German Cooperation begins second week of four-region tour of dev’t projects.

The second phase of the ongoing exercise was launched on Friday June 5. The launch took the team to projects executed financed by the German Cooperation in the towns of Nkongsamba, Manjo and Mbanga all in the Moungo Division of the Littoral Region.

The phase follows the first lap of the 14-day series that covered almost all the eight divisions of the West Region. It spanned July 1 to July 4. 

The tour is unfolding under the leadership of the Technical Advisor for Visibility at the German Cooperation in Cameroon, Jules Emessiene.

Germany’s achievements in Moungo Division

During Friday’s session, the delegation visited some eight localities and projects executed by the German Cooperation including two in Nkongsamba, and at least two each in Manjo and Mbanga. 

In Nkongsamba, the delegation was taken through a modern restaurant established for some 20 vulnerable young women in the Nkongsamba I Subdivision.

Speaking to the press, Mossima Njie Eddie Frank, Social Coordinator of the Economic and Social Development Programme for Secondary Cities Exposed to Factors of Instability, PRODESV II, said the project cost some 10 million FCFA. 

It was funded by the German Cooperation via the German Development Bank, the KfW.

The project, Mossima added, was executed by the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM, through its Economic and Social Development Programme for Secondary Cities Exposed to Factors of Instability, PRODESV II. 

 “The project ran for three months from August 2023 to October 2023. Besides the originally outlined fund, additional funds were disbursed for the project. The support, like most similar schemes for income generating activities, also focused on training notably on the management of the restaurant,” Mossima said. 

Another project visited by the team was a snail farm. The snails in the farm, authorities said, are among others, used for the production of soaps and other activities.

FEICOM officials said the project said it cost over 15million FCFA and falls under the good governance pool of the German Cooperation’s activities in Cameroon which are grouped into four pools.

Supporting good governance in Manjo

In Manjo, the team visited the Manjo Council and the new Manjo multi-purpose community telecentre. The Mayor of the Manjo Council, Teