Fellowship received in 2012
Academic supervisor: Dr. Mark Boekstein
Current affiliation: the University of the Western Cape
Godlove Chifon is a Doctoral Student in the Department of Geography, Environmental Study and Tourism, Faculty of Arts, University of the Western Cape, Cape, South Africa. He teaches part-time in the Pan African Institute for Development, West Africa (PAIDWA), Yaounde Learning support Centre (YLSC), Cameroon, and equally a part time lecturer in National Polytechnique University Institute (NPUI), Bamenda, Cameroon. Godlove holds a master’s degree in Development Study, and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Management. He has worked in various research capacities using a wide range of research methodologies – design of data collection tools, evaluation studies, impact assessment, baseline studies, result–based management, project proposal development/grant writing. He has been part of research projects such as Student Politics in Africa: Representation and Activism, as well as participated in research project in youth entrepreneurship for sustainable job creation in Francophone Africa – Case of Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire. A research report prepared for the Anzisha Price. Godlove is equally passionate about sustainable development and social action issues with keen interest on Global Sustainable Development Goals and its practical applications in Cameroon and elsewhere.
Academic Achievements,Social Engagement Initiative
Godlove Chifon is an author of Sustainable Development and poverty alleviation in South Africa (Pulisher: VDM Verlag Dr. Muller(April 8, 2011), ISN -13:978-3639297744. He is working towards developing a Fair Trader Tourism - Poverty Alleviation Model and Framework that will be used by policy makers and tourism establishments in South Africa and elsewhere towards poverty alleviation in their spheres of operation.
Brief Summary of Support Program Activities
The Bamenda IDP Empowerment Network (BIEN)
The objective of the Bamenda IDP Empowerment Network (BIEN) is to improve access to essential services and strengthen self-reliance among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bamenda through an integrated information, resource, and referral hub.
The project aims to identify displaced households, assess their needs, and connect them to emergency assistance, psychosocial support, vocational training, employment opportunities, and small business support provided by local partners.
The goals are to reduce vulnerability and isolation among IDPs, improve access to coordinated multi-sectoral services, and strengthen collaboration among humanitarian actors. BIEN also seeks to formalize IDP groups and improve engagement with host community leadership structures to enhance inclusion and coordination. Ultimately, the project will support at least 200 IDPs and establish a sustainable, community-based model for integrated information sharing and referral services in displacement-affected urban settings.
