Students take notes during a class at Les Normaliens Lay Private Bilingual School in Foumbot On a bright morning at Les Normaliens Lay Private Bilingual School in Foumbot teacher Belinda Bafon prepared her students for class the children delved into a 30-minute session dedicated to conversing in their mother tongues a practice central to the school's curriculum 22 (Xinhua) -- On a bright morning at Les Normaliens Lay Private Bilingual School in Foumbot how are you' in their mother tongue?" Bafon asked as the children raised their hands almost in unison in a scramble to respond to the question Weh sa keh?" responded six-year-old Gift Legend Fohyi A teacher teaches students to pronounce in local language during a class at Progressive English Nursery and Primary School in Bafoussam The students were often asked to pronounce words and give names of things in their mother tongues Bafon's lecture reflects a typical classroom setting in the country where a new government policy has made it mandatory to teach mother tongues to children in kindergartens This classroom scene mirrors a broader educational shift in Cameroon Institutions like Les Normaliens Lay are leading the charge to preserve and promote indigenous languages recognizing them as vital components of the country's cultural identity Cameroon not only educates its youth but also fosters pride and belonging rooted in linguistic heritage but one important part of indigenous identity -- language -- is fading out There are about 260 indigenous languages in the country according to the Ministry of Secondary Education Students raise hands to answer questions during a class at Les Normaliens Lay Private Bilingual School in Foumbot the state-run National Institute of Statistics of Cameroon reported that 4 percent of the indigenous languages have disappeared since 1950 with 10 percent of them currently neglected Cameroon is now making progress in fostering the teaching of mother tongues in schools as part of efforts to revive local languages said Secretary of State to the Minister of Basic Education Kilo Vivian Asheri "We insist on teaching mother tongues because when a child grows up and the first language they acquire is their mother tongue they will understand other languages," Asheri said we deal with nearly all the languages," Bafon told Xinhua "I was happy when I came to school because I was learning my dialect," added little Fohyi At Progressive English Nursery and Primary School in Bafoussam Gilles Ndze was attentive as his teacher taught them how to spell their local languages The 10-year-old said learning how to speak his mother tongue "helps us communicate with those who know our local languages and also helps us know our national culture." Learning a native language can be a meaningful way to explore and connect with the heritage which is largely believed to contribute to a longer and healthier life an educator and proprietor of Les Normaliens Lay Private Bilingual School educators should teach their children to speak a national language; it is very important for their personal development because wherever they are and identity is tested through language," she said The revival of mother tongues through education is also an important component of the country's reforms to enhance social integration and unity the headmaster of Progressive English Nursery and Primary School "Children will be able to discuss with their parents and others who may not have gone to school They will be able to discuss with them without any problem and identify their culture," Fuh said As Cameroon joins the rest of the world in marking the International Mother Language Day it is important to emphasize the need to decolonize Africa through the teaching of local languages a solid example of what decolonization looks like It will gradually erase the language of the former colonial master while giving importance to local languages And while it will take a while to get a framework in place to expand this program all over Cameroon supporting it will be crucial," Maluh said.  ■ The overall context across crisis-affected regions in Cameroon is summarized below: During a field visit in Foumbot in western Cameroon members of a cooperative of young farmers discuss the next steps for a successful implementation of the Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control A regional training workshop to enhance the capacity of national focal points from central Africa countries in monitoring, early warning and sustainable management of the aggressive fall armyworm (FAW) pest was the focus of a recent workshop and field visit in Cameroon organized through the Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control The workshop in Yaoundé also aimed to strengthen coordination between demonstration and pilot countries of the Global Action through classroom theory as well as farm-level practical sessions Participants at the workshop that began 28 February 2022 included national focal points from central Africa countries plant protection officers from ten regions of Cameroon They validated a regional integrated pest management (IPM) strategy document and a two-year work plan for continued Global Action against the persistent FAW pest at the central Africa geo-zone level the FAMEWS Global Platform and integration with the Hand-in-Hand geospatial platform The workshop was officially opened by Ms Mbong Epse Bambot Grace Annih Cameroon’s Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) She is also chair of the FAW National Task Force in Cameroon “Participants shared valuable inputs including concerns about the use of highly hazardous pesticides to control FAW - these chemicals have consequences on health of the farmers,” said  Jean Claude Rwaburindi technical Integration and technology transfer specialist with the FAW Secretariat “They also discussed the availability and cost of pheromones which is affecting FAW monitoring in central African countries.”  The FAW Secretariat is working in close collaboration with the Cameroon National Task Force for Fall Armyworm Control and focal points from seven pilot countries they developed the regional IPM strategy with a special focus on Cameroon as the demonstration country and an aim of establishing strong coordination between demonstration and pilot countries That strategy was initially evaluated in December 2021 at the national level with recommendations from stakeholders in Cameroon Asia and the Pacific from its home in the Americas Urgent action is required to prevent this pest from threatening the global food security and livelihoods of millions of smallholder families around the world FAO has developed the three-year Global Action to reduce crop losses due to FAW and to decrease the risk of further spread and infestation in countries where the pest has so far had only a limited presence The Global Action has also established a coordination mechanism at global regional and national levels and is being implemented in a coordinated and harmonised manner in three regions: Africa Those three regions are classified