To successfully achieve the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, there is a need for youth participation, says Dr. Babatunde Osotimebin, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA in 2016.
In this light, 25 year Lesly Ringyuy, runs a foundation that seeks to provide members of the community access to basic healthcare facilities.
According to Lesly, although Cameroon is a signatory to SDG3 that talks about universal health coverage, he thinks it is ineffective given that people in most rural communities are unable to access basic healthcare needs.
So, the Lesly foundation trains these people on health first aid measures that they can practice to sustain themselves when the need arises until they can access a health facility.
Lesly foundation has been operational since 2018 and is run by a team of about 15 persons most of who are volunteers.
Besides educating communities on basic first aid measures, Lesly organizes training like soap production, handicraft, and empowerment programs like menstrual hygiene, and emotional intelligence to help people make better choices.
Lesly foundation has had a session with youths of the Bokova rural community in Buea, where they talked to these youngsters about drug abuse.
It organized a holiday Bootcamp in partnership with UB’s American corner and about 17 children aged 8-18 were trained to use Microsoft word, excel, PowerPoint, and graphic design using software like canvas and Photoshop.
It is worth noting that besides Bokova rural community, the Lesly foundation has also visited Tole and Mile 16. Lesly foundation was equally the first to intervene after the cholera outbreak at mile 16, Buea.
To ensure that public health issues are handled correctly, the foundation is organizing a public health symposium to run from October 7-8, 2022.
This symposium seeks to enhance and explore knowledge among medics, paramedics, and youths on public health issues in Cameroon. It will run with the theme “Role of Youths in Promoting Public Health in Cameroon.”
Before this event, Lesly notes that there shall be an outreach program on mental health, sickle cell disease, diabetes, Blood Pressure test, and free HIV/AIDs and Malaria screening.
Given that Lesly is the sole sponsor of his programs, it has been challenging for him to extend his activities outside Buea.