Profile of Helen Timia Njinimbam epse GWANFOGBGE. Ms Helen T. Njinimbam Gwanfogbe is one of the founding members of JALARES and the current Chairperson of the Board of Directors. She is an Educationist by profession, currently a holder of an M.A in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from the School of Education, University of Leicester in England. She has taught in nursery, secondary to Teacher Training Institutions and later occupied some managerial positions. She headed the Teachers’ Resource Centre in Bamenda, in the North West Region of Cameroon, and later served as the Director of Administration and Human Resources in the Rural Electrification Agency of Cameroon in Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon.
Alongside her official career she developed a strong passion for community service, working with Women and Community Associations and occupied leadership positions in Students’ Association (Alma Mater) Women’s Self- help groups, Community Development Associations. The build -up of her capacity was complemented by many international leadership exchange programmes, notably by the British Council (PanAfrican Leadership Programme), the US Embassy, and the Vital Voices to her leadership capacity in carrying out multiple advocacy programmes in the defence of the rights of women and children in rural communities. Remarkably, as the President of Nku’mu Fed-Fed (a National Female Association with International linkages) played a lead role in Cameroon in the combat against Child Trafficking by withdrawing and Empowering economically victims of Child Labour in a Centre (Gwan Shelter in Bali, N.W. Region of Cameroon) established for this purpose; training local communicators for effective sensitization and advocacy; advocating and lobbying Parliamentarians and Government Officials for the adoption of a new law on Child Trafficking and Slavery in December 2005. The association is networking with a wide range of local organisations, traditional rulers, the media and other civil society groups to bring about change in traditional and communities, norms that hinder the full development of women and girls.
Profile of Beatrice Ndoping
Dr. Beatrice Ndoping is one of the founding members of JALARES and Vice, of Chairperson of the board of Directors of the organization. She is a holder of a PhD in Animal Science and started her career in 1985 in now Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) where she carried out research on nutrition and reproduction of farm animals. With a strong passion for women’s advancement she has served as head of both the Divisional Delegation for Women’s Empowerment and Family Protection and Bamenda Women’s Empowerment Center mandated to out sensitization an advocacy for women’s rights, provision of psycho-social support and paralegal referrals; civic and moral education, entrepreneurial skills training for underprivileged women and girls leading to their economic autonomy facilitated by a revolving loan scheme for trainees of this institution. She also occupied the position of Head of Division for Research and Publication in the newly created University of Bamenda where she also lectured animal production.
Also as, a founding member, and current President of the Cameroon Association of University Women affiliated to the International Federation of University Women (IFUW) now Graduate Women International (GWI) she has attended numerous international conferences on Women’s Empowerment notably : the Triennial conference of IFUW in 2001in Ottawa Canada, World Women’s summit in Beijing China (2010), International Visitors Leadership programme in Washington DC in 2011, organized by the US State Department under auspices of the then Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. amongst others; all of them having strong capacity building components. With this background, she coordinated and participated in a wide range of community- based project ranging from: participatory research on gender discrimination and labour market access in Cameroon, participatory women’s land rights and advocacy and training for political participation of women, provision of technical and material support to schools, minority “Mbororo” communities, female inmates in Bamenda prison; conflict resolution in (Bafanji and Balikumbat) crisis; Environmental sustainability awareness just to name a few.
She was also instrumental in the creation of the North West Women’s Empowerment Forum (NOWWEF) constituted of women’s groups from all Divisions of the North West Region with mission to promote and advance the living conditions of women.
JUDY NGWEH ABONG : Executive Director(JALARES)
Ms Judy Ngweh Abong is the founding member who had and shared an inspiration which led to the creation of JALARES and, is the current Executive Director of the organization. She is an educationist by profession and holder of a post graduate degree from the Higher Teacher Training Colledge (Ecole Normale Superiure ) in Yaounde , Cameroon. In 2012 she completed a six months Counseling Course-Emmanuel Healing in Catholic Mission Big Mankon, Bamenda under Rev. Sis Sheila. In 2021 she Completed another six months Christian Counseling Course offered by the Good Samaritan Ministries on Inner Healing and Impartation of counseling skill.
She has a rich career of teaching in many Government Secondary Schools in Cameroon during which she held positions of responsibilities as Head of Department Discipline Mistress. She initiated the creation of Atiela Ladies, a women’s group in Government High School Ateila, Nkwen, Bamenda .
She also developed passion for service in the society in the process of which she occupied various leadership positions. In 1994, she was elected to create the Women’s wing of Kejom Ketinguh Cultural and Development Association (KEKULDA) dubbed Nshoff Wayn where she was elected first National Secretary upon inception and served in that capacity till 2004 when she became National president. In 1997 ‘ She became a board member of Women’s Initiative for Health, Education and Economic Development (WINHEEDCAM), an NGO aimed at improving living standards for women. She is also a member of the Ecumenical Christian Women’s Group (AGLOW international).
In 2005, she was appointed the Government Regional Delegate of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Family Protection for the North-West where she coordinated all activities related to Women’s empowerment in all seven Divisions. From 2005 to 2016 she coordinated the activities of the Regional Delegation which included sensitization in animation pools as well as advocacy for women’s rights, counseling and paralegal advice, psycho social support just to name a few.
She has attended many national and international conferences notably; Women’s Prayer Conference (AGLOW) in Huston USA in 2001 and the African Regional Aglow conference in Abuja, Nigeria. 2002, seminar on African Female Capacity Building in Fudzho China in 2007; leadership seminar organized by the British council, seminar on team work management etc etc.
For almost ten years (1999-2008) She offered annual lectures on Culture and Women of Cameroon to Exchange Program students from the university of Dickenson, USA.
She has made presentations on varied topics ranging from women’s rights notably those of the girl child; forms of violence against women and their consequences; devastating effects of HIV/AIDS on women as well as prevention of mother to child transmission; negative traditional practices and customs affecting women; behavioral patterns expected from youths, to women’s groups and associations, underprivileged/minority communities such as Mbororos, adolescent children amongst others. Besides she was directly involved in general public sensitization and advocacy on issues of women’s advancement through the mass media.