On June 28, 2025, the Muna Foundation in Yaoundé hosted a rare and meaningful event: the very first edition of the Parental Heritage Conference. This initiative brought together parents, researchers, and educators in a shared effort to revisit parenting practices, relearn how to guide, and build a sustainable family foundation grounded in meaning and coherence.
At the heart of this gathering was Cécilia Fomenky — pediatrician, teacher, hospital director, and founder of the KalmParenting Online Academy — who draws from years of experience with thousands of families. Her approach is rooted in gentle pedagogy, free from harsh injunctions, and centered on fostering children’s growth in an environment of mutual respect, attentive listening, and emotional stability.
In the face of rapid societal changes, the conference offered a space for reflection on essential questions: What models have shaped our behaviors? What should we preserve or transform? How can we nurture a child’s inner growth without resorting to fear or humiliation? These pressing questions echoed among an audience seeking clarity and strong guiding principles.
Supported by public institutions, the event featured rich discussions on themes such as parent-child communication, health, early accompaniment from conception, spiritual awakening, and educational choices. Participants were introduced to practical tools designed to better understand young people’s needs and create an environment conducive to their holistic development.
Engaged voices carried the dialogue forward, addressing often-silenced topics such as the unseen fatigue of single motherhood or the emotional toll of paternal silence. The keynote speaker’s message rang out like a call to action: raising children demands presence, cooperation, and a long-term vision — an awareness of the emotional legacy that every adult transmits, consciously or not.
More than a mere gathering, this day marked the founding act of a movement advocating for intentional, empowered parenting rooted in care and responsibility. It was a powerful reminder that every gesture, every word, every decision contributes to shaping the future — because to build a child is to build the world.