Joy Amba Angaama is a teacher who has worked in education for 15 years. Angaama is the founder of APIPDA, an organization that advocates and cares for persons living with disabilities. She has a degree in didactics, educational planning and curriculum development and a master's degree in engineering. She also teaches braille and focuses on gender-based violence issues. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support to 200 Students Living with Disabilities and Displaced Students in 3 Inclusive Schools 

This project promoted the integration of students living with disabilities in Maroua, a far north region of Cameroon.  Trainings and workshops were conducted focusing on how to support students with disabilities. A total of 45 teachers and 175 students at 3 schools participated.

The project trainings provided teachers with the necessary didactic learning materials to improve the teaching and learning environment for students living with disabilities. The trainings also were attended by local government officials and one mayor promised to prioritize the learning materials in the next municipal budget. Principals at the participating schools requested that the trainings be continued throughout the year.

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Joy participated in the IVLP Project Resilience and Psychosocial Support for Human Rights Defendors and Humanitarian Actors, organized by the U.S. Department of State and CRDF Global, in partnership with WorldBoston, World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, the U.S. Department of State Office of International Visitors program branch in New York City, and San Diego Diplomacy Council.

Joy's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "IVLP really impacted me as it focused on resilience and psychosocial support to humanitarian actors and human right defenders. It really helped me as it was a very sensible topic for me. Through IVLP, I had the opportunity to have two facilitators as partners that continue to assist us today."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

San Diego, CA; Washington, DC; Louisville, KY; Boston, MA; New York City, NY; Philadelphia, PA

Country: Cameroon

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