Solidarity and Development Initiative (SODEI) is a registered Non-Profit Organization (NPO) which was founded in November 2018 in the wake of the conflict in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon and the devastating impact on the welfare and education of children and young persons within the region. SODEI is registered as a charity in the UK and has sections in Cameroon and Norway. Most of our operations are currently run mainly in the Southwest Region of Cameroon, with the intention of expanding to other regions progressively.

SODEI was founded by Cameroonians of good will, concerned about the repercussions of the growing socio-political and security crises in the country on the access to education for young persons. Boko Haram had constantly attacked the border towns in Cameroon from neighbouring Nigeria and even imposed a ban on education; the Eastern region was also suffering a spillover effect of the conflict in the CAR which affected young person's right to education adversely and the crisis in the two English-speaking regions of the country which not only affect access to but the quality of education.

Our Mission

Our mission is to inspire and engage children and young persons in Cameroon by increasing their chances to succeed through innovative and creative methods of learning, alternative skill courses and education support.

We do this by creating spaces and platforms to facilitate and foster expression as a means of communication, mental stimulation and participation in youth and community development activities.

Our Vision

We envision a society where children and young people have equal access to education and opportunities, where they can confidently participate as agents of change and development while making positive contributions to decision-making in their homes, communities and nation.

What We Do

SODEI advances new and innovative methods of acquiring and using information to boost creativity, potential and purpose in young people in Cameroon. Our ‘Be the Change’ Movement SODEI is youth inspired, youth driven and youth led.

Our work is inspired by our commitment to push young people to discover their talents and abilities as well as to create and make use of opportunities. We believe when young people discover their “spark”, they effectively tap into their own unique resources. Communication, motivation, determination, passion and social competence are all qualities which youths need to achieve personal development and to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of the greater community

SODEI is committed to promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda 2030. We believe that the SDGs provide a new opportunity and renewed commitment for more robust approaches in tackling the challenges of the 21st Century.

Through our core programs areeas: – Learn, Speak & Play (LESPLAY) – Youth Mentoring and Leadership program – Literacy Program – Women and Girls Empowerment Program, we engage children in creative arts and play, provide access to a space for interaction, share ideas and make their voices heard. Our Community Library helps to develop a reading culture in youth, our youth resource center serves as hub for creative & innovative ideas. We run sensitization campaigns in schools on the SDGs with specific focus on SDG4, organise girls empowerment workshops and coach youths on entrepreneurship and career development. We have partnered with some schools within Fako to involve pupils and students in our programs. So far, our programs have impacted over 500 students within the Southwest region. We recently partnered with ICOTEL-UB to integrate STEM Education in our programming.

Guiding Principles

Honesty • Good Governance • Partnership • Involvement

We are committed to putting children and young people’s rights and well-being at the core of all our work. We are people-driven - our associates inform us, help us define our priorities, and enable us to achieve our goals. We are a partnership organization - we seek external alliances to enhance our impact on the lives of children and young people. We are a learning organization - we continually monitor and appraise what we do and strive for excellence in all our work. We are an inclusive organization – we include the voices of young people into the decision-making processes of our organization. We are committed to non-discrimination on any grounds be it age, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Who We Are