Returned Volunteer expands tech opportunities for Cameroonian youth

My first Peace Corps service in Cameroon, beginning in 2010, launched my commitment to supporting tech skills and opportunities for youth in Cameroon.

Since then, I have continued to work with business and nonprofits to nurture the country's tech ecosystem, most recently leveraging the Peace Corps' Virtual Service Pilot to enhance tech training for youth.

Teaching computer science as a Volunteer in Cameroon

I joined the Peace Corps as an Education Volunteer in Cameroon after earning a computer science degree from Oregon State University and working as a software engineer. I served for two years as a computer science teacher in a secondary school in the French-speaking West Region of Cameroon, then extended my service for a third year in the English-speaking Southwest Region of Cameroon, where I supported youth entrepreneurs to start up and sustain tech businesses in Cameroon.

My Peace Corps service had a deep impact on my life and my career path. I met incredible people, many of whom remain close friends. I also realized that if I wanted to make real change, Peace Corps service was, in many ways, just the beginning of a longer journey.

Torn between two worlds

After completing Peace Corps service in 2013, I returned to the U.S., where I worked for several startups. Soon, I felt called back to Cameroon. In 2015, I moved to Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon, to work with ActivSpaces, helping nurture the local tech ecosystem. While there I often felt torn between two worlds: working as a software engineer or serving as a Volunteer in a community I loved. I returned to the U.S. in 2017.

Back in Cameroon

By 2023 I was back in Cameroon part-time, where I began working with Mountain Hub, a nonprofit, technology-focused incubator based in the Southwest Region of Cameroon where I'd served as a Volunteer. The tech firm supports youth in gaining the skills to become technology entrepreneurs. Today, I work fulltime with Mountain Hub, where I am able to blend my skills as a software engineer and desire to make an impact on the tech community in Cameroon and Africa.

Reconnecting with the Peace Corps

In 2022, Mountain Hub launched Iknite Space, a coding bootcamp designed for young developers. In February 2025, the team took in a larger group of nine trainees and quickly realized that their curriculum needed refinement. I reached out to the Peace Corps on behalf of Mountain Hub to engage the Virtual Service Pilot (VSP). A few months later we were matched with Dana, a VSP Participant.

Support for a coding bootcamp

Since June, we have been collaborating to update the bootcamp curriculum and mentor the trainers. Dana has already made a huge impact, helping us rethink and extend our curriculum in practical and thoughtful ways. It's been incredible to work with someone who shares the same Peace Corps spirit of collaboration and service, even across time zones. Dana says of his support for Mountain Hub's program that it's "a wonderful opportunity to connect internationally with like-minded individuals, sharing cultural exchanges, as well as providing impactful technological solutions."

An impactful partnership

My continuous professional connection to Cameroon has been the main driver behind Mountain Hub's participation in the VSP. Through the program, Peace Corps Cameroon has expanded its reach to the Southwest Region, which is currently restricted for Volunteer placement. Through this collaboration with Mountain Hub, Peace Corps Cameroon can support youth professional achievement in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in areas physically unreachable by Peace Corps Volunteers.

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