Visionary Reports

Capacity building workshop targets non-formal education staff under ECW-funded Multi-Year Resilience Program

Supervisors and facilitators of non-formal education centers in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions have undergone a four-day training on inclusive education and specialized teaching materials, The workshop, that ran from May 6–9, 2026 in Douala, was part of the Multi-Year Resilience Program (MYRP) funded by Education Cannot Wait. It was aim to equip directors, supervisors, and facilitators with skills to support children with special needs in Temporary Learning Spaces and other non-formal settings.Cameroon has committed under SDG 4, the National Development Strategy NDS30, and its National Policy on Inclusive Education to ensure that by 2028, at least 25% of people with special needs have access to inclusive, equitable, and quality education.

According to UNICEF national project officer Wandi Mabel Beikeh, challenges including inadequate teacher training, lack of adapted materials, poor infrastructure, and teaching methods that don’t account for student diversity. She said the training was to address these gaps by building the capacity of educators working in crisis-affected areas of the North West and South West regionsLed by experts from the Ministry of Basic Education and UNESCO, the workshop reviewed concepts of inclusive education and social inclusion. Introduce tools for identifying learners with special educational needs. Demonstrate individualized support and inclusive classroom management. Present guidelines for adapting learning environments and trained participants on using and creating specialized materials for subjects including math, reading, writing, geography, and science“The training program used a “learning by doing” approach, combining presentations, group work, demonstrations, and mock lessons” Wandi Mabel Beikeh explained.Participants also receive specialized materials and user guides for immediate use in targeted temporary learning spaces and government non-formal centers.The sub director of Basic Education in the Ministry of Basic Education Mr Andela Yves explained that at the end of the workshop, participants gained a stronger grasp of inclusive education, master the use of specialized materials, and will be able to create a safe, equitable learning environment for all learners. He added that the initiative is part of broader government and partner efforts to improve school accessibility, retain children with disabilities in school, and train staff to meet diverse learning needs.The training was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Government of Cameroon under the ECW-MYRP program

By VisionaryReports