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Behind MTN Acacia
Yaoundé, Cameroon
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Send Us an Email
info@loyocameroon.org
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Call Us
(+237) 650 906 256
Annual Reports
2018 Annual Report
Introduction
In 2018, Local Youth Corner Cameroon (LOYOC) reached more than 70,000 young people across 50 communities in all 10 Regions of Cameroon.
This extensive outreach was achieved through three major projects within LOYOC’s Peacebuilding, Hate Speech, P/CVE (Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism), Rehabilitation, and Reintegration Program.
Communities were impacted through peer-to-peer education, training-of-trainers workshops, media programs, publications, and “Pass It On” activities led by trained youth facilitators.
LOYOC also prioritized youths with a history of, or vulnerability to, violence, empowering them through rehabilitation and reintegration capacity-building sessions for other youth activists.
Through these flagship projects, LOYOC strengthened collaboration between youth and government actors to promote sustainable peace, culminating in the development of an Action Agenda, policy recommendations, and the National Rehabilitation and Reintegration Network (NRRN) established in 2017.
Beyond peacebuilding and P/CVE, LOYOC also carried out training programs on education, gender, governance, and democracy, broadening its impact nationwide.
📄 Access the full report in PDF:
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2019 Annual Report
Introduction
Over the past five years, Local Youth Corner Cameroon has worked tirelessly to ensure that young Cameroonians are recognized as key actors in peacebuilding, and that their initiatives are valued by development partners engaged in conflict resolution.
In 2019, LOYOC focused on countering hate speech and promoting the rehabilitation and reintegration of former violent offenders.
Although the crisis in the Far North Region showed signs of easing, the armed conflict between separatist fighters and government forces in the Northwest and Southwest Regions persisted.
Throughout the year, LOYOC intensified efforts to prevent violent extremism and create platforms for young Cameroonians to actively engage in national peace processes.
A significant national milestone in 2019 was the Major National Dialogue, convened by the President of the Republic of Cameroon to address the armed conflict and broader security challenges.
LOYOC seized this opportunity to influence policy by ensuring youth voices were represented through realistic and solution-driven proposals aimed at ending violence and promoting peace.
This report provides an overview of LOYOC’s major activities and achievements during the year 2019.
📄 Access the full report in PDF:
👉 Read More
Strategic Approaches
Capacity and Resilience Building
LOYOC’s capacity-building programs are needs-driven and adapted to the realities of target groups. Training modules focus on leadership, personality development, entrepreneurship, and non-violent problem-solving skills.
Between 2015 and 2020, LOYOC organized over 50 capacity-building events reaching more than 1,000 participants (male and female).
A notable example is the National Symposium for Youth Participation in Peacebuilding, which led to the establishment of the Cameroon Youth Mediators Network.
🔗 Read more – National Symposium on Youth Participation in Peacebuilding
Transformative Dialogue and Engagement
LOYOC’s transformative dialogue approach is tailored to conflict-prone and fragile settings, emphasizing safe spaces for dialogue among divided or adversarial groups.
Through trained facilitators, the organization engages youth leaders, traditional and religious authorities, community actors, local government, and security institutions. These dialogues focus on humanizing opposing groups and rebuilding trust through shared understanding.
Over 40 initiatives have been implemented to promote intercultural, inter-religious, inter-generational, and community-government dialogues across Cameroon.
Mobilizing Media for Change
LOYOC leverages media and creative communication tools to promote inclusion, counter misinformation, and encourage collaboration.
Between 2015 – 2020, the organization led campaigns against hate speech, fake news, and online extremism, while developing educational media content such as radio, TV, and social-media edutainment programs.
An example is the “Peace and COVID-19” animated video, created to foster social cohesion and broadcast widely online.
🔗 Facebook Video Post
Transforming Violent Extremism
LOYOC defines violent extremism as the deliberate use of extreme violence to address real or perceived grievances. Its response is anchored on a four-pillar methodology:
- Disengagement through vocational and professional skills building
- Promoting credible and constructive counter-narratives
- Rehabilitation and reintegration programs
- Embedding these pillars within broader peacebuilding and CVE initiatives
A flagship example is the Creative Skills for Peace Project, which transformed eight prisons and correctional facilities into rehabilitation centers offering vocational training (e.g., shoemaking, tailoring, hairdressing, greenhouse farming).
This initiative helped convert three former violent offenders into successful entrepreneurs after release.
🔗 Read more – Creative Skills for Peace Project
Evidence-Based Research Approach
LOYOC grounds its interventions in rigorous research and continuous contextual analysis. Its methodologies include conflict scans, barrier analyses, stakeholder mapping, perception surveys, and participatory research.
The organization has influenced both policy and practice by publishing evidence-based studies, including the landmark report on “Hate Speech and Violent Conflict in Cameroon.”
🔗 View Publication
Community Entry and Engagement Strategy
LOYOC’s principle of intervention is “Do No Harm, Do Peacefully.”
Community engagement follows culturally sensitive and conflict-aware methods rooted in neutrality and inclusion, ensuring local ownership and sustainability.
LOYOC treats stakeholders — including government, security forces, community leaders, and youth — as partners rather than beneficiaries, integrating them in project design, implementation, monitoring, and decision-making.
This participatory approach strengthens trust, access, and the long-term impact of every intervention.
Advocacy and Sensitization
LOYOC’s advocacy efforts are evidence-based and aimed at correcting misconceptions about the roles of youth and women in peacebuilding.
Through awareness campaigns, it mobilizes support from communities, government, and development partners to promote collaborative peace processes.
One example is the “Building Peace with Young People” initiative, which empowered 600 youth leaders to advocate for inclusive peacebuilding and community resilience.🔗 Learn more
Strategic Interventions
LOYOC’s strategic interventions are implemented at both national and regional levels, addressing cross-cutting issues of conflict, peace, and development.
National Level
Key interventions target policy influence, institutional collaboration, and youth engagement across Cameroon.
Anglophone Crisis
LOYOC continues to play an active role in fostering peace, dialogue, and rehabilitation in communities affected by the Anglophone crisis, focusing on youth participation and local mediation initiatives.
