Ayuk Anne-Chantal Besong

Political and Communications Officer

(Illegal Wildlife Lead)

 

British High Commission Yaounde

 

​2018-Present

1.    Illegal Wildlife Trade/forest conservation Lead: Organised two high level Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) events with findings arrived channeled to the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife at assist in nature protection efforts in Cameroon; create IWT contact databases, leading to fluidity in communications and collaboration with experts in the field. Assisted in coordination of the national delegation to attend the 2018 London International Conference of Illegal Wildlife Trade.

 

2.    Media Relations: Worked as part of a two man communications team to boost the image of the mission vis a vis Cameroon’s media, spurred improved media relations with the mission through the creation of pseudo-events, partnerships with media houses and funding of projects destined to improve the media landscape in Cameroon, such as the Investigative Journalism awards.  Came up with ideas of communication as part of a three man communications team to boost public knowledge of the UK’s scholarship-Chevening Scholarship, leading to a massive improvement of the level of candidates chosen from Cameroon and an increase of Cameroon’s Chevening allocation from three (3) to fifteen (15) full funded scholarships as a direct result of the candidates identified.

 

3.    Web management and social media lead: Leading in posts online communications efforts, by ensuring up to date website management; frequent Facebook posts, Flickr gallery creations, etc. Written over 100 website articles and other articles for internal publication within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

 

4. Policy and Programme Communications: Lead in promoting the British High Commission’s programmes to boost partnership opportunities around programmes and projects co-funding. Worked as part of a two-man team in communicating the mission’s key policy areas such as human rights, especially fight against Female Genital Mutilations, Force Marriages, youth and entrepreneurship, climate change and illegal wild life trade, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Political, Projects and Programmes Officer

 

British High Commission Yaounde

 

​2013-2017

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1.    Commonwealth Promotion:  Lead efforts by the British High Commission to liaise with host government in promoting the Commonwealth Charter in Cameroon; worked with teams in and out of the High Commission to ensure unproblematic participation of 13 UK MPs and their support staff at the 60th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Yaoundé in October 2014, represented the UK at the 2015 Africa Region Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting; partnered  yearly with the Association of Commonwealth Universities-ACU  and the Ministry of Higher Education to advertise the Commonwealth Scholarships in Cameroon; partnered with Cameroon Commonwealth ministry and other Commonwealth Diplomatic missions yearly to organize Commonwealth Day celebrations in Cameroon.

 

2.    Media Relations: Worked as part of a two man communications team to boost the image of the mission vis a vis Cameroon’s media, spurred improved media relations with the mission through the creation of pseudo-events, partnerships with media houses and funding of projects destined to improve the media landscape in Cameroon, such as the Investigative Journalism awards.  Came up with ideas of communication as part of a three man communications team to boost public knowledge of the UK’s scholarship-Chevening Scholarship, leading to a massive improvement of the level of candidates chosen from Cameroon and an increase of Cameroon’s Chevening allocation from three (3) to fifteen (15) full funded scholarships as a direct result of the candidates identified.

 

3.    Web management and social media lead: Leading in posts online communications efforts, by ensuring up to date website management; frequent Facebook posts, Flickr gallery creations, etc. Written over 100 website articles and other articles for internal publication within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

 

4.    Policy and Programme Communications: Lead in promoting the British High Commission’s programmes to boost partnership opportunities around programmes and projects co-funding. Worked as part of a two-man team in communicating the mission’s key policy areas such as human rights, especially fight against Female Genital Mutilations, Force Marriages, youth and entrepreneurship, climate change and illegal wild life trade, etc. using a wide range of digital media.

 

5.    Project conception: Conceived the British High Commission’s local scholarship scheme entitled the Cameroon Women’s Scholarship designed to train young Cameroonian women at Masters Degree levels in local universities and empower them to be agents of positive change; conceived a project to launch the Cameroon alumni of Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows.  Since 2013, 20 women have received scholarships.  The alumni association was launched in June 2014.

 

6.    Projects and programs management:  Six projects managed in 2014, assisted in the management of seven projects in 2013. All funded under the mission’s bilateral, Africa Development, and Prosperity Programme budgets, all met challenging spend and monitoring targets.

 

7.    Policy engagement: Held over 20 meetings with stakeholders in Cameroon notably officials of the ministry of women’s empowerment and the promotion of the family; and human rights groups to push forward UK’s policy on the protection of women’s rights and the fight against female genital mutilation and early and child forced marriages.  My engagement ensured they could/were able to design good projects which were implemented across the country, identify funding sources and other key stakeholders to work with.

 

8.    Corporate Development: Assisted in the training of four interns on political reporting, photography and social media use as well as on events management and online networking and corporate branding.

 

 

Political and Communications Assistant

 

British High Commission Yaounde

 

2010​-2013

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1.     Events planning/ Management: Contributed and in the planning and management of four editions of the Queen’s Birth Day Party at the UK mission in Cameroon; participated in the planning and organization of three editions of the Cameroon-EU Partnership Days, etc.

 

2.     Project Management:  Over 20 projects managed since 2010.

3.     Responding to inquiries:  Responded to over 5000 public inquiries and requests for project funding, visas and scholarships.

 

 

4.     Media and political monitoring:  Produced over 200 political, economic, social and environmental news stories monitors, and drafted over ten diplomatic telegrams.

 

5.     Representations: Represented the High Commission in over 100 government, diplomatic and civil society events, bring back feedback and suggesting actions.

 

6.     Web management: Improved on the British High Commission’s web presence by re-editing the mission’s content management system’s back page and updating official data; wrote over 100 web articles and took hundreds of pictures for the web site.

 

7.     Working with the media: Liaised with the media to promote fight against corruption and human right abuse, contributed in the execution of a scoping study by the Thompson Reuters Foundation to boost media freedoms in Cameroon; worked with the United States Embassy in 2011 in setting up an investigative media award project which is now at its second edition.

 

 

8.     Improved British High Commission’s relations with the host government’s Commonwealth Department through the organization and coordination of the mission’s participation in yearly Commonwealth Day activities; Commonwealth Summer school, etc.

 

9.     Campaign Promotions: Contributed in the promotion of key UK campaigns and events such as the London 2012 Olympics, the Royal Wedding, See Britain campaign, and the UK’s 2018 World Cup bid, Queen’s Birthday Party through social media, radio and television special programme appearances.

 

 

 

Desk editor in charge of news presentation and editing, environmental reporter

 

Spectrum Television- STV Cameroon

 

​ 2004- 2010

 

 Actively participated in covering; Writing and editing of 4,704 news reports; presented of 1,176 newscasts with more than 200 special programs; conceiving and producing a program entitled Inside Environment; covering and writing more than 2000 environment reports; conducted over 500 interviews with environment experts; co-coordinating the activities of a 10 prime time news presenters; coordinated the activities and financial management of a team of 15 external news correspondents; managed company archives for two years; served as a junior administrator within the news desk team.

 

 

June 2007

 

work with the European Union Commission on the 2007 Berlin Forum on environment and sustainable rural development, interview with top environment and development experts such as the Minister for development in the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

News anchor, News Editor

 

​2002 - 2003

 

CCN Revival Gospel radio, FM 106.5.

Christian communication network Buea.

 

Covering, writing, editing of more than 500 reports and presenting over 400 newscasts.