into geographic zones with eight demonstration countries – including Cameroon – and 53 pilot countries Following the workshop and training sessions a two-day field visit was organized in the area around Ntui in central Cameroon Foumbot holds particular significance because it is also the first site in Cameroon where FAW was reported local leaders and extension agents were consulted during discussions focused on collaborations for successful implementation of the Global Action The field visit aimed at identifying sites for demonstrations of IPM technology in the two locations The demonstration plots will involve members of the farmer cooperatives in the two regions and are expected to provide an inspiration for cooperative members to manage FAW on their plots collectively measuring up to 86 ha in Ntui and 200 ha in Foumbot Intercropping of maize with beans will be promoted and the demonstration fields will be managed by local extension agents and a farmers’ youth cooperative with support from MINADER Maize planting season was expected to start in March 2022 and field days will be organized throughout the season with a geo-zone field visit likely in mid-June 2022 (Business in Cameroon) - Feicom-villes moyennes (PDFVM) launched in 2014 thanks to the CFA10 billion provided by the German cooperation will set 188 solar street lights in Dschang and Foumbot the towns’ officials signed agreements with the PDFVM and the Cameroonian communal banks The works were entrusted to 2L Technologies which should complete it within 4 months for an amount estimated at CFA352 million Kribi Bitumen Plant Set to Start Construction in 2025 with Government Backing CEMAC Bond Market Hits CFA 8.45 Trillion in March 2025, Interest Rates Drop Cameroon’s Timber Output Projected to Rise in 2025 Despite Higher Export Taxes Central Africa Stock Exchange Sees 98% Drop in Trading Value in Q1 2025 Every week the economy and investment news from Cameroon Mboa Paris Trains 30 Young Cameroonians to Boost Tech and Entrepreneurship Cameroon Audit Targets Former Officials for Mismanagement in Agricultural Project Camwater Seeks Global Bids to Launch Bottled Water Lines in Five Cities Bafoussam Workshop Highlights Benefits of Cameroon-EU Trade Agreement Cameroon Could Reach 350,100 Tons of Cotton in 2025 (Beac) Paul Biya Appoints Johnny Razack as Chair of Cameroon’s National Investment Company Cameroon Refuses Work Visa Renewal for Casino and Super U Boss Over Toxic Workplace Claims Cameroon Joins Global Charter to Fight Illegal Fishing Director of Mission for the Regulation of Consumer Products Supply (MIRAP) Cyprien Bamzok Ntol led a delegation of public administration heads (from agriculture one of Cameroon’s largest for fresh produce situated in the West region of the country Bamzok Ntol announced that the group he led was conducting a feasibility study for the packaging stocking and supply of consumer products for the domestic market The project is to be completed in proximity to Cameroon’s two farming zones which are respectively located in East and West Cameroon local officials hope to “improve the collection quality and preservation of these products so as to ensure their permanent availability in order that all economic operators and consumers may be able to have them We hope to make this dream a reality in 5 years.” Cameroon loses 25% of its agricultural production due to a lack of preservation infrastructure MIRAP should be able to significantly increase the volume of food products available to Cameroonian households using periodic markets The volume was estimated to be 7,454 tonnes in 2012 the Ministry of Public Works unveiled part of the contractual clauses that bind Cameroon to the French consortium Razel Bec-Egis and maintaining the 14 automatic toll booths in the country The said partnership contract covers a 20-year period including two years of construction and 18 years of operation over 300 direct and many indirect jobs will be created the Razel Bec-Egis consortium has committed to reserving 95% of the overall hourly labor volume required to Cameroonians and hiring 98% of the staff dedicated to operation and maintenance services from the national workforce,” the communication material distributed by the ministry reads “To guarantee a proven ‘local content’ use and consistent technological transfer the partner has committed to hiring local small and medium-sized enterprises for design and construction services of up to 34% of the initial cost of the project (XAF7.854 billion pre-tax value),” the document continues The 14 toll booths are to be built at Nsimalen (Yaoundé-Mbalmayo) Foumbot (Bafoussam-Foumbot) and Dschang (Dschang-Bamougoum) The project is being carried out within the framework of a public-private partnership formed by the Razel-BEC-Egis Projects group) was awarded the contract on May 18 The company formed must ensure the financing (Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon’s government in the framework of its AGROPOLES project which aims at creating income-generating activities in rural areas Foumbot will therefore supply the avocado oil factory which is under construction in Mbouda With this project which has been valued at 678 million FCFA (out of which 260 million FCFA coming from the AGROPOLES project) 34 producers from this community plan to establish about 369 acres of plantations of an improved variety of peer should yield 5,000 tons of peer yearly against the 1,500 tons presently produced Asides supplying the Mbouda avocado oil factory (Business in Cameroon) - A little more is unveiled on the specifications required for the construction of the first 14 electronic toll booths in Cameroon According to the department of public works new booths include a ring road zone (approach area) which comprises a rigidly structured pavement of two lanes each (2 X 3.50 m in width) A booth platform will cover two rigid pavements of two lanes each three islets of 2.00m wide each including the entire civil engineering works a parking lot and a specific secure access road have commercial spaces upstream and downstream of the toll booths The 14 toll stations to be built and the road routes are as follows : Nsimalen (Yaoundé-Mbalmayo) Mbankomo (Yaoundé-Mbankomo) ; Tiko (Douala-Mutenguene) ; Edea (Douala-Edea) ; Boumnyebel (Edea-Boumnyebel) ; Nkometou (Yaoundé-Obala) ; Bayangam (Bangangte-Bafoussam) ; Bafia (Obala-Bafia) ; Mbanga (Douala-Mbanga) ; Manjo (Mbanga-Manjo) ; Bandja (Bafang-Bafoussam) ; Matazen (Bafoussam-Bamenda) ; Foumbot (Bafoussam-Foumbot) and Dschang (Dschang-Bamougoum) the Minister of Land Registry and Land Affairs (Mindcaf) was asked to sign additives to the decrees declaring public utility for the nine sites maintained at the existing posts The project’s scope is defined according to the new design which requires development on a platform of about 300 m long and 120 m wide The other five toll stations were discussed during local consultations for a consensual designation of the new sites in response to the geophysical and agglomeration constraints of housing or small businesses