Cameroon Link (camlink) is a registered charity, not-for-profit organisation created on the 9th September 1991 with head office in Douala, Cameroon. Its objectives include the promotion of food security through interaction with small scale peasant farmers and breeders with media practitioners, especially those involved in community radio action. Media action focuses on poverty alleviation through the promotion of food and nutrition, community health development, women's empowerment, human assistance, advocacy, education and communication on the rights to adequate food for all.
Cameroon Link was legalized on the 23rd November, 1992 as a national umbrella NGO of professional dialogue groups of communication specialists, journalists, agriculture, health and social welfare workers, following a crucial lack of good circulation of information on self-help development policies, social welfare, infant and young child nutrition and food-self sufficiency in Cameroon. Cameroon Link coordinates activities of some 23 Community Based Organisations (CBO) interacting with farmers and breeders in six (6) of Cameroon's ten (10) regions with good community radio linkages.
Cameroon's target audience through community radio is 20.000.000 listeners, 65% of who are peasant farmers and breeders with very low income sources. It was broadcasting partner with Developing Countries Farm Radio Network Canada for over 20 years.
To achieve its goals, Cameroon Link organises media advocacy and social mobilization activities, networking exchanges, capacity building trainings, conferences, symposia, seminars, and information and communication campaigns in collaboration with community radio stations. On the 30th March 2004, Cameroon Link Youth for Development Association (camlink Y4DA) was created to address gender and youth empowerment issues due to the vulnerability of the girl child at puberty age. The authorisation of Camlink Y 4DA is referenced no. 0364/RDDJ/C19/BAPP of 8th April, 2004.
It operates a "Resource Centre" at its head office in Bonaberi-Douala. The centre serves as a catalyst for change that decisively increases the capacity of communities in the Douala city neighbourhoods. The aim of the resource centre is to assist in the overall goal of Cameroon Link to achieve health and food safety for all by collecting, organising and disseminating information in health and nutrition-related fields. The centre serves the public and particularly young persons, staff of the organisation, including those responsible for training or undertaking research.

PCF7 TO BE HELD IN NIGERIA IN 2013

Seventh Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF7) will be held in Abuja, Nigeria in November 2013,and it will be co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) will be the lead partner institution. More news tells us that,  the current President & C.E.O. of COL, Sir John Daniel, completes a successful term in office soon.  COL's multinational Board of Governors is seeking a successor who will continue the crucial work of the organisation. Sir Daniel was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for services to higher education in 1994 and holds 31 honorary doctorates from universities in 17 countries. He is a citizen of Canada and the UK. Application deadline to replace him is 5 December 2011. Sir John Daniel became President of COL in 2004 after gaining wide international experience in universities and the United Nations system. He obtained his full-time university education in Metallurgy at Oxford and Paris and later demonstrated his commitment to lifelong learning by taking 25 years to complete a part-time Master's degree in Educational Technology at Concordia University. However, the internship for that programme, which took him to the UK Open University in 1972, was a life-changing experience. He saw the future of higher education and wanted to be part of it. This quest took him on an international odyssey with appointments at the Télé-université (Directeur des Études, 1973-77), Athabasca University (Vice-President for Learning Services, 1978-80), Concordia University (Vice-Rector, Academic, 1980-84), Laurentian University (President, 1984-90), the UK Open University (Vice-Chancellor, 1990-2001) and UNESCO (Assistant Director-General for Education, 2001-04). His non-executive appointments have included the presidencies of the International Council for Open and Distance Education, the Canadian Association for Distance Education and the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education. He also served as Vice-President of the International Baccalaureate Organisation. Among Sir John's 300+ publications are his books Mega-Universities and Knowledge Media: Technology Strategies for Higher Education (Kogan Page, 1996) and Mega-Schools, Technology and Teachers: Achieving Education for All (Routledge, 2010).He has been very supportive to community initiatives for the promotion and protection of mother and child care rights through the healthy communities initiatives of the organisation that he championed. For more information, please visit the Commonwealth of Learning web site at – www.col.org  or just search for “Healthy Communities”.

Activities

      *    Promotion of community health activities through IEC, Training and Advocacy

• Collection and publication of health  development information
•  Animation  of Training at Documentation Centre in Bonabéri-Douala
• Organisation of advocacy conferences, and open-door activities on protection of street children, Women’s Reproductive Health, Infant and Young Child Feeding, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS prevention
• Training of community health workers on social change through behaviour change communication strategies.
• Mobilisation of funds and material resources for the prevention of HIV, assistance to infected persons and rehabilitation of AIDS Orphans and street children in emergency.
• Collaboration with volunteers on community development participative research strategies.
• Organisation of home visits and assistance of integrated vulnerable street children.
• Promotion of  Exclusive Breastfeeding of babies for the first six months
• Promotion of  nutrition and dietary activities within the food-self sufficiency programme
• Participation in Infant and Young Child Feeding emergency support
• Advocacy for the promotion of the International Code on the marketing of breast milk substitutes.
• Training of volunteer - community health workers on the organisation of  social mobilisation, peer education, home visits and cares.
• Promotion of Psycho-social support and assistance
• Acquisition of means of communication and  transport for volunteer health workers
• Production and multiplication of education materials for out reach activities.

Administrative Council
 
Chief Executive Officer: James Achanyi-Fontem, Communication Consultant
Secretary: Josephine Emenyikeng, Veterinary Consultant
Treasurer: Lucie CHOUNGA, Computer Programmer
Information Officer: Chrisantus Abila, Peer Educator
Social Welfare Officer: Francis  Leke Achanyi, Sociologist-Anthropologist
Logistic Programmer: Celine Asonganyi, Accountant
Public Relations officer: Mbieh  Emmaculate Yinweh
Resources Persons:
Dr. Motaze Sinju Christopher, Gynaecologist
Dr. Mbunya Nkondem Simon, Physician,
Samuel Mibe, Senior Health Technician
Mrs. Mouto Priscille, Gender Women Council Leader, Bonamikano
Mrs. Mary Ngwa, Gender Women Council Leader, Mambanda
Ms. Martha Udobang, Midwife

Contact Person:
James Achanyi-Fontem
CEO, Cameroon Link
COL Cameroon Link Partnership Liaison
Focal Point, Farm Radio International -Cameroon
Coordinator, IBFAN Cameroon
President, Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA
Coordinator, WABA Men’s Working Group
Editor, WABA Men’s Initiative e-Newsletter
P.O. Box 1460 Douala, Littoral Region, Cameroon
Tel: +237 77758840 - +237 94340874
Email: camlink99@gmail.com
Skype: camlink9
Web site:-http://cameroonlink.info
http://cameroonlink.blogspot.com
http://uk.youtube.com/camlink99
Camlink  Douala Speaker
http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/show/the_camlink_douala_show