NewsWatch Recognizes Humanitarian Activist Esther Omam

By Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe

Esther Omam is not a new name in the Humanitarian response project in Cameroon and beyond.

This is the reason why the announcement by the Jury of the NewsWatch Newspaper 10th Anniversary award, declaring her organization, Reach Out Cameroon as the winner of the outstanding humanitarian organization of the year award was also not a surprise.

The award that was handed to her last Saturday August 19  in Yaounde  for  her  being active and consistent in supporting persons, especially women, girls, and children, affected by the drawn-out armed conflict in the North West and South West regions.

Reaction

In a reaction to the Award, Ma Esther Omam as she is fondly called thanked members of the panel and the many readers who voted for her.

According to her this adds another milestone in the journey covered so far since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis.

She continued that it comes at a time in a crisis that started slowly and one which many thought won’t stand the test of time.

“We are moving to the 7th year of this crisis with many lives lost to it, so much destruction, pain, and suffering caused. A crisis that made us rethink our positions from development practitioners that we were to humanitarians and peace mediators. Yes, I remember so vividly that in 2017 we were still wondering what was happening, and what the future had in store for us. Then we started towards the end of that same year to provide aid to those who needed them.” She told the population attending the NewsWatch anniversary and award night.

Esther Omam, said under her stewardship, Reach Out Cameroon become the pioneer humanitarian organization in the course of this crisis.

Many of their project beneficiaries were nowhere to be found in their natural communities, they had fled for their dear lives after witnessing the horrors caused by war.

 “We could not stay indifferent to their cry, we had to keep searching, looking for the least opportunity that will enable us to bring some relief to them, that opportunity that will help us instill hope in them and relieve them of their pains and sufferings.” She added.

Reaching Out For Real

It should be noted that today, Reach Out Cameroon is implementing humanitarian interventions covering the Centre, the Littoral, the Extreme North, the North West, South West and the West regions of Cameroon.

Consistently, their interventions have provided assistance to over 1,800,000 persons in need in various categories ranging from primary health care, nutrition, NFIs, WASH, Economic Security, GBV referrals and Management, Information, education and counselling, shelter, establishment of civil status documents, sexual and reproductive health rights through mobile clinics and downstream partners.

They are also involved in Fighting HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis in all 13 divisions of the NWSW with 27 District CSOs as partners and 1,920 community health volunteers to relay our services.

In confidence, Esther Omam said “I can humbly say yes, we have served our people and we continue serving them despite all odds. We did not just end there, we had to mainstream peace and mediation work everywhere we go so as to strengthen community systems thereby building peace, piece by piece.”

To her, this award which reminds her that they have to keep striving, working hard for those who are alive bearing in mind those who have passed on because their untimely death reminds them of the realities of armed conflicts and their devastating effects.

 Focus On Women

The Humanitarian and Peace Builder noted that there is a need to support women who bear the brunt of conflicts day in and day out so that they can use their hearts and heads to heal the land and restore peace.

“There is need to balance women’s representation in all dialogue platforms and all humanitarian actions if our aim is to achieve sustainable peace. The vital role of women, front-line leaders who are making substantial contributions to the pursuit of peace and security in their communities cannot be over-emphasized.” She added.

Dedication

She dedicated the award to all the actors in humanitarian response, especially women who are at the forefront of life-saving actions, women in the communities whom we call apostles of peace, community peace champions, working day and night to deliver humanitarian aid, carrying out advocacy actions at their risk and peril.

She also dedicated the award to all the staff and volunteers of Reach Out Cameroon, many of whom tread dangerous and insecure hard-to-reach communities on a daily basis to deliver humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations.

Gratitude

 “I can’t say thank you enough to all our funders, donors, and partners who find our work worthy of their financial and technical support. I honour my family with this award, my husband and children especially, who have suffered a great deal physically and psychologically, supportively bearing my absence on numerous impromptu missions.”

Flash Back

Before the recognition by The Newswatch, Esther Omam had been admitted in the hall of fame of African Women who have been fighting for the valorisation and emancipation of women in Cameroon after Delphine Tsanga and Alphine Ekotto.

This was during the celebration of the 60th Edition of The Day of the African Woman organised by the ministry for the Promotion of Women's Empowerment and the Family- MINPROFF.

She was recognised for contributing to the empowerment of the Cameroonian Women on Day of the African Women was celebrated under the theme; Building women's human capital for an inclusive sustainable development: tracking the scourge of violence while improving food security and good nutrition in Africa.

Prior to her admission into the hall of fame, Esther was panelist at the African Drive for Democracy Conference 2022: Fighting the Democratic backslide through renewed action and solidarity.

She presented a paper on: The Role of Non-State Actors within The Framework of the Regional Economic Communities in Promoting Democratisation on the Continent.

Esther Omam, the Executive Director of Reach Out NGO has been at the forefront of development issues, building a culture of peace and rights and conducting humanitarian assistance in the South West Region of Cameroon and beyond since 2000. Her activities in the promotion and protection of women and children’s rights took her to the Bakassi Peninsula in 2011.

Her endeavors in building a culture of peace and rights in Bakassi made her to advocate for the Bakassi women’s participation in the celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Re-unification of Cameroon before the Head of State, diplomatic missions, the international and national Communities in February 2014.

This request was granted and lead to the empowerment of the Bakassi Women, some of who are today, Senators, MPs and mayors.

She became the Peace and Human Rights Champion of Bakassi which earned her an award from the Canadian High Commission, in recognition of her valuable contribution of protection and promotion of human rights in Cameroon.

Esther Omam received the 2020 peace award in Cameroon for being the pioneer woman in peacebuilding by the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon Peace Office and the Union of Peace Builders in Cameroon.

The Humanitarian leader was awarded the Cameroon SHERO on COVID19 prevention by the Women in Global Health Cameroon. Esther has gained other recognitions for her work in the communities and Cameroon as a whole.

She received the 2020 Outstanding Humanitarian, Peace and Mediation award by Scoop Media.

Esther Omam was a member of the organizing Committee for the first ever Cameroon Women's Convention for Peace.

Photo Credit: Nkengafack Eucharia/ File