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Cameroon
ACORN International currently affiliated with two powerful grassroots organizations in Cameroon:
1. OnEstEnsemble – Community Organizing Movement
Following a community organizing forum in Douala in September 2016, OnEstEnsemble was launched by a group of Cameroonian citizens. In March 2017, a team of organizers began door-to-door canvassing in the Bepanda district of Douala, meeting hundreds of residents and laying the foundations for a citizens’ union.
Organizational Growth
In its first year, OnEstEnsemble:
- Mobilized nearly 2,000 citizens
- Welcomed 300 active members
- Established neighborhood committees through democratic citizen assemblies
- Leveraged the global ACORN International organizing network
Community Victories
The organization quickly achieved significant improvements for working-class neighborhoods:
- Resumed suspended public works
- Developed neighborhood alleys
- Improved water infrastructure
- Replaced dangerous electrical poles
- Increased trash collection frequency in neglected areas
Organizational Structure
OnEstEnsemble operates on principles of:
- Democratic participation
- Transparency
- Community-driven decision-making
Its national office is elected by the Interquartier Council, which represents committees from all organized districts, ensuring grassroots leadership.
Key Leader
Alfred Kamkuimo
Contact
onestensemblecameroun@gmail.com
Chapters
- Douala
Publications:
2. STRASCAS – Sugar Cane Workers Union
STRASCAS represents over 4,000 sugar cane workers at SOSUCAM, advocating for workers’ rights in the plantations and processing facilities outside of Yaoundé. The union fights for fair wages, workplace safety, and dignity for workers, particularly those from the Tupuri people who face systemic exploitation.
Shared Mission
Both organizations are committed to organizing low and moderate-income communities, pursuing social, economic, and environmental justice through grassroots power-building.
These groups represent a growing movement of community and worker organizing in Cameroon, addressing critical challenges through collective action and democratic participation.
ACORN Cameroon Photo Gallery
Latest News from ACORN Cameroon
- STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon
STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon On this year’s 139th International Workers’ Rights Day, ACORN International affiliate STRASCAS led a powerful protest… Read more: STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon - OnEstEnsemble’s Persistent Advocacy Brings Douala Footbridge to 90% Completion!
In 2020, intense flooding took out an important footbridge connecting neighborhoods in Douala. For the next four years, the OnEstEnsemble advocated tirelessly to rebuild this vital link… Read more: OnEstEnsemble’s Persistent Advocacy Brings Douala Footbridge to 90% Completion! - Cheers to The OnEstEnsemble Citizen Alliance Safe Water Victory
The OnEstEnsemble Citizen Alliance had an incredible win in January! After several years without easy access to safe drinking water, construction has begun to connect… Read more: Cheers to The OnEstEnsemble Citizen Alliance Safe Water Victory - Cameroon: peasant crops destroyed by Sosucam’s aerial expanses, OnEstEnsemble organizes protest
OnEstEnsemble organized a protest with the eco-union of residents near the SOSUCAM sugar cane plantations. These residents’ crops of cassava, peanuts and yams were destroyed… Read more: Cameroon: peasant crops destroyed by Sosucam’s aerial expanses, OnEstEnsemble organizes protest - OnEstEnsemble, Cameroon: Members of the Environmental Collective of Sosucam Residents Secure Commitments from the Director-General Following Citizen Action
Residents living near the sugarcane plantations of the Somdiaa group, a subsidiary of the French giant Castel, fell victim to the destruction of their crops… Read more: OnEstEnsemble, Cameroon: Members of the Environmental Collective of Sosucam Residents Secure Commitments from the Director-General Following Citizen Action
ACORN Affiliates
Updates from the Field
- Celebrating 55 Years of Organizing with a Global Stand Against AdaniWHO Gautam Adani is one of the richest men in the world and the oligarch behind India’s most powerful corporate empire. His companies span fossil fuels, infrastructure, media, to defense and have grown through a pattern of land grabs, environmental destruction, and political favoritism. Adani’s destructive empire is propped up by a global web of… Read more: Celebrating 55 Years of Organizing with a Global Stand Against Adani
- STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon On this year’s 139th International Workers’ Rights Day, ACORN International affiliate STRASCAS led a powerful protest parade in Douala with 190 members demanding decent work, safety, union rights, and social dialogue. Their slogans were clear:
Decent work = Decent pay More protection = Fewer deaths… Read more: STRASCAS marches for workers’ rights in Cameroon - ACORN is featured in Jack Shenker’s review of Against LandlordsACORN is featured in Jack Shenker’s review of Against Landlords: How to Solve the Housing Crisis by Nick Bano, published in the latest issue of the London Review of Books. The article doesn’t just name-check ACORN, it highlights the heart of our work: turning frustration, fear, and isolation into collective action and power. Shenker writes… Read more: ACORN is featured in Jack Shenker’s review of Against Landlords
- ACORN London members have been working non-stop throughout April, delivering impressive results in their fight for housing justice and community power!From standing shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent a neighbor’s eviction to launching a new branch — Every door knocked is another potential member, every meeting builds our collective strategy, and every action puts landlords and officials on notice that housing justice cannot wait. 10 direct actions with targets confronted1 successful eviction resistance5 community meetings organized1 new branch… Read more: ACORN London members have been working non-stop throughout April, delivering impressive results in their fight for housing justice and community power!
- Dundee in Scotland: A full pause on rent payments & £1,000 in compensationCongratulations to our affiliate, Living Rent Dundee in Scotland, for their victory securing both compensation and critical repairs for union member Charlie. Charlie endured unacceptable living conditions in their Dundee tenement flat, suffering from severe roof damage that caused water to leak into walls and ceilings. This led to serious mold and dampness issues throughout… Read more: Dundee in Scotland: A full pause on rent payments & £1,000 in compensation
- ACORN Bradford – 1 – 0 Bailiffs!In a huge victory for member Stuart, ACORN Bradford has successfully fought back against harassment from bailiffs. Stuart had been relentlessly chased over debts, facing threats of forced entry and a council that refused to establish a payment plan. But thanks to the determination and solidarity of Bradford members, the bailiffs have been called off,… Read more: ACORN Bradford – 1 – 0 Bailiffs!
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