Joseph Lambe (YES 2011-2012, Cameroon, hosted by AFS in Eden, NY) has been making a difference since he joined the YES alumni community five years ago. As a member of the YES alumni association in Cameroon, Joseph has been active in Global Youth Service Day activities, participated and implemented small grant projects, and initiated an annual Christmas project which still exists today. Through his YES exchange experience in the U.S., Joseph discovered his passion to create social change, promote mutual understanding, and empower his community to take care of the environment.

In December 2014, Joseph implemented, “Saving Our Environment”, a small grants project conducted in Bonaberi, Douala to improve environmental hygiene and sanitation in Cameroon while educating community members on the importance of keeping the environment clean. The project was carried out by YES alumni and a group of volunteers from the Bonaberi community, creating a positive atmosphere of volunteerism and service-oriented collaboration. 

“Saving Our Environment” was conducted in two phases: sanitation and presentation. During the sanitation phase, Joseph and his peers came together to clean public roads, weeding out old plants and cleaning out stagnant, unhealthy water. The clean-up was followed by discussions and presentations led by the alumni to educate the public about maintaining a healthy environment and to inspire the youth in the community to continue spreading the spirit of volunteerism throughout their communities.

"The project was a real success because it was a life-changing experience. The youth and their parents assured us that they will continue with the spirit of volunteerism that we demonstrated to them." - Joseph

At the end of every year, Joseph looks forward to his annual holiday charity project called “Christmas Joy for All”. The project takes place in December to share love and joy with children in need during the holiday season through the distribution of donated gifts.

“There are so many children who have not felt joy and love around Christmas. Due to poverty, many children spend their Christmas without presents, alone and without any fun. Thus, they feel left behind and frustrated, especially when they see some of their friends playing and having fun with their Christmas presents. So I started the project in 2015 with the help of Mr. Francois Donfack, Coordinator of YES Alumni Cameroon, YES alumni Hilary Kencle and Josiane Lele, some family relatives, and my U.S. host family.”

In December 2015, Joseph and his peers donated presents to nearly 100 children in Douala and organized a Christmas party to make their holiday a memorable one. 

In addition to serving his community, Joseph also makes time to serve his alumni association and peers in other ways. The well-rounded YES alumnus has volunteered at YES student pre-departure orientations, served as an alumni instructor for the YES orientation in Washington D.C, participated in the YES Interfaith Harmony Online Workshop (IHOW), and manages the Cameroon YES alumni social media pages. Joseph was also voted as the Cameroon YES alumna/alumnus of the year by his peers in 2014.

Currently, Joseph is working on the Good Health for All Project (GHAP) which consists of creating a medical and paramedical structure aimed at promoting good health for the elderly and underprivileged.

"During my exchange year in the U.S., I had the chance to discover myself and felt so much passion to make a difference in my community and the world I live in. I participated in a lot of community service projects while in the U.S., and completed more than 100 hours of community service. I constantly felt the need to help my community and since then, I have participated in a ton of service projects and activities in my home country. I’ve also attended workshops and conferences like the Better Understanding for a Better World (BUBW) conference which helped to develop my leadership and communication skills. These enhanced abilities to lead and communicate effectively led to the implementation of numerous projects in my endless journey as a YES alumni."

Congratulations on all of your accomplishments, Joseph!