The Graffi Expression is a project designed to train 10 selected actors the fields of art, craft, music and culture, on how to use the internet as a tool to express, expose, promote and market the fast fading rich grass field arts and culture of the Anglophone grass field minority region of Cameroon.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Jakiri
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
The word “Graffi” is used in Cameroon to describe the inhabitants of the grass field region of Cameroon. The Graffi people are made up of minority English speaking people in a country which is 80% French Speaking.
In my 2 years’ experience as a youth advocate in this part of the country which is also my region of origin, I came to meet many young and talented individuals and groups which produce rich and beautiful, art, craft, music and other cultural items that display the rich and wonderful culture of our people, however due to inadequate know how, this talented guys have not been able to use the power of the internet as a tool for cheap, easy and fast promotion and even marketing of their talents
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Mr Bamnjo Bertrand Kongnyuy
President of Kailan association for arts and culture
wwww.facebook.com/bamnjob
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Pictures of local art and craft works, and paintings, Videos of cultural dances and other cultural expressions, Beautiful grass field traditional music and a small documentary displaying the cultural beauty of the graffi people.
As an expert in the field of information and communication technology, and as a fan and lover of the graffi culture, I shall carefully direct and orient the media produced and submitted as well as personally assist the participants in the production of high quality material and finally offer training and assistance on how they can use the internet as a tool to promote their wonderful works
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
I will be working with Kailan Association for Art and Culture, based in Bamenda, the headquarters of the region, the association owns a small cultural center, where most of the participants have been expressing themselves in their various arts and crafts.
I will also be working with a cyber café known as dreamland Cyber Café, where the participants will be able to do practical exercises, and have access to the internet.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
I intend to train 10 participants, who can now be able to assist themselves and also offer their technical knowhow to their colleages who are not fortunate enough to be part of the training. Registration will be free and Kailand association with its network of actors in the fields of art, craft, music, culture will put word out and assist to rally the ten best participants. We shall also make 1 week public announcement of the radio.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
I have a BSC in information and communication technology, so I perfectly use and understand the concept of social network marketing. I also have sound knowledge on graphic, video and audio production, and my job shall be to use every available tool to transmit this knowledge and skills to people who can make positive use of them through training.
The aprticipants will be drilled on techniques of improving the quality of their digital products, using softwares like photoshop for images, Ulead Video Studio for video editing, and Cubebase for music production.
The main training shall consist on drilling participants on how to use websites like, youtube, flikr, facebook, reverbnation, soundcloud and even blogger for those who may be interested in blogging.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The kailand cultural center, will be used for the trainings and for the finalizing of the works produced or submitted by the participants. The center already has every basic equipment and classrooms for the trainings and for the finalizing of products, except for a quality digital video camera, a good fast PC for video editing and access to internet which shall be made with partnership of a nearby Cyber Café. The cyber café has about 15 computers all connected to the internet with ADSL conecctions.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
Primarily I am a native, and I have worked here for 2 years as a youth advocate, I have cheered the organization of several youth social and cultural events and I have assisted in several community driven initiatives. I am also well known by the local population and stake holders. I brand myself as a social entrepreneur and that I shall remain till the day I die, finding concrete and lasting solutions to the problems that affect my people.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
My primary concern is the fact that more than the required number of participants will apply, and that some participants may come uninvited, however we shall be strict and managerial so as to maintain a cool and peaceful project.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
Our primary indicator shall be the number of applications we receive, then next, the number of participants who complete the training and finally the impact of the application of the training shall be monitored by the online buzz created by the works of the participants, eg, youtube views, reverbnation plays, flikr shares, facebook likes etc
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
Buying of computer and digital Camera: 1 day
Preparation of training material: 1 week
Advertising of training: 1 week
Registration of participants: 1 week
Training; 2 weeks
Monitoring and evaluation of project 3 months later
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Computer 300 USD
Digital Video Camera 700 USD
Training material 400 USD
Access to internet 400 USD
Coordinator expenses 400 USD
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Rising voices can assist us to promote the works of the participants in various online forumns, and to provide us guidance on what the participants could do to make maximum benefit of the power of the internet
Contact name
Verkijika Divine Nyuyki
1 comment
Hello Sir,
I have seen the work you are doing in Bui, and i must congratulate your effots. I really pray that rising voices grant you this opportunity to transform our country. God Bless you