At a time when others would have thrown in the towel, this die-hard militant of the CPDM is mobilising more women to register and vote come October 2025.
Meet Mbivka Jane Francis, the unyielding 50-year-old mother of four and CPDM militant who is has found a way of making lemonade from lemons life has thrown at her. As a die-hard militant of Bui 1 A Section in Kumbo, North West Region of Cameroon, Mbivka’s story is one of unwavering commitment to the ideals of the Party, even in the face of danger.
Mbivka’s journey as a CPDM militant began with her serving as WCPDM Tobin Subsection president and later as Secretary of the same Subsection. Her passion for empowering women led her to become a robust rallying machine, bringing women together to discuss their challenges and seek solutions. As a social worker, she took great delight in providing useful information in the agricultural domain, helping to boost vegetable production and improve lives.
However, Mbivka’s life took a dramatic turn when she started receiving death threats from separatists in the area. Her decision to wear the CPDM fabric during a visit by the then Prime Minister Philemon Yang to Kumbo marked her as a target. Fearing for her life, Mbivka escaped Kumbo in 2018 and relocated to Yaoundé. “On that fateful day the Prime Minister came for a working visit, I noticed that I was the only one dressed in the party’s fabric in a hall filled to capacity. This singled me out and the separatist fighters started calling and threatening me. They equally threatened the women with whom I worked in the community. Noticing that these threats could one day degenerate, I had to take action and flee” Mbivka recounted.
Despite being uprooted from her base, Mbivka’s determination remained unshaken. In her new neighborhood, she created a new group comprising both anglophone and francophone women who share her ideals and those of the CPDM party. In the wake of the International Women’s Day, she plans to discuss peace as an integral part of a woman’s life in advancing development and security with other women in her neighbourhood.
It is worth noting that Mbivka’s unwavering commitment to the CPDM party, despite never receiving any assistance after fleeing home is what stands out. Her fire and passion continue to burn bright, driven by her vision to make the world a better place, starting from her home. She attests that her husband’s support in her initiatives kept her going. She also acknowledges Senator Eno Emma Lafon, who recently offered the party’s fabric for her group of CPDM women.
Despite facing numerous challenges, she continues to mobilise women ahead of the presidential elections slated for October this year. “I want to see the Party flourish no matter where I find myself”, she says. She is determined to continue empowering women through knowledge sharing as her vision is to render the world better than she met it.
Claudette Chin
