At 31st Int'l Day of Families commemoration: Minister drums peace, solidarity, respect of family values.

The Day this year was commemorated under the theme: "Cultivating peace and solidarity within families for a united, inclusive and prosperous Cameroon".

The event had in attendance the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Jules Doret Ndongo, the Governor of the South Region, Felix Nguele Nguele the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO of the Ocean Division and other administrative authorities.

The minister said government is committed to promoting and promoting the family as an institution. “The nation protects and supports the family, the natural foundation of human society," she said. 

Prof Abena Ondoa paid tribute to the six-year-old Mathis killed in Yaounde on May 10 under disturbing circumstances and other men and women murdered in Meyo-Centre in the South Region. 

She called on citizens to reject all forms of violence and appealed to women not to yield to social media narratives that intoxicate good manners. “Know your place as wives and give your husbands theirs,” Prof Abena Ondoa appealed.

She underscored the place of the family as the basic unit of society which serves as the engine of development. The minister called for collective action to protect the family. 

The member of government thanked all national and international partners that have been supporting government drives to empower families.

She was particularly appreciative of the presence of members of the Circle of Friends of Cameroon, CERAC, the humanitarian association of First Lady, Chantal Biya.

Using families to transmit peace

The minister said the theme of this year’s event reminds every one of the place of the family as “cradle of positive values”. The family, the minister stated, is a crucial space for transmitting peace, tolerance, togetherness, and social cohesion. 

"The family is a transversal lever, capable of balancing economic development with social cohesion and sustainability for national unity," she remarked.

Families, she underscored, must make meaning of the theme especially given the upcoming presidential poll.

Confronting modern challenges

On social shifts challenging traditional family structures, the minister recalled the days of old wherein girls and boys received education that better prepared them for parental and marital roles. 

She added that in those years, Christian missionaries nurtured children through frameworks that build harmony and prevented marital breakdowns. Today, she regretted that the social dynamics are threatening the survival of the family.

63 couple use event to legalise union

Some 63 couples used yesterday’s event to legalise their union at the Bipindi Council. Minister Abena Ondoa saluted their decision and urged other citizens in unofficial unions to emulate their example. 

She advised the couples to uphold dialogue which she said “is the foundation of a stable family life”. Abena Ondoa offered gifts to the 63 couples.

Supports establishment of 500 birth certificates

During the event, the minister equally assisted in the sharing of 500 birth certificates to children who did not have the vital civil status document.

The document, she said, was established as part of partnership between the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family and the Bipindi Council. 

Enter Bipindi Mayor 

Speaking during the event, the Mayor of Bipindi Council, Bilong Elias, thanked the minister for choosing to commemorate the family day in his municipality.

The mayor said Bipindi lacks several basic amenities such as electricity, court and other facilities that hinder development.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3450 of Friday May 16, 2025