Country: Cameroon

About: Achaleke is a peacebuilder in Cameroon and across West Africa.  His innovative  work on preventing  violent extremism and community violence has made him a respected young leader in the Youth, Peace and Security space. He holds an MSC in International Development Conflict Security and Development from the University of Birmingham UK. In 2016, Achaleke was selected  as Commonwealth Young Person of the Year.  In 2021, his organization, Local Youth Corner, was designated as best COVID19 Response in Cameroon  by the UN System in Cameroon and a UNESCO RealLife Hero for his fight against COVID19. In his own words:

As a young person growing up experiencing violence and crime first hand, and later transforming into a champion for peace, I believe our past should not define or break us, but rather inspire us to become changemakers. My efforts working with former violent extremist offenders in prisons and correctional facilities have shown me that if a young person is given a sustainable alternative, trust, and capacity they will be an ambassador of peace. In 2007, I started as a volunteer for a youth organization. This experience taught me that the spirit of service is important towards building change. Today, as a leader of the same organization, Local Youth Corner Cameroon, I have learned that humility, hard work, passion, and ethical values have the capacity to inspire others toward change. Now with over 500 projects and over 1 million lives impacted by our projects we are finding ways of truly making change at a scaled level.

Recipe for Change: 

Here are my three steps to promoting peace and community change:

1. Peace starts from your heart. The values you cultivate and hold onto determine your ability to advocate and act peacefully in the world and impact the lives of others.

2. Ensure you create a safe space where you can share your knowledge and also learn from other young people through trainings, workshops, capacity building and more.

3. Use your voice to advocate against the challenges facing your community, country, continent, and the world. Ensure to speak out in times of injustice and while respecting the role of law and fundamental human right push for sustainable solutions to the problems.

Recipe: African tomato stew and rice

INGREDIENTS:

1 kilogram of chicken/meat

10 large tomatoes

2 medium sized onions

1 handful pack of parsley/celery/basil and green onions.

3 cloves of garlic

1 piece of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon of freshly ground white pepper 

4 cubes of Maggi seasoning and a pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the beef and chicken into desired slices and boil with seasoning to taste till done.
2. Grind the tomatoes and spices. Place the tomatoes, onion, basil, parsley, celery, garlic and ginger in a blender. Blend into a paste.
3. Add in the ground ingredients to the beef or chicken. Then add the salt, maggi cubes and white pepper. Mix well to combine.
4. On medium heat, let it boil. Stir then cover and let it cook while stirring often for about 20 minutes until the liquid dries off and the tomatoes look red and rich.
5. Taste to ensure seasoning is to your taste, At this point, adjust the thickness of your stew. If you want it lighter, add a little water. If you choose to add water, be sure to taste so you can add more salt as needed.
6. Serves tomato stew on white rice with sides of carrots and green beans stir fried.