Being a survivor of domestic abuse and having had various experiences around hinderances to women’s leadership such as patriarchy as well as girls education, and determined to build a community of strong women and girls who understand their worth and are deliberate about building a beautiful future for themselves, Christelle Bay Chongwain – our founder brought together a group of 4 other women (founding members) who at that time, shared her vision of girls/women’s leadership, community peacebuilding, girls education and women’s ability to shape their world. This marked the beginning of HOFNA as an association in Cameroon in 2012 – with a focus on girls education promotion, leadership develop, poverty alleviation and addressing all forms gender based violence.
Today, HOFNA has grown into an organisation in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, is a charity with a 501(c) Status in the United States of America and our programs have impacted over 50 000 women and girls across Cameroon. Over the years, we have engaged men, traditional title holders and policy makers at various levels in prioritising women’s peace building priorities and engaging communities to put an end to various forms of gender-based violence and poverty. HOFNA has a board made up of 5 board members with expertise that span across different fields and is run on a daily basis by a team of 5 - the Programs Manager, the Project Development Officer, the Communication Assistant and Coordination Officer. HOFNA also has a group of 3 volunteers as part of the team and an Advisory Board that supports the BOD and team with advise through various challenges. See our organisational structure
Our Founder is a Trained Social Worker and over the years have received different national and international awards including President Obama’s Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the African Achievers Award in the House of Lords England and the Prestigious British Government Chevening Scholarship for Global leaders.
Our Founder’s story recently got featured in Wakefield Council Adult Social Care Website