Abstract        

Youths are important entities that through their inputs such as physical strength, mental capabilities and exposure serve as a great tool for improving their communities which makes it essential to determine the extent of their involvement in the development of their community. It is based on this that the study assessed the Contribution of youths’ organisation in community development in Buea Municipality.

Specifically, the study sought to examined the factors affecting the participation of youths in the process of development programmes, the benefits derived from participating in these programmes, the level of youth’s participation in the process involved in the programme and the problems associated with youths’ community development activities in Buea Municipality. To achieved these objectives the study employed a quantitative research design to sample 50 youths within the Buea Municipality using a structured-questionnaire.

Findings revealed that findings revealed that lack of technical skills, lack of incentives, lack of awareness, political constraints and ongoing crisis in the region, social constraints and financial constraints as a moderate factor affecting their participation. Reduction in unemployment among youths, reduced dependency on government and the community, improved standard of living, reduce crime among youths, provision of a sense of belonging were major benefits youth derived from youth organisation.

The study further revealed that youth community development activities faced some major obstacles such as were, lack of adequate funding, lack of basic equipment, fraud, dishonesty, and corruption among members/leaders, politics, rivalries and envy, inability to accept change in traditional and cultural practices and unfavorable government policies and corruption.

It is concluded that despite the constraints that youths face in their participation, lack of benefits that are afforded them, if given the opportunity to serve their communities, they are willing and ready to do so to the best of their abilities.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of The Study

Youth involvement in community development programme has been as long as man’s existence. Their contribution towards community development in a given area Buea community has much to be desired. It is generally accepted in most developing countries like Cameroon, that government alone cannot develop all the rural communities as at when due.

Apart from leadership, there are other things that are against the attainment of a meaningful, progressive and just society that we have been longing for but failed to respond decisively. Although there are few books that cover the role of youth in community development or nation building. This study will treat all aspects of the topic as evidence to show whether or not youths played effective contributive role in the development of rural areas (Doorbus, 2001).

It is a common thing that “youths are the leaders of tomorrow”, it could therefore be seen that the contributions of youths to rural development is very important, hence people look up to the youths for active leadership, self-reliance, honesty, selfless service, industrial knowledge, patriotism and discipline. Generally, youths constitute about 2/3 (two-third) of the active population, by youth we mean those young active and powerful or dynamic people in the society under the ages of forty.

In Cameroon, youth activities date back to the pre-colonial era within the youth, despite their limited number, organized themselves on an age-grade basis in their various communities. Today, youth in Cameroon constitute a significant percentage of the population, from statistics available. Consequently, youth is not merely an object of passing concern on academic study, but a factor to be reckoned with.

The youth are first and foremost seeking identity. Governments and indeed the public must accord the youth his fundamental recognition. This can best be done through a national youth policy. The absence of such a policy before 1983 has had restrictive effects on achieving optimum results about youth work in the country. It is a known fact that youth is:

An age of emotional development and upsets resulting in sudden changes in mood and behaviour; and a period of idealism when the youth see life in terms of theoretical ideas and concepts which need to be tested in the field of practical life. It is also an impressionist age when correct ideas and images are required for a good upbringing;

Youth organizations, just like any other sector, are faced with questions on their roles and achievements and whether they meet the interests of youth or not, as well as on their abilities to influence and draw general policies. The role entrusted to the youth organizations is by role, and their development and effectiveness will certainly be a way. Hence into being defined chronologically as a period of age between certain ages, youth is also defined functionally involve a process of transition from childhood to adult, marked by rituals or physical changes, as well as culturally, (about the role that individuals plays in a given social context).

1.2 Statement of The Problem

This study is concerned with the advantages of youth organization in the South West Region of Cameroon, taking the case study of various youth organisation in the south west region like, Association for Society Orgaisation, Buea for clarity of purpose. The youth are not given the opportunity or encouragement in the community, because they are lacking assistance technically and financially.

There are some individuals that are not aware of youth organization; neither they know their vital roles, this hinders the contributions of the development of the Buea sub division. And also, the youth are not educated enough to be able to organize a forum of discussion. Youth organizations are highly accepted by the community, this is because of the benefits that they realized, the community have the feelings that of encouragement is not given to the youth organization the level of development of any community will be low thus, youths are the backbone of a given community.

Members of the community learned that youth organizations encourage visitors to a different environment, developed national cohesion and discussion, a forum for discussion on local matters is provided by them and assert in reviewing some cultural matters. Help in creating positive opportunities for the youth. Most people today believe that these organizations have overstepped their elementary stage served by a lot of circumstances the most important of which are that they have a large space for doing their work and are partially liberated from the constraints that were imposed on them

Pittman (1993) defines youth development as “the ongoing youth process in which all youths are engaged attempting to meet their basic personal and social needs to state feel cared for, be valued and to build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives” the definition accurately describes youth development as a process that all you people go through on the way to adulthood. As the definition implies, it is a processor jointly that automatically involves all of the people ground the youth family and community.

A young person will not be able to build essential skills and competencies to feel safe, cared for valued, useful and spiritually grounded unless the family and community provide them with the support and opportunities they need. Thus, youth’s development is also a process in which family and community must actively participate. Ellis, (1999) the meaning of youth and the way society regard youth, varies across time and space, as well as within societies. In particular, the youth had an important gender dimension; boys and girls might experience being a youth in a considerably different.

1.3 Research Questions

What are the contributions of youth’s organisation in to community development of Buea Municipality?

1.3.1 Main Research question

What are the factors affecting the participation of youths in the process of development programmes in Buea Municipality?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What factors affect the participation of youths in the process of development programmes?
2. What are the benefits derived from participating in these programmes?
3. What is the level of youth’s participation in the process involved in the programme?
4. What are the problems associated with youths’ community development activities in Buea Municipality?

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