Background

Naturally, before good things happen, Bad things have the stage:

•  Relatively inadequate education systems, inappropriate mindsets & mentality
•  Youth insecurity (lack of confidence)
•  Zero to poor basic services & infrastructures (drinkable water points, energy, roads & essential health care facilities)
•  Too little industrialization with very limited local manufacturing
•  Unemployment
•  Civil conflicts, displacement and migration

These issues, amidst (and some even the result of) social injustices, inequalities & climate change, affect the well being of our entire world; and sadly alarming in the global south. They are the complex challenges that make life difficult for our community’s most vulnerable – disadvantaged, excluded & marginalized groups; and compel a contribution from civil society.

Thus, Development Initiatives (a.k.a Deviin) came into being; stemming from CYGRACIG that had been founded in 2002 by a group of fresh graduates in the town of Buea, Cameroon to help address growing unemployment among school leavers in their community at the time. Different ambitions & the pursuit for greener pastures will eventually disperse them across the country and the world at large. Fast forward to 2018, the idea had evolved against the backdrop of broader awareness and deeper understanding of the sustainable development agenda over the years and Deviin was informally established by these change enthusiasts. A resolve to take needed change-oriented action happened in the wake of the Corona virus pandemic in March 2020: When horror from rising death toll globally; and so many local communities in lack of adequate basic clean water to wash hands as prescribed by WHO meant a looming worse situation. This will ignite Deviin’s formal existence – starting in Cameroon (the central African home country of the change makers) that was already battling three humanitarian crises.