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Campaigner meets Prime Minister

Francis Njuakom Nchii meets Gordon Brown

Photo: Sam Friedrich /
Sheila McKechnie Foundation

 

MRDF is celebrating as the Director of one of its partner organisations receives a campaigning award from Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Francis Njuakom Nchii, who is from Cameroon, met the Prime Minister at Downing Street on Tuesday 22 July.

Francis was named winner of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation's International Award 2008 for his work promoting elderly rights in Cameroon. He runs Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance (CDVTA), which became an MRDF partner in 2004. 

As an award winner, Francis will receive mentoring advice and practical skills to help him develop successful strategies that will improve the lives of the elderly on a wider scale.

Francis said: “I'm very excited about winning this award. This gives me an opportunity to gain skills that will help me continue the fight for elderly rights in Cameroon."

Francis was inspired to set up CDVTA when his father died. Cultural traditions dictated that his father's family inherit his land, leaving Francis's mother without a home. “I realised that many women liker her had similar problems”, says Francis. “I founded this organisation to engage a diverse range of stakeholders in delivering an advocacy campaign for elderly rights, especially for women.”

Many of the elderly who live in rural Cameroon survive on less than a dollar a day. They are often illiterate and cannot afford the identification papers necessary to vote in elections, leaving them without an influence on policies. Francis has been instrumental in raising awareness of the plight of the elderly in Cameroon, and his work has been recognised by the Cameroonian Government.

As well as for its campaigning work, CDVTA is known in Cameroon for its elderly clubs. Older people can take part in activities such as gardening or beekeeping classes, or bring weaving or knitting to the group sessions and work as they talk. The clubs provide a source of community to people who may otherwise have felt isolated, and many club members are able to generate an extra income using their newly-acquired skills. This is much needed as many of the elderly need to support themselves in their old age, and some are caring for grandchildren.

MRDF Director Kirsty Smith also attended the ceremony. She said: "When we put Francis forward for this award, we did not anticipate the stiff competition that he would face. We are as delighted as he is that his innovative work to uphold the rights of the elderly in rural Cameroon has been chosen to be celebrated, and know that CDVTA as a whole has had a huge boost from the accolade.”