U.S. Embassy in Cameroon Grant: Leadership Academy for Disability Empowerment

The U.S. Embassy in Cameroon announces an open competition to provide a comprehensive leadership training for people with disabilities. The program will consist of coaching, workshops, webinars, and an in-person boot-camp with debates, presentations, and connections to resources and opportunities.

This project will allow youth living with disabilities to exercise leadership, build self-esteem, and get connected with resources and opportunities. Proposals must demonstrate knowledge on the situation of youth with disabilities in Cameroon and propose a strategy to bring together youth with disabilities to grow their leadership, build connections, and enact meaningful change in their personal lives and communities. At the end of the project, participants should be able to set and pursue personal and professional leadership goals, and mentor other youth in their communities. 

Please carefully follow all instructions below. 

Program Objectives:   

·        Recruit and build capacities and leadership skills of at least 50 youth with disabilities ages 18 – 25  

·        Provide opportunities that allow participants to exercise leadership and build self-esteem

·        Organize a leadership boot camp for youth with disabilities

·        Expose participants to role models and connect them to resources and opportunities

·        Introduce YALI Network to youth with disabilities countrywide

·        Conduct needs assessment, pre- and post-evaluation to measure the impact of the program on participants and provide an appropriate training curriculum

The applicant will design and carry out all aspects of the project. The proposal should include details about activities, content, timeline, recruitment of participants, etc. Activities should be conducted both virtually and in person, in a format that is compliant with COVID-19 prevention measures, and should include activities such as practical exercises, case-studies, presentation, discussion groups, peer learning activities and/or fact-finding exercises.  

All proposals must include needs analysis activities to assess participants’ needs, follow-up activities to reinforce training topics and empower the participants to put them into practice, and monitoring and evaluation activities to assess the impact of the project. All proposals must include American resource materials such as YALI Network, or American-origin models/ideas, and/or involve American experts or alumni of U.S. government exchange programs.  

Proposal budgets should include costs for participants’ travel from their residence to the location of the boot camp, accommodation (as necessary), as well as all necessary working materials and resources. Proposal budgets should also include English/French and sign language interpretation, during all workshop sessions, and other necessary translation expenses, if any, to ensure that all content is available for all. Budgets may also include honorarium for speakers and administrative expenses for the applicant. 

Audience: 

The main target audience for this project is young people with disabilities, ages 18-25, with motivation to build their capacity and skills for success. Participants should be drawn from all regions of the country. Selection of participants should respect inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equity.

Proposals must include an element of American expertise, American resources on the topic at hand, or American cultural or societal experience relevant to the topic. This may be accomplished by incorporating U.S.-origin materials, theories, or other resources, or the involvement of American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) – or Cameroonian alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs – that will promote increased understanding of U.S. values, culture, policy, and/or perspectives.

Read the full announcement for additional information.

The U.S. Embassy in Cameroon announces an open competition to provide a comprehensive leadership training for people with disabilities. The program will consist of coaching, workshops, webinars, and an in-person boot-camp with debates, presentations, and connections to resources and opportunities.

This project will allow youth living with disabilities to exercise leadership, build self-esteem, and get connected with resources and opportunities. Proposals must demonstrate knowledge on the situation of youth with disabilities in Cameroon and propose a strategy to bring together youth with disabilities to grow their leadership, build connections, and enact meaningful change in their personal lives and communities. At the end of the project, participants should be able to set and pursue personal and professional leadership goals, and mentor other youth in their communities. 

Please carefully follow all instructions below. 

Program Objectives:   

·        Recruit and build capacities and leadership skills of at least 50 youth with disabilities ages 18 – 25  

·        Provide opportunities that allow participants to exercise leadership and build self-esteem

·        Organize a leadership boot camp for youth with disabilities

·        Expose participants to role models and connect them to resources and opportunities

·        Introduce YALI Network to youth with disabilities countrywide

·        Conduct needs assessment, pre- and post-evaluation to measure the impact of the program on participants and provide an appropriate training curriculum

The applicant will design and carry out all aspects of the project. The proposal should include details about activities, content, timeline, recruitment of participants, etc. Activities should be conducted both virtually and in person, in a format that is compliant with COVID-19 prevention measures, and should include activities such as practical exercises, case-studies, presentation, discussion groups, peer learning activities and/or fact-finding exercises.  

All proposals must include needs analysis activities to assess participants’ needs, follow-up activities to reinforce training topics and empower the participants to put them into practice, and monitoring and evaluation activities to assess the impact of the project. All proposals must include American resource materials such as YALI Network, or American-origin models/ideas, and/or involve American experts or alumni of U.S. government exchange programs.  

Proposal budgets should include costs for participants’ travel from their residence to the location of the boot camp, accommodation (as necessary), as well as all necessary working materials and resources. Proposal budgets should also include English/French and sign language interpretation, during all workshop sessions, and other necessary translation expenses, if any, to ensure that all content is available for all. Budgets may also include honorarium for speakers and administrative expenses for the applicant. 

Audience: 

The main target audience for this project is young people with disabilities, ages 18-25, with motivation to build their capacity and skills for success. Participants should be drawn from all regions of the country. Selection of participants should respect inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equity.

Proposals must include an element of American expertise, American resources on the topic at hand, or American cultural or societal experience relevant to the topic. This may be accomplished by incorporating U.S.-origin materials, theories, or other resources, or the involvement of American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) – or Cameroonian alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs – that will promote increased understanding of U.S. values, culture, policy, and/or perspectives.

Read the full ann9uncement for additional information.