HOFNA is now a United Nations-accredited NGO in Special Consultative Status with the ECOSOC.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations at its 2018 Regular Session, held from the 29 January to 7 February 2018 decided to recommend Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council to HOFNA Cameroon. This recommendation was endorsed by the Economic and Social Council at its coordination and Management Meeting held on the 16 – 18 April 2018.

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Since her creation, HOFNA has, through her programs:

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  • Trained over 30 traditional rulers and traditional title holders on responding to and preventing Gender based violence with special emphasis on preventing child trafficking in Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region of Cameroon
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  • Trained over 100 taxi drivers, bike riders, barbers and hair dressers on a response to and prevention of child trafficking and gender-based violence in communities in the NWR
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  • Reached out to over 6000 students, parents and teachers – using theater performance and debates to raise awareness on child, early and forced marriages and other forms of school related gender-based violence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVY_Airm6r4
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  • Encouraged over 200 girls stay in school over the past 6 years through leadership development programs and scholarship awards.
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  • donated benches, textbooks, pens, drinking pales, charts, didactic materials and materials for extracurricular activities that are benefitting over 500 children in 5 schools in rural communities in the NWR
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  • Worked with UNDP, Albany Associates and over 15 CSOs from Sub-Saharan Africa to develop an APP that guides CSOs and individuals plan and run effective campaigns to prevent/counter violent extremism.
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  • Engaged over 3000 young people using poetry, spoken word and the unifying power of music to promote religious tolerance in Cameroon.
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  • Engaged over 200 youth and women in agriculture as a business by training them on sustainable agriculture best practices for income generation through our Certified Coffee Nursery Initiative and our established HOFNA Farm.
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These are just a little representation of the impact HOFNA has created over the years - there is much more and the journey continues.

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What is the Special Consultative Status?

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The ECOSOC grants Special Consultative Status to NGOs whose programs are of direct relevance to the aims and purpose of the United Nations.

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By having consultative status, HOFNA could:

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  • Provide expert analysis on issues directly from its experience in the field;
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  • Serve as an early warning agent;
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  • Help monitor and implement international agreements;
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  • Help raise public awareness of relevant issues;
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  • Play a major role in advancing United Nations goals and objectives;
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  • Contribute with essential information at organization events;
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  • Attend international conferences and events;
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  • Make written and oral statements at these events;
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  • Organize side events;
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  • Enter United Nations premises;
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  • Have opportunities to network and lobby.
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Consultative Status to the United Nations ECOSOC is the highest status granted by the United Nations to NGOs and granted upon recommendation of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, which is comprised of 19 Member States. In 1945, 41 NGOs were granted consultative status by the council; by 1992 more than 700 NGOs had attained consultative status and the number has been steadily increasing ever since with more than 4,000 organizations today.
This year, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations had before it 483 applications and #HOFNA is privileged to be among 223 NGOs which were recommended for consultative status.

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HOFNA creates opportunities that socioeconomically empower women and girls - building their leadership and employability skills.

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Our dreams continue! And every day we are pushing our boundaries to reach out to more women and girls who are less fortunate but deserve a chance. Together we can realize this dream...

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Get involved... http://www.hofna.org/getinvolved

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We thank our partners and friends for believing in us and for their support thus far and we believe the best is yet to come!

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