The project Climate Change Messenger is a community based initiative that seeks to empower youth leaders in digital environment activism and human rights related issues. 25 youth leaders shall be empowered on blogging and blogs set up for them to publish environment related stories to create awareness. They will also be empowered on how to create messages on the effects of plastic bags which shall be published in the blog “Climate Messenger” to create awareness. It will stimulate more youths to get involved in environmental protection and the mitigation of climate change at community levels.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Nkambe
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
The idea to develop this project started when i was invited by Cameroon National Youth Council-Donga Mantung to talk to youth leaders on citizen journalism and blogging given that i am the first Cameroonian to have reached the finals of the 14 Annual Weblog Award (The Eye Newspaper). Many had little or no knowledge on blogging and other social media like Facebook. The reason is simply, the world is a global village and with a mobile phone a youth who masters the social media can be able to break the news at any moment. Computers are still a luxury but the presence of two Community Telecenters make it possible for them to have access to the internet and computer. However, the telecenters serve as training centers.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Given that i was finalist of the 2014 Bloggies Award (for the Best African Weblog) this microgrant gives me the opportunity to pass my knowledge to young talented community leaders, i will however work in this project with the following:
*Gwain Colbert Fulai: dignitytelevision.blogspot.com, /www.facebook.com/gwain.colbertfulai
*Nde Richard Lanjong: theheraldtribune.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/richard.ndelajong.
*Eric Motumo:chronicleinfoline.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/chronicle.newspaper
*Me-Fai Cassian Ndi: cameroonlatest.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/donga.mantungeye
*Ndi Eugene Ndi: http://newswatchcameroon.blogspot.com, https://www.facebook.com/eugene.ndi
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The news to be must be linked to environment, climate change, global warming and human rights. However, stories, features and other news on climate change shall be published @ climatechangemessage.blogspot.com. After the training 25 different blogs shall be created for each of the participants to animate.
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.
We intend to establish connections with Pan African Climate Change Justice Alliance, so much so that our success story could be shared with other African youths. Besides, we have been working with Media World to empower rural radios in the North West Region to integrate climate change related issues into their radio programs. We have also worked with the Savannah Radio in Nkambe to put in place Red Card to plastic bags and this grant could equally help us to sustain the radio interactive program.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
The project targets to train 25 youths and empower them to function as professional bloggers. Given the frank collaboration we have with Cameroon National Youth Council-Donga Mantung Division, it is imperative that after sometimes, they will seek to sustain their blogging activities. However, we intend to seek the collaboration of local partners who could publicize their activities on the various blogs for them to generate income that can sustain them as professional bloggers(ie google adsense) etc
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
The world they say is a global village and any village or community like Donga Mantung Division in the North West Region that doesn't go digital is on the wrong side of history and the evolution of the world. We will focus on the internet, blogging and Facebook. As project organizer, I am a journalist, a professional blogger and has worked for a development news organ as well. I will use my experience as someone from a rural setup who was the 2014 Finalist of the 14 Annual Weblog Awards (for best African Weblog). Gwain Colbert on the hand is a skillful journalists who runs a digital online channel on human rights while Ndeh Richard has worked with several print medias before. This technology, is the most appropriate because the time for my community to go digital because it is the widest
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The workshop shall be organized in the Nkambe Council Internet cyber space, this will enable participants to get acquainted with the various internet connections. Basically we will use the dial-up and the last day of the training shall take place at the Misaje Telecenter. However, participants shall be introduced to the UBS-modem of the various networks like MTN, ORGANGE,CAMTEL… The council internet has only 28 computers, while the Misaje Telecenter has 20. We shall also use our laptops.
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?
I hail from Donga Mantung Division and have done alot of community work, participated in development meetings and other interactive programs. Well, i think, this project will give me the opportunity to provide a concrete solution to the numerous youths who have expressed their wish to becoming professional bloggers for the community. It will help to inform members of the various villages who have been in the diasporas for long and have not been home to always get information about their areas. It will stimulate growth, awareness and consciousness in the minds. In fact change the mindset.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The major challenges could only be linked to poor connections and or electricity cuts which are very rampant. However, we intend to look for a standby generator to use in case electricity goes off, which it will always because it is a common illness. As for the internet connects, we will get UBS Modems which could be used and shared to other machines should the dial-up connections fail us.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
This project can be easily monitored and evaluated. It could be done so through the number page views (Climate Messenger), the number of stories, features and news items published by participants in their blogs. The comments from the public and the number of visitors per region and or continent.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
June 15-17: Identification of Youth leaders from all the five sub Divisions (Ndu, Nwa, Ako, Misaje and Nkambe)
June 18: Meeting with the Executive of Cameroon National Youth Council-Donga Mantung Division
June 24: Meeting with partners (including the divisional delegation of Forestry and Wildlife, and the delegation of environment.
June 30: Planning meeting with resource persons
July 2: Distribution of invitation to participants
July 7: Acquisition of workshop materials
July 10: Training workshop (Day 1)
July 11: Training workshop (day 2)
July 12: Training workshop (day 3)
Evaluation meeting/Final Report
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Hiring of cyberspace: $100(3 days)=300
Feeding of participants
Breakfast: 30 persons($2) 3 days=90
launch: 30 persons($4)3 days=180
Transport for 25 participants to and fro($25)25 persons=625
Lodging:30 persons($5) 3 nights=450
Resource persons:3 persons($50)3=450
Communication: $50
Transport Nkambe-Misaje(lumpsum)=50
Workshop material: 75
Total Cost of the project: $2,270
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Technical support in the domain of documentation on building the capacities of community bloggers or other forms of citizen journalism
Contact name
Fai Cassian Ndi
Organization
The Eye Newspaper