{"id":132,"date":"2026-08-10T11:14:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T10:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/?p=132"},"modified":"2026-08-10T11:14:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T10:14:59","slug":"inclusive-pool-party-in-mfandena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/2026\/08\/10\/inclusive-pool-party-in-mfandena\/","title":{"rendered":"INCLUSIVE POOL PARTY IN MFANDENA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Etienne Didier ONANA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yaound\u00e9, Saturday August 8, 2026 \u2013 In front of the Mfandena public school
A warm atmosphere, splashes of water and lots of laughter. This was the setting for the “Pool Party” organized by Les Compagnons du Bon Vivre, with the participation of about ten visually impaired people of all genders, accompanied by a handful of sighted guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the start, everyone was fully involved. Guides and participants threw themselves into it wholeheartedly. So much so that at the end of the hour in the water, several did not want to get out. A large crowd, surprised and delighted, witnessed this unusual sight: seeing visually impaired people fully take over the pool space, safely and independently.<\/p>\n\n\n

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From the pool to reflection: “Leisure, a right for all”
After swimming, the group met in another setting for a discussion on the theme:
“People with disabilities facing the challenge of leisure: the case of the visually impaired”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moderator of the session, Etienne Didier ONANA first defined leisure as chosen free time, useful for relaxing, learning, building social connections and maintaining physical and mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The observation is clear:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Cameroon, people with disabilities in general, and the visually impaired in particular, have little access to a culture of healthy leisure.
Priorities lie elsewhere: earning a daily living, food, and healthcare. Leisure is often seen as “a matter for the wealthy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond sports, which only a few practice, few attend cultural shows, museums, botanical gardens, gyms, or go hiking and traveling.
Reasons cited: lack of time, limited financial means, inaccessible venues, and above all, the absence of adapted leisure activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result: we work a lot, we forget ourselves. We forget to rest, to get a change of scenery, to treat ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What leisure activities for the visually impaired?
Les Compagnons du Bon Vivre wanted to show that leisure activities are possible, accessible and beneficial. Leisure is not a luxury. It drives away stress, releases pressure and gives strength to better face daily life, with a free, calm and peaceful heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some adapted and recommended leisure activities for visually impaired people:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Adapted sports: goalball, torball, swimming with a guide, athletics, tandem cycling, sound yoga<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Culture and art: museum visits with audio guides and tactile tours, concerts, descriptive theater, workshops in modeling, music and artistic creation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Relaxation and well-being: group walks, guided nature hikes, sensory gardening, guided relaxation and meditation sessions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Social and intellectual: audiobook reading clubs, adapted board games, discussions, gastronomic outings, organized trips with assistance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Technology: use of image description apps, podcasts, audiobooks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    The key idea: adapt the environment, train assistants, and above all change mindsets.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Friendly closing
    The day ended around a traditional dish from the Grassfields: ACHU (pounded cocoyams with yellow soup and meat) and OKRO (mutton in okra and peanut sauce with couscous), accompanied by great local music. A moment of sharing that strengthened bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Given the enthusiasm sparked as soon as the activity was announced, Les Compagnons du Bon Vivre have committed to continuing this inclusive leisure program on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Looking forward to the next edition!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Etienne Didier ONANA
    Moderator of the discussion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Etienne Didier ONANA Yaound\u00e9, Saturday August 8, 2026 \u2013 In front of the Mfandena public schoolA warm atmosphere, splashes of water and lots of laughter. This was the setting for the “Pool Party” organized by Les Compagnons du Bon Vivre, with the participation of about ten visually impaired people of all genders, accompanied by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports-culture-and-leisure"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions\/141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}