Limbe, Cameroon | 25 August 2026
The Denis Miki Foundation (DMF), in collaboration with Dr Esther Omam, Fako Transport And Shipping Company Limited (Fakoship) and women peacebuilders, humanitarian actors and local stakeholders, today convened a Community Dialogue for Healing, Solidarity and Resilience in Limbe under the She Builds Peace Campaign, following the recent tragedy that affected communities in the area.
Held at the Limbe I Council Conference Hall under the theme “From Healing to Action: Building Local Solutions for Community Peace and Resilience,” the dialogue brought together affected families, Quarter Heads, municipal authorities, religious and traditional leaders, women peacebuilders, humanitarian organisations, civil society actors, the private sector—including Fako Transport and Shipping Company Limited (Fakoship)—and the media.
As a locally rooted organisation working within the disaster-affected community, the Denis Miki Foundation played a central role in anchoring the intervention within the realities, experiences and priorities of affected residents. DMF’s involvement ensured that community voices were not only heard but placed at the heart of the healing, recovery and resilience-building process.
The dialogue was supported by a delegation of women peacebuilders and humanitarian actors led by Dr. Omam Esther Njomo, International Development Expert and Global Peace Champion, reinforcing the importance of women-led leadership and locally driven approaches in responding to crises and strengthening community resilience.
HEALING THROUGH LISTENING AND SOLIDARITY
A major component of the dialogue was the Healing Circles, which provided a safe and dignified space for affected persons and families to share deeply moving testimonies of loss, survival, trauma and the challenges they continue to confront.
The testimonies served as a powerful reminder that the impact of a disaster does not end with the immediate emergency response. Participants collectively recognised the need for sustained accompaniment of affected families as they navigate healing, recovery and rebuilding.
The Denis Miki Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that affected families remain connected to community support mechanisms and that their voices continue to inform subsequent interventions.
The dialogue deliberately prioritised listening, dignity, solidarity and healing, creating space for affected persons to move from expressing their experiences towards identifying practical pathways for recovery and resilience.
FROM HEALING TO ACTION
The dialogue subsequently transitioned from reflection and healing to a participatory Search for Local Solutions.
Community leaders and stakeholders identified practical measures to strengthen:
- Early warning and community alert systems;
- Disaster risk prevention and preparedness;
- Community-based emergency response;
- Communication and information-sharing;
- Support and referral mechanisms for affected families;
- Coordination among local authorities, humanitarian actors, civil society and communities;
- The meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding, humanitarian response and community decision-making; and
- Stronger community resilience and locally led recovery mechanisms.
A particularly important outcome was the commitment by participating stakeholders to take responsibility for specific solutions identified during the dialogue, creating a foundation for continued engagement, accountability and follow-up.
DENIS MIKI FOUNDATION: CONNECTING COMMUNITY VOICES TO ACTION
The intervention reinforced the importance of locally rooted organisations such as the Denis Miki Foundation in translating community concerns into practical action.
By bringing affected families, community leaders, authorities, peacebuilders, humanitarian actors and private-sector stakeholders around the same table, DMF helped create a platform for dialogue, coordination and collective responsibility.
The Foundation will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to support follow-up on the commitments emerging from the dialogue and to ensure that affected families remain at the centre of ongoing recovery, resilience and community peacebuilding efforts.
PRACTICAL SOLIDARITY FOR AFFECTED FAMILIES
The gathering concluded with a practical expression of solidarity, with each affected victim receiving an aid kit.
The gesture underscored a central principle of the intervention: healing must be accompanied by tangible support and sustained community solidarity.
The strong presence of the media also provided an important opportunity to amplify public messages around prevention, preparedness, solidarity, responsible communication and community resilience.
WOMEN AS LEADERS OF PEACE AND RESILIENCE
The dialogue further demonstrated the critical role of women peacebuilders as conveners, community mobilisers, first responders and agents of recovery in times of crisis.
The initiative reinforced a core message of the She Builds Peace Campaign: women must be recognised, supported and meaningfully included in peacebuilding, humanitarian response, disaster recovery, prevention and community decision-making.
The Denis Miki Foundation remains committed to advancing community-centred approaches that recognise women, young people, local leaders and affected populations as active agents of peace, resilience and development—not merely beneficiaries of assistance.
NEXT STEPS
The process will now move beyond dialogue towards follow-up and implementation.
The Denis Miki Foundation, together with participating stakeholders, will continue engagement with affected families, community leaders, local authorities, women peacebuilders, humanitarian organisations, civil society and private-sector actors to track commitments and strengthen locally driven solutions.
The Foundation also calls for continued solidarity and coordinated support for affected families, recognising that meaningful recovery requires sustained engagement beyond the immediate emergency phase.
The Limbe dialogue demonstrated that even in the aftermath of tragedy, communities possess knowledge, leadership and solutions that can be mobilised when the right platforms for dialogue and collective action are created.
From tragedy, we choose solidarity.
From dialogue, we build solutions.
From community, we build resilience.
— Denis Miki Foundation (DMF)
