooth academic year in 2024/2025.
