Entrepreneurship Development : Plan International Cameroon, Brain-Booster, Graduate Pioneer Cohort

Plan International Cameroon and Brain-Booster professional training centre on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 in Yaounde sent out the first cohort of 15 mentees from the Leaders Maker Initiative, Lead’MI training programme. All of them young university graduates in technology, marketing and communication.

Limited Chances Of Employment 
Speaking at the occasion, Mrs. Yenji Mairou epouse Bihwong, Plan International Cameroon Director of Programmes, said a child born in Cameroon had only 40 per cent chances of developing their full potentials. “At least 200,000 youth leave school every year, but have little chances of getting employed for want of the required skills - especially young girls,” Mrs. Bihwong said.

15 Mentees Pass Out 
“Plan International believes the Leaders Maker Initiative, Lead’MI mentorship programme will help in changing the situation by providing the right training, valuable skills and networks. The pioneer 15 participants in Lead’MI are a great source of encouragement and hope to other youth who didn’t have the opportunity to participate. We must continue to invest in future generations,” she noted.

Rights Of Children, Equality Of Girls 
Yenji Mairou commended Brain-Booster for the initiative, which she said matches the values of Plan International to promote the rights of children and equality for girls. “Youth have skills that need to be harnessed to make them better in life. Plan International worked with Brain-Booster to mentor the young graduates by offering training space and deploying staff for the purpose – for the young people to showcase what they are capable of,” Mairou Bihwong recalled. 

Programme Expansion 
“This is only the beginning,” Mrs. Yenji Mairou epouse Bihwong promised. Adding, “Together with Brain-Booster, we will mobilise resources to see how we can expand the programme by mentoring more youth in future. They are many unemployed youth with degrees and great skills who need to be given the opportunity to shine. Because Plan International places youth at the centre of its activities.” 

Skills For Job Market 
According to Mrs. Aurel Tayou, the Chief Executive Officer of Leaders Maker Initiative, Lead’MI assists young graduates through an entrepreneurial mentoring programme that fills in the gaps between classroom work and the demands of the job market. “We are so impressed with the results of our pioneer mentoring programme with 15 young graduates in technology, marketing and communication. They received cross-cutting coaching and acquired skills employers require the most. Mentees also developed professional projects to continue to work on. Partner enterprises with which we worked collaborated so well as they understood what the programme requires,” Mrs. Aurel explained. 

Training Approach 
“It was an accelerated training of six weeks using the approach – learn by doing, do it yourself, do it with others and keep evolving. However, participants could not learn everything in six weeks. But what is more important is being aware of the skills companies demand, knowing how and where to get training to develop such competences, how to behave in the work place… 

Valuable Counsel, Training 
“They had the opportunity to listen to experienced professionals and be part of a network wherein they will be exposed to further mentoring opportunities and employment.” Mrs. Tayou went on. Appealing to the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training to work more closely with Lead’MI and employers to understand job market requirements. 

Five-year Practicum Project  
Anita Ndongmo, 19, a graduate in Computer Sciences (Data Sciences) and participant in the first cohort of the Leaders Maker Initiative mentorship programme said her batch learnt a lot in six weeks. And produced a project that we will be implemented for five years, with annual work plans. “I acquired valuable technical and practical skills in website development,” Anita admitted. 

Plan International’s Core Values        
The ceremony also included a presentation of Plan International core values of safeguarding children and the obligation to guar...