CABY–Canada Partnership Brings Skills Training to Bamenda

CAbyYouths has deepened its longstanding partnership with the Cameroonian diaspora community in Canada, delivering a two-week vocational skills bootcamp for 60 youth in Bamenda — with facilitators joining live via video link from Toronto, Ottawa, and Calgary.

The bootcamp, held at the CABY Community Hub in Bamenda, covered six vocational tracks: digital marketing, basic coding and web design, tailoring and fashion entrepreneurship, catering and food processing, mobile phone repair, and financial literacy for small business owners.

A Model of Diaspora Engagement

What made this initiative unique was its hybrid delivery model. Canadian-based Cameroonian professionals — engineers, accountants, designers, and educators — delivered live sessions each evening (timed to suit both Cameroon and Canadian time zones), while CABY facilitators on the ground managed practical exercises, group work, and daily assessments.

"The diaspora has enormous expertise and genuine love for home," said the CABY Executive Director. "This programme is proof that distance is not a barrier to impact. Our brothers and sisters in Canada are building Cameroon from abroad, one session at a time."

Outcomes

By the end of the two weeks, 54 of the 60 participants had completed at least one vocational track and received a CABY-certified skills certificate. Eight participants have since launched small businesses; three have secured employment using skills acquired during the bootcamp.

Plans are underway for a second edition in early 2025, with expanded tracks including solar installation, graphic design, and community health work.