Project period: 1st JULY 2020 – 30th August 2020
Implemented by: Hope for Children International (HOCI)
Date: 5th of September 2020
Executive summary
This report has been prepared after completion of the project on: “Enhancing digital skills among twenty internally displaced youths in Yaounde to facilitate their integration in an increasingly digitalized job market”. The objective of this report is to present the training activity that was carried out, the difficulties that were encountered in the training sessions or general implementation of the activity, the budget execution and finally how the results of the project were monitored and evaluated. The context and justification of the project arose from the fact that with the challenges faced as a result of Covid 19 by some businesses, and considering that most businesses are embracing digital technologies in every domain of activity, the job market becomes very competitive. Without digital skills, it has become extremely difficult securing any form of employment especially in the formal sector. Research carried out was focused on the challenges internally displaced youths from the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, presently affected by the violent crises .A majority expressed the difficulty of integrating in the economic society due to certain factors such as limited digital skills and technical know-how.
CONTENT OF ACTIVITIES, RESULTS AND OUTCOME OF ACTIVITY
Research activity and selection of beneficiaries 1st June- 30th June
The first face of this project was a field research activity that was carried out by the project manager assisted by a research Team. Visits were made to Anglophone youth organisations where most internally displaced youths are registered as members. These organisations were visited on Sundays when they hold their meetings. Organisations visited include
- Bali Nyonga Students Association (BANSA) (7th July 2020)
- Banso Students Association (NSOBATI) (14th July 2020)
- Wibum Cultural Youth Association (21st July 2020)
A qualitative research methodology was used for this research activity. Internally displaced youths were organised in a focus group in each of these organisations and discussions were held on the difficulties they have been facing in integrating economically in the society.
Outcome
Data was collected from the focus group on the difficulties faced by internally displaced youths in Yaounde. From the data collected, most difficulties were centre around;
- Lack of digital skills to gain employment
- Lack of capital to start small businesses
- Adaptability problems
PHASE 2
Two month digital training for 20 internally displaced youths in 5 teams
Phase two of the project involved a practical digital training of internally displaced male youths in Yaounde facing difficulties in integrating into the job market because they do not possess the necessary digital skills. The training had the aim to expand skills policy and training, and defining transferrable skills for a digital future by demonstrating to participants how they can work to address the human and technical capacity challenges involved in bridging the digital divide through enhances digital skills. The training was focused on the following modules:
- Microsoft Package (Word, Excel, Power point and Outlook)
- Digital inclusion and digital Transformation
- Basics of Digital Marketing
- Customer Management using Digital tools
Some beneficiaries at a day’s lessons
Project results
- The research phase of the project helped the project team to identify not just difficulties relating to digital skills but also identified other difficulties faced by internally displaced youths such as lack of capital to start small businesses, language barrier considering that they are coming from the English speaking parts of the Country and find themselves in the French speaking part because of the crises. From these difficulties identified, HOCI has a good idea of projects to implement to assist IDP in the near future.
- Twenty internally displaced youths from the conflict affected North West and South West regions of Cameroon were efficiently trained on the use of digital tools to deliver good services and improve their productivity or boost their businesses through digital skills using devices and platforms
Challenges and difficulties faced
- Limited number of training devices (Computers and smart phones)
- Lack of a video projector to project lessons
- Respecting covid 19 preventive measures
- Unstable power supply (Black out some times)
- Unstable internet
Monitoring and evaluation
The project was monitored by the project assistant for HOCI right through the research phase to the digital training phase.
The success of this project was evaluated through an end of training practical evaluation test where the trainees where required to carry out various practical task to evaluate their understanding during the training session. All trainees scored above average in the evaluation test with the highest score being 95/100 and the lowest score being 78/100.
The transfer or training of these youths to empower them with digital skills was a great success. We identified through research internally displaced youths that were having difficulties adapting to the economic environment of Yaounde. These youths through our research work expressed the lack of digital skills as one of the major factors limiting their chances of getting a job. The training also took into account youths that have taken the initiative to start up small businesses but have been facing difficulties because of the covid-19 pandemic. This was the basis for the digital marketing module. It further inspired other youths for startup very little businesses they can manage digitally.
This was just the first phase of the digital skills enhancing program. HOCI intends to launch a second phase for young girls and women that are internally displaced.
Appendices
List of beneficiaries
| NAME | PROFESSION |
| Dobgima Cedric | Small Trader |
| Gima Gelasius | Young graduate |
| Busi Mangoo | Small trader |
| Bongbinsin Blanchard | Young graduate |
| Francis Mappi | Final year Student |
| Benjamin Fansi | Carpenter |
| Lebaga Donatus | Unemployed Graduate |
| Dayebga Marcelinus | Unemployed Graduate |
| Esubo Carl | Unemployed Graduate |
| Bogo Martin | Unemployed Graduate |
| Ellem Emmanuel | Young graduate |
| Atem Francis | Marketer |
| Likem Sunjo | Unemployed Graduate |
| Tata Dieudonne | Unemployed |
| Badcham Maxwell | Unemployed |
| Ebong Peter Ernest | Unemployed |
| Ebong Thierry | Young graduate |
| Tata Jean Noel Nyuykighan | Painter |
| Wankuy Theodore | Artist (painter) |
| Tata Jerry | Unemployed |
- All beneficiaries are internally displaces youths from the North West and South West regions of Cameroon affected by political Crises
