“I feel more motivated and energized at the idea of ​​contributing to the efforts of the United Nations Population Fund in Cameroon in its efforts in favour of women and girls, young people and other vulnerable categories.”This statement is that of Raïna SIMEN, one of the 68 staff of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Cameroon who participated in the 2023 annual retreat of the Office which was held from September 5 to 8, 2023 in Bana, a picturesque locality located in the western region of the country. “Achieving UNFPA’s Three #TransformativeResults requires us at both the individual and collective levels to be very agile, adaptable and efficient in our delivery,”  said Aymar Narodar SOME, the Country Office’s Humanitarian Programme Coordinator. These two reactions captured during the retreat summarize the state of mind of the staff at the end of the 3-day gathering. 

Indeed, for 3 days, gathered around their management including the Resident Representative Dr. Justin Koffi, they brainstormed on the ways, means and strategies aimed at capitalizing on the bases of organizational efficiency, as desired by UNFPA Regional Director for West Africa and Central Africa, Dr. Sennen Hounton, a vision contained in his inaugural message delivered on July 1, 2023. The vision is anchored on 5 pillars, pillars which guided the group sessions during the retreat. The pillars include megatrends as they interlink with UNFPA's mandate, results and evidence-based programming, operational excellence, resource mobilization and expanding partnerships, as well as results-driven and beneficiary-oriented communication. It was thus an opportunity to lay the groundwork for organizational efficiency. 

The retreat was also marked with activity linking with the localization of the sustainable development goals, by the delivery of baby boxes to the health facilities in Bana. This was during a colourful ceremony, co-chaired by the Administrative Officer of Bana and UNFPA Resident Representative. A very significant presence at the ceremony was that of the Mayor of Bana and representative of the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations in New York. He expressed “gratitude of the Government of Cameroon to UNFPA for its constant and unwavering support, particularly in the area of ​​developing the country's human capital, in perfect alignment with the National Development Strategy (NDS 2030)”. 

Another highlight of the retreat was the meeting with women-led and youth-led organizations as well as an association of internally-displaced people. Discussions focused on

partnerships between UNFPA and these groups. The exchanges also resulted in strong commitments aimed at empowering these vulnerable categories. 

The retreat was also an opportunity to relax with recreational activities, including sports and a cultural evening. The aim here was to strengthen cohesion, team spirit and collaboration among staff. Addressing the staff during the evening, the Resident Representative congratulated them for their commitment and the results achieved so far. A special congratulatory message was addressed to the midwives and the 'land pilots' who have been fondly referred to by Dr. Justin Koffi as gladiators and frontline combatants of the fight against maternal mortality.