Bright Light Projects (BLP) is set to celebrate a pivotal milestone on December 17, 2025, as 15 resilient young beneficiaries, 10 from the flagship Girls Shall Rise (GSR) program and 5 from Young Men Entrepreneurship (YME), graduate from the Women’s Empowerment and the Family Centre (WEFC) in Buea, Southwest Cameroon. This ceremony caps a transformative one-year journey in skills such as Computer Information Systems, Graphic Design, Hotel Management and Catering, Fashion Design, and Sewing, honed through rigorous training and 3-4-month internships at local businesses across the Buea municipality. Amid the Anglophone crisis since 2016, these graduates, many of whom are displaced from villages, exemplify BLP’s motto: Rebuilding Broken Communities, turning vulnerability into viable enterprises.
Reflecting directly on UN Women’s global advocacy for gender-inclusive economic empowerment, this graduation advances SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Since 2018, GSR has empowered 540+ girls, achieving a 95% success rate in securing jobs or starting businesses within six months. YME has supported 112 young men since 2022, achieving a 92% enterprise launch rate. Overall, BLP’s programs have reached 22,000+ beneficiaries, with an average success rate of 90%, fostering community jobs and resilience. Yet, the path to sustainability hinges on start-up kits, tools, and seed funding to launch their ventures. “UN Women champions initiatives like ours that dismantle barriers for women entrepreneurs,” said Franco Bonghan, BLP Executive Director. “With donor support, these 15 graduates will create ripple effects, employing locals and scaling impact.”
BLP urgently calls on funders, philanthropists, and partners to provide start-up kits and expand GSR/YME to 50 more youths in 2026, amplifying UN Women’s HeForShe movement for equitable futures. Your investment rebuilds lives.
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