Sport as a means of social change and health development

Project supported by HEDECS

HEDECS is a female-led organisation which is in Bamenda, in the North-Western of Cameroon. It is an apolitical, non sectarian, non-profit nongovernmental organisation, formed in 2006 which is exerting to provide some socio-economic means of action to the marginalised groups and other members of the community by improving their access to health care

This initiative is an innovative approach that uses sport as an HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 prevention tool and a mitigation tool of their socio-economic impact on the vulnerable people. The programmes are centred on health education and community outreach using such activities as football with the youths and young adults aged 10 to 25 in 10 schools and 4 sports clubs in the Bamenda community of the North-West Province and Dschang/Bafoussam in the Western Province of Cameroon.

Context

The status of HIV/AIDS and Covid-19 in Cameroon and more specifically in the targeted provinces of the project, has reached epidemic proportions despite low rates of prevalence. People infected with HIV/AIDS represent 4.3% of people aged 15 to 49 and the girls are 5 to 6 times as affected as the boys. In addition, the situation has worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic. As from March 2020, there has been a sharp rise in the number of cases due to the community transmission of the disease in Cameroon. Cameroon has recorded 16,708 confirmed cases and 385 deaths since the pandemic began. The health system in Cameroon is still weak and characterised by few materials/facilities and a weak supply chain.

Objectives

Reinforcing community resilience for the promotion of good health and mitigating HIV/AIDS and COVID-19’s socio-economic impact using sport in the North-Western and Western provinces of Cameroon
Improving communication on the risks and on community engagement concerning HIV/AIDS and Coronavirus prevention
Providing a psychosocial and psychological support to the vulnerable communities affected.
Using football as a means of social change and development

Activities

Holding planning meetings for the main stakeholders in the targeted provinces to support the project
Building capacity on HIV/AIDS and the coronavirus so as to improve the prevention and mitigation measures of the impacts with the instructors and the health clubs of the schools identified, the frontline health workers, traditional healers and religious community leaders
Awareness campaigns on COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS in the schools and the communities with simple and easily accessible messages.
Staging football and physical activity tournaments in the targeted schools alongside exhibits on the diseases while abiding by social distancing measures

Impacts

56 youths (girls and boys) shall be directly trained as community instructors
Over 10,000 students in 10 schools shall be directly affected by the instructions and outreach
48 interactive sensitisation and education radio sessions shall be carried out (100,000 people shall be affected)
3,000 posters, folders and brochures shall be made with some key educational messages
168 sets of complete equipment (shirts, sports shoes) shall be distributed to 14 teams
4 communities in 2 provinces of Cameroon shall be the direct beneficiaries (1 in the English-speaking North-West Province, and 1 in the French-speaking West Province)