A non-profit organisation known as Sisterspeak237, has launched a campaign to empower youth leaders and social media influencers in South West Region to counter the spread of disinformation.
The campaign which is sponsored by US Embassy Yaounde, was launched on Saturday December 11, 2021 in Buea brought together 46 youth leaders and social media influencers in region.
Speaking during campaign, the coordinator of Sisterspeak237 Comfort Mussa said, the project is to promote media literacy and countering disinformation in the South West region of Cameroon.
“It is a project that we are executing here in the South West with the support of the US Embassy in Cameroon and the project seeks to train 46 youths in the South West on understanding how to access and asses correct information online”,
“This happens in a context where we have different challenges and conflict in the Southwest Region we are living the realities of an armed conflict, We also have the challenges that Covid has had to bear on usand all these other challenges”,
“In the midst of all these challenges, the lack of correct information is in itself a crisis and we are working with youths to understand how they can access correct information, how they can consume and also share with others, because this information only leads to further risk for the youths in our region”, Comfort Mussa explained.
Cross section of youth leaders during the workshop
The project brought together youths selected between the ages of 18 and 30 the 46 youths are leaders who have the potentials to influence their peers.
Mussa is optimistic that after this training the youths are going to relay the information to their peers to learn how destructive disinformation is and to make sure that they are not vectors of such, but vectors of truthful information that can only lead to social cohesion to peace, to better health for everyone.
Facilitators of art trainer, a film maker empowered the youths on how to produce short skits, drama, fact-checking among others.
Youths listening to lecture
Quizzed why the project was launched in South West, Mussa said, South West region happens to be one of the region in Cameroon experiencing an armed conflict that why South West was chosen also Buea happens to be a university town with vibrant youths population.
“This training will usher us into a four months period that's when the trainees will engage their friends actively online and offline sharing the lessons they have learnt, challenging other youths to seek and share correct information and they will do this through different social media context that we will launch from January till April 2022.
Speaking to the press shortly after the one day workshop, Mayoma Blandine, student journalist, of the University of Buea, said the seminar was impactful and knowledge receiving. She appreciated Sisterspeak237 for such an enriching seminar.
“I have come to realize that as journalists we have power when it comes to information and it is very important that we manage that information in such a way that it does not mislead our audience, information is very powerful, information is not something we should joke with, we must do a thorough research and also if possible we could search on other media outlets to be certain before publicising or posting any information on either our social media platforms or personal day to day interactions.” Mayoma explained. According to Dorine Esele, she has learned so many things especially on facts-checking. Esele added “I want to appreciated the founder, madame Comfort Musa am really blessed and want to say a big thank you to founders and organisers, I must attend the next session, because there’s a lot to learn”.
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