Dr Ngome Felicia Munge, is a lecturer in English University of Yaounde. She is the CEO of TERFEL Gender Development and Peace Foundation(TERFEL Foundation) and the founder of Terfel Anglo-Saxon Academy, Damas Yaounde. She has championed many women organization in Cameroon. In this exclusive interview, she talks about her activities in Kupe Muanenguba and Cameroon in general.
It is a happy read….
The Ultimate: Can we know some of your activities over the years that have impacted the lives of women?
Dr. Ngome: Starting 2009, with the creation of TERFEL Foundation, I have been engaged in putting smiles on the faces of vulnerable children of school going age in orphanages and promoting girl child education.
TERFEL Foundation started functioning more with a humanitarian focus, catering for the educational needs of orphans, offering scholarship which is still on-going, to the nursery and primary-school-age orphans, in addition to visits to orphanages with gifts of basic needs.
Presently, the organization is committed to gender development and promoting the participation of children, youths and women in peace building, the empowerment of women and youths through capacity-building/skill development workshops. With the capacity-building workshops and sensitization campaigns for financial autonomy, I am impacting the lives of women and youth alongside promoting social cohesion and peace through the yearly sponsorship of a female football tournament as part of the activities commemorating the International Women’s Day.
Besides, TERFEL Foundation is engaged in the education of the girl child on Menstrual Hygiene Management, distributing menstrual hygiene kits after each session. Most recently, we engaged single/teenage moms, sensitizing them on coping strategies besides skill development and empowerment activities.
Also, as Pioneer President of the South West Women for Peace and Development Network (SWWOPDEN), we co-mobilized over 3000 women for public lamentation on the streets in Kumba, Meme Division of the South West Region, to denounce the violence against and killings of women and children in October 2020, requesting the armed groups to drop their arms.
I led a humanitarian outreach to the rescued victims of child trafficking from Bafaka Balue of Ndian Division. We provided care and support to the 24 children while still at the Gendarmerie, Limbe.
SWWOPDEN supported an IDP couple in Buea who were blessed with a set of triplets. After a call for assistance on social media, SWWOPDEN investigated the issues before carrying out the necessary intervention. In a capacity-building workshop I led, we trained Peace Ambassadors to promote peace in their local communities on April 2021.
As we continue to seek to maintain the peace agenda, I led the Network to organise SWWOPDEN’S 2022 Peace Jam and Capacity-building workshop to strengthen Peace-building skills with a dimension of conflict resolution. This event was characterised by sensitization talks on peace, workshop activities, visit to the DDR Centre and compassionate gestures to IDPs under the theme: “Strengthening Women’s Capacity in Conflict Negotiation and Peace-building in the South West Region” and this was placed under the patronage of Dr Ndoh Bertha, then Technical Adviser at the Prime Ministry, who personally attended the event.
As a member of the Planning Committee of the Cameroon Women’s Peace Convention I was President of Scientific Committee and worked as a team with other committees for the success of the First ever Peace Convention that held from July 29 to 31, 2021, bringing together over 1800 grassroots women from all the 10 regions of Cameroon
In Politics, I am the President of the Women’s Wing of Kupe-Muanenguba III Section and as a team, WCPDM Kupe-Muanenguba III has been organising capacity-building/strengthening workshops to empower women for financial autonomy so they can effectively participate in politics. I lead the women to carry out humanitarian actions – visit to hospitals with gift packages, distributing gift packages to orphans, and most recently on March 7th 2025 put smiles on the faces of 25 orphans and as part of activities commemorating the International Women’s Day.
We co-organized a capacity-building workshop with single/teenage moms, sensitizing them on coping strategies, identifying their strengths and giving them information on available training programs to enhance their skills alongside tips and resources to start small businesses and a talk on balancing motherhood and personal goals.
I was the Secretary General of the Association of South West Women for Development (ASWODEV) with headquarter in Yaounde, from 2005 until 2014 when I was appointed Divisional Delegate of Basic Education for Kupe-Muanenguba Division. During that period, as part of my task, I organized and led women of the six subdivisions during the March Past celebration of the International Women’s Day in Yaounde.
As a career woman and a politician, how do you cope with family issues and your career?
As a career woman and a politician, effective planning is key to coping with family issues and career. The dates of most events are known, which permits me to organize my activities. It is sometimes challenging as I find myself engaged in a chain of activities, but the power of resilience keeps me on.
Special advice to women as they celebrate the International Women’s Day?
As advice to women, consistency and determination are key elements to success. They should not minimize the so called “small business” feeling the activity is not worth anything. With consistency and determination, putting in their best in any engagement, success is sure. “There is this message I usually used to encourage headteachers during seminars when I was the Regional Pedagogic Inspector for Primary and Nursery schools in Yaounde. “Even if I was selling pepper in a market, I will sell the pepper in a way that, when buyers come and don’t meet me, they feel disappointed”. Whatever activity you are engaged in, be it in an office or a business, put in your best”.
Anything to add?
Being a member of the Cameroon Women’s Peace Convention, I was a recipient of the 2023 German Africa Award on November 30, 2023. We were recognized for our work of promoting dialogue and peace and encouraging negotiations to end the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.
Also, as a member of the council of the wise, we shared the Convention’s 2nd Publication, Pieces of Peace with the public. It is a compendium of key documents of the First Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon.
Can we know more about you?
I am Dr Ngome Felicia Munge, lecturer, English University Yaounde. I am the CEO of TERFEL Gender Development and Peace Foundation (TERFEL Foundation). Also, I am the founder of Terfel Anglo-Saxon Academy, Damas Yaounde.
I am the pioneer President of the South West Women for Peace and Development (SWWOPDEN). I am also a member of the Council of the Wise of the Cameroon Women’s Peace Convention.
Interviewed by Olive Ejang
