The tournament was organized as part of the Global Pluralism award won by the organisation’s Executive Director, Esther Omam last year. This award had as purpose to identify best practices in the field of pluralism and to disseminate innovative and successful approaches to promote plurality, diversity and inclusion.
Reach Out Cameroon is implementing this project with funding from the Global Center for Pluralism and it is dubbed “Promoting diversity and pluralism in conflict-affected communities of Cameroon”.
The sports tournament which is one of five other activities to take place was launched Friday July 26, 2024.
According to the Head of department for Economic security, Sylvie Ebitoh, the choice of launching the tournament in Bamenda I was because of the calmness though they will go to other areas, “but since it is a peace match we need to take it where people can easily come out so that the communities can take part” Ebitoh said.
The tournament for Peace will take place in the North West and South West and the areas targeted include; Buea, Tole, Mudeka and Limbe in the South West and Bamenda Nkwen in the North West.
Through the tourney, they hope to bring the members of the communities together, so that they can socialize with one another, try to find a common ground to bond together.
With the crisis, people are scared of coming together but the HOD for Economic Security believes that “football always brings people together no matter what happens”.
Despite the rains that fell in the morning of the game, “we were surprised that the community had to come out, it shows they have love for football and they have that unity to bond with football” Ebitoh explained.
While at the tourney, the organisers made available a mobile clinic, in case of injury but also to check vital signs, Blood Pressure and others tests as a way of benefitting the community.
Besides the football game, Reach Out aims to train five women led groups, giving them grants, worth noting that one group is from Bamenda and the other from the South West.
First Deputy Mayor Bamenda I, Anna Ndumu also present at the launching of the sports tournament for peace called on the citizens of the municipality to peaceful as they have always been. “We have many more things coming, so we should be vigilante’s of this municipality and make sure that this peace continues to reign” Ndumu told those present.
With regards to the training of the Akwena women farming group, she applauded Reach Out and urged the recipients to take the activity serious considering the fact that “if you have been trained to do an activity, it will not only end at that level, they will also give you some money that you can start in that business that you have been trained on”.
“I want to heartily thank Reach Out Cameroon for this wonderful initiative and the support for our municipality hoping that the good Lord that provided for you and as you are providing he will replenish the source so that you people will continue to reach to other areas where people need your assistance,” the Deputy Mayor told the Reach Out team.
And to the citizens of Bamenda I, she thanked them for the massive turn out, “as it shows the collaborative nature of Bamenda I people and I hope that we continue to come out en masse when other occasions like this show up”.
The football match brought together Zone 6 FC that defeated Nkah FC 3#2 in the football boys’ category. And in the football girls’ category, Ntenefor All Stars were beaten 3#0 by Ayaba Unity.
