Society

South West: PULCCA, SOWEDA reinforce commitment to combat food insecurity.

Participants with the facilitators of PULCCA after workshop

The Emergency Project to Combat Food Crisis in Cameroon, known by its French acronym, PULCCA, and the South West Development Authority, SOWEDA, have reinforced their commitment to combat food insecurity in the country.
This was in Kumba, Meme Division of the South West Region, during a ten-day training to empower master trainers to boost the skills and output of farmers.

The training, which began June 2, at the Community Development Specialisation Training School, CDSTS, rounded up yesterday June 12.

The PULCCA project, with SOWEDA as implementing partner, brought together ten master trainers from the entire South West Region. The trainees will intend return to their various Divisions and impart the knowledge on farmers.

The training is within the framework of PULCCA’s Farmer Field School, FFS, programme.

At the end of the training, the master trainers were called upon to go back to their respective Divisions and train farmers in order to boost their skills, output and contribute towards combating food insecurity.

According to Teba Abel Kemba, the Focal Point of PULCCA, who doubles as Sub Director of Crop Production, SOWEDA, and personal representative of the General Manager, Dr Ogork Ntui, the project is being implemented in all the Divisions in the South West Region.

Teba disclosed that two master trainers were chosen from each Division, except Manyu Division that had three.

The coordinator of the project continued that in Fako, the project will be carried out in Limbe III, Muyuka and Tiko Subdivisions, while in Meme, the project will be carried out in Konye and Mbonge.

In Ndian, the project is being implemented in Bamusso, Dikome Balue, Ekondo-Titi, Idabato and Kumba Itindi, while in Lebialem it is taking place in Alou and Wabane.

In Manyu the project will be done in Mamfe Central, Upper Bayang, Akwaya, Eyoumojock Subdivisions.

The master trainers are defined as persons qualified to carry out Farmer Field School, FFS, activities through a training and implementation strategy with selected facilitators. They are tasked with implementing the FFS programme with facilitators.

Going by circular number 154/04/SOWEDA/DG/DAF/FP signed on February 12, 2024, by the General Manager of SOWEDA, Dr Besong Ntui Ogork, citing the responsibilities of a master trainers, said they will be responsible for organising and managing the logistics for the selection and management of site facilitators, facilitate and conduct trainings as determined by FFS concepts and methodology, attend meetings and other related events and trainings in order to respond to the demands of the PULCCA set goals.

It should be noted that Emergency Project to Combat Food Crisis in Cameroon, PULCCA, operates in five out of the ten regions in the country, notably the Far North, North West, South West, Adamawa and the East Regions.

PULCCA aims to provide an urgent response to mitigate the short-term impact of food and nutrition insecurity, as well as its medium-term drivers to strengthen economic, climatic and community resilience in the regions where it is being implemented.

The direct beneficiaries of the Project are expected to be 265,490 vulnerable and food insecure people through Component 1 and 159,000 farmers, livestock keepers and fishermen supported by Component 2, over a three-year period.

Indirect beneficiaries are community members who benefit from community infrastructure and increased agricultural, livestock and fisheries productivity.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Issues No:3140 of Thursday June 13, 2024