About

Who we are

The Mike Yanou Foundation is a non-profit, civil society organization established in 2016. The organisation is situated in Buea, GRA Extension South West Region. It was officially registered in 2020 with Registration No. 171G.37/c84/VOLI/SAAJP, the Mike Yanou Foundation is dedicated to creating prosperous communities with functional families. Our mission is to engage and empower boys and men by providing comprehensive mental health and psychosocial support, ultimately improving the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Our areas of intervention are prevention and response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV),  mental health and psychosocial support services for boys and men, inclusion of persons with disabilities, Drug abuse prevention, Livelihood and poverty reduction, sexual reproductive health and 

Mike Yanou Foundation operates in the South West and North West regions of Cameroon and covers the thematic areas which are the Fako, Meme and Mezam Divisions. We have implemented projects surely as a normalising menstrual conversation among boys, fatherhood conferences, drug-free schools and communities,  community conversations on substance abuse, capacitating the boys and young men on GBV prevention and mitigation, and empowering widows. Unlocking Possibilities sponsored, skill building and acquisition, Improving psychosocial support orphanage projects.

One of our notable achievements is the Restore Her Dignity Project, which we pioneered in partnership with Royalty World. This initiative aims to empower young girls to lead by providing menstrual hygiene education and kits. Over the past three years, the project has reached over 30,000 girls and young women in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.  We have also supported numerous single mothers by offering livelihood assistance, psychosocial support, and legal aid. We strongly believe in engaging boys and men in gender mainstreaming and have spearheaded the BoysEngage Program at the foundation. This program involves boys aged 12 to 25 in raising awareness about gender-based violence and promoting the creation of functional families free from such violence.

Our Executive Director

Madam Nicholine Awumbom Musi

Founder/Executive Director

She serves as the Executive Director of the Mike Yanou Foundation. Before her role at the foundation, she served as a team leader and social worker at the Resource Development Centre, where she provided evidence-based psychosocial interventions to address the specific needs of service users. Her background in journalism includes serving as the Health Editor for The Post Newspaper and the Editor of Among Youths Magazine, with a focus on reproductive health.

One of Mme. Musi’s notable achievement is the Restore Her Dignity Project, which she pioneered in partnership with Royalty World. This initiative aims to empower young girls to lead by providing menstrual hygiene education and kits. 
 
Under Mme. Musi’s leadership, the Mike Yanou Foundation has also supported numerous single mothers by offering livelihood assistance, psychosocial support, and legal aid. She strongly believes in engaging boys and men in gender mainstreaming and has spearheaded the BoysEngage Program at the foundation. This program involves boys aged 12 to 25 in raising awareness about gender-based violence and promoting the creation of functional families free from such violence.
 
She currently serves as the media lead for The African Widows Summit (TAWS) a premier three-day annual summit. This three-day world-class conference in Tanzania aims to address the critical issue of widowhood across the African continent and to provide political leadership, guidance, and recommendations on the widow’s agenda in the African Union and the focal point in Cameroon.
 
In addition to her work at the foundation, Mme. Musi serves on the Board of the St. Joseph orphanage. For more than eight years, she has actively participated in fundraising efforts to support the construction and operation of the orphanage. Through her dedication and commitment, Mme. Musi has made a significant impact on our communities.