Local Youth Corner Cameroon – LOYOC successfully elevated the country’s profile at the 2026 Acceleration Week for the Global Youth Development Program held in China.
Representing the organization, Project Manager Mansuru Usuman presented LOYOC’s flagship initiatives to a global audience, showcasing how grassroots, youth-led actions can effectively address complex national challenges. The presentation highlighted Cameroon’s innovative approaches to fostering social cohesion and sustainable development on an international stage.
The high-level youth conclave, which took place from June 11 to 17, 2026, across the major cities of Shanghai and Wuhan, convened approximately 200 dynamic youth leaders from over 120 countries. Throughout the intensive week, participants engaged in a rigorous itinerary of workshops, partnership meetings, and study visits designed to scale their community programs.
The event offered invaluable access to professional guidance on financial sustainability, social impact, and market connections, while matching global youth leaders with top-tier accelerators, investment institutions, and United Nations experts.
For LOYOC, this global platform served as a crucial catalyst for securing international support and forging strategic alliances. Mansuru Usuman emphasized that the gathering provided an unparalleled opportunity to network with global peers, share locally-led Cameroonian solutions, and attract new resources to sustain the organization’s domestic operations.
Additionally, the summit provided avenues for global media coverage, allowing localized African peace initiatives to be publicized worldwide through dedicated broadcast campaigns.
Established in 2002, Local Youth Corner Cameroon has spent over two decades dedicating its efforts to empowering young people across all ten regions of the country. The organization has positionally spearheaded the implementation of the youth, peace, and security agenda within Cameroon by addressing pressing social, political, and economic challenges. By operating in close collaboration with international organizations, civil society groups, and UN agencies, LOYOC continues to design inclusive frameworks that amplify youth participation in national development.
A core pillar of LOYOC’s operating model involves direct capacity building and the decentralization of resources to grassroots actors. Through specialized training programs and strategic sub-grants, the organization directly supports smaller youth-led organizations to implement targeted projects within their immediate communities. This systematic approach ensures that young people are not mere onlookers but active, inclusive problem-solvers equipped to handle localized crises and shape policy frameworks back home.
These interventions are particularly critical in areas where community stability has been threatened by displacement, resource scarcity, and heightened social tensions. When left unaddressed, the gradual erosion of trust between displaced populations and host communities risks isolating vulnerable demographics. LOYOC’s strategic programming counters these vulnerabilities by creating joyful, inclusive spaces designed to dismantle fear, prevent radicalization, and build collaborative community trust from the ground up.
Central to this mission is the “NA WE WE” Sports Jamboree—meaning “We are one”—a powerful peacebuilding model designed to unite internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities through shared play. Conceived five years ago on the conviction that recreational activities can bridge deep societal divisions, the initiative fields teams deliberately mixed with both IDPs and residents under instructive names like Peace, Solidarity, and Tolerance.
Moving across Cameroon’s regions annually to promote civic rearmament and healthy living, the Jamboree is set to launch its 5th Edition in Tiko, South West Region, from July 4 to August 30, 2026, under the timely theme: “Stronger Together in Times of Crisis Through Sports”.
