“Thanks to MA COTA, I have become the writer of my own life”
From fear of speaking out to the desire to inspire: Andrea’s transformative journey
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At 24, Andrea never imagined standing in front of a room, microphone in hand, teaching other young people how to speak with confidence. For a long time, she lived with a quiet doubt: that she was not strong enough, visible enough, or important enough in a society where girls too often grow up believing they must make themselves small. “I knew I needed support. But I didn’t yet realize how much this programme would transform my life,” she recalls.
When Andrea joined the MA COTA mentorship programme, implemented by the Ministry for the Promotion of Women and the Family with the support of UNICEF Cameroon, she was primarily seeking to build her confidence. What she lacked at the time, she says, was not courage, but boldness, the ability to believe in her own worth, take her place, and make her voice heard.
I knew I needed support. But I didn’t yet realize how much this programme would transform my life,
Through regular exchanges with her mentor, something gradually began to change. “She helped me understand who I really am, and how to turn what I saw as weaknesses… into strengths,” Andrea explains.
In a safe and supportive environment, she slowly discovered that her dreams had value, and that they could become reality.
Today, Andrea is certified in public speaking. The young woman who once doubted her voice now trains others to express themselves with confidence. She has also launched her own personal development tool, the Mindful Path Planner, designed to help young people move forward with greater clarity, discipline, and self-confidence.
“The entrepreneur in me was born here. In this programme,” she says proudly.
Beyond the skills she has gained, Andrea says what matters most is the relationship she built with her mentor, a relationship that goes far beyond the programme itself. “Fortunately, or unfortunately for her, I have her number and I know where she works,” Andrea jokes. “In her life, I have become like MTN: everywhere you go.”
Behind the humor lies a deeper truth: mentorship creates lasting bonds, spaces of trust, and essential support networks for adolescent girls.
At the closing ceremony of the first two MA COTA cohorts in Yaoundé, Andrea spoke in front of government officials, partners, mentors, and fellow participants. “Thanks to MA COTA, I have become the writer and director of my own life,” she said to applause. “And let me tell you,I am only at the first chapter.”
Thanks to MA COTA, I have become the writer and director of my own life she said to applause. And let me tell you,I am only at the first chapter.
My dreams weigh far more than my weight, and will go much further than my height
Andrea is one of nearly 80 girls supported through the programme’s first two cohorts. Through mentorship, leadership, and personal development, MA COTA helps adolescent girls build confidence, understand their rights, and become agents of change in their communities.
The initiative is part of the Girls’ Movement, supported by UNICEF and its partners to amplify girls’ voices and promote their agency. Because when one girl begins to believe in herself, she paves the way for others around her.
And Andrea is already looking ahead to the next chapter of her story.
“My dreams weigh far more than my weight, and will go much further than my height.”
