The COVID-19 Brigade for Safe Schools in Cameroon project.

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the Coronavirus disease called COVID-19, was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization in March 2020 and the virus spread to many countries including Cameroon. The spread and devastating effect of this strain of Coronavirus was without respect for race, religion, ethnicity, disability, status, age, or gender. Although there were/are conspiracy theories regarding its existence, COVID-19 is a reality and is still present in our communities including schools.

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On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the government of Cameroon officially reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country and announced a strategy to curb its spread. Following the government's COVID-19 response plan, schools were to be temporarily closed, gatherings of more than 50 persons were prohibited, and public administrators were encouraged to give preference to electronic communications and digital tools for meetings. The statement from the government equally urged the public to strictly observe the hygiene measures recommended by the World Health Organization as a means to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

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As a contribution to curbing the spread of the virus, the Cameroon Fulbright TEA Alumni Association in partnership with the regional delegations of secondary education of the 10 regions of Cameroon, successfully implemented the project titled “COVID-19 Brigade for Safe Schools in Cameroon” in secondary schools in the 58 administrative divisions in the country, during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 school years.

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The purpose of this project was to contribute to creating a safe learning environment and improving teaching-learning conditions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in order to improve performance. This was achieved through the actions of 58 recruited and online-trained secondary and high school teachers called “COVID-19 Brigade Commanders” drawn from each of the 58 administrative divisions of Cameroon.

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The COVID-19 Brigade Commanders after training were commissioned as volunteers to carry out the following activities in their administrative divisions:

• Recruit and train other project volunteers (COVID-19 brigade soldiers) in secondary schools in Cameroon.

•  Create partnerships with health clubs and other focal points that fight COVID-19 in schools.

•   Receive and utilize project materials (such as badges, face masks, and T-shirts) for project volunteers and training manuals for the schools.

•  Conduct school and classroom sensitizations emphasizing the reality of COVID-19, misconceptions, and myths, and above all barrier measures.

•  Share reports of activities carried out on media platforms like the radio, TV, and Facebook.

•  Organize competitions to promote respect for COVID-19 barrier measures among students.

In the 2020/2021 school year, 370 secondary schools, 2214 teachers, 263472 students, 744 school administrators, and 28283 others (sensitization through media-radio, TV, and Facebook), were impacted. Meanwhile, in the second phase of the project, 655 secondary schools, 4744 teachers, 1961 school administrators, 276177 students, and 502790 others were reached.

This project was funded by a grant from the US Embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon under the Public Diplomacy grant.