Two after-school initiatives in Cameroon

School-based learning alone is not enough to ensure optimal training for learners, and related initiatives are needed to support conventional learning. In Cameroon, some people have understood this need and initiatives have been launched.

Education: a mixture of different ingredients

It no longer seems possible to rely solely on school-based learning to guarantee a complete education for children. Already, the emphasis at school is primarily on knowledge. But we also need to think about how to be, how to do and even how to learn. Given the configurations of the different education systems in Africa, and more specifically in Cameroon, school alone cannot guarantee all these aspects of learning. Although after-school and extracurricular activities do exist, with the ambition of training for the school of life and extending educational activities, they are still not enough.

This being said, it seems necessary to create other frameworks that will serve to provide a "plus" and allow the learner to regularly rub shoulders with other, sometimes more practical, forms of learning. Educating a child ultimately means summoning up as many resources as possible, adapted to his age and tastes, with a view to his blossoming. In other words, the unidirectionality of training is less and less effective. Often, in certain contexts, parents want to impose trajectories on their children, which doesn't work most of the time.

Towards more practical training

In Cameroon, certain initiatives leave no one indifferent in terms of their orientation. In our research, we certainly explored six initiatives, but we selected two in terms of content and regularity of activities over the year.

• Akamai Kids: this structure draws on Montessori pedagogy (an alternative educational method that offers children the freedom to learn) to run practical workshops in various areas of children's potential development.
  
  In terms of orientation, particular emphasis is placed on nature awareness, autonomy, art therapy with creative workshops, and personalized support for parents, all in a spirit of caring and respect for children's rhythms.
  
  The youth meetup ,one of the key concepts, is aimed at children aged 12 and over, enabling them to develop communication, public speaking and leadership skills. And, above all, to discover their talents by launching themselves into entrepreneurship. When asked about the Akamai kids initiative, founder Bethy NKOWA says: "It's true that I didn't like going to school from high school onwards. But I loved learning. Even at a very young age, I found the education system oppressive for young minds like mine". Every year, Akamai Kids welcomes around 50 children to in-house workshops and 75 children on outings, with over 15 volunteer educators. Over the past two years, the structure has carried out no fewer than 75 outdoor activities.
  
  
• Douala Intelectual sport club: Set up in 2014, the aim here is to develop soft skills through the practice of intellectual sports, particularly chess.
  
  In addition to adults, children are welcomed and trained in the practice of the said game. In fact, chess is a game that enables you to organize your thoughts and make quick decisions. It is also a means of managing stress and anxiety.
  
  This club is one of the pioneers of chess for children. They have set up chess for kids (chess classes in leisure centers), chess for kids at home (home chess classes for adults and children) and chess in education (chess games in certain schools in the city of Douala). Tournaments are also regularly organized to test learners' skills.

In the light of the above, it's easy to imagine that learners who take part in these activities are becoming better trained. The only thing missing is to extend them to reach even more children. In the long term, this would have an even greater impact.

Illustration: image generated by Meta AI

Sources :

Montessori Method: The complete Montessori Guide dossier
https://guide-montessori.fr/methode-montessori/

Savoir, savoir-être, savoir faire: differences and examples
https://www.cadremploi.fr/editorial/conseils/conseils-carriere/savoir-savoir-etre-savoir-faire-differences-et-exemples

Health benefits of chess
https://www.apprendre-les-echecs-24h.com/entretenir-sa-sante/bienfaits-jeu-echecs-sante/

kolo Kids-crêche and Leisure Center
https://visit-yaounde.com/kolo-kids-nursery-and-recreation-center/

https:// akamai-kids.com/

Douala Intelectual sport club
https://web.facebook.com/douala.intellectual.sport.club

Douala Intellectual Sport Club : Overview | LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/douala-intellectual-sport-club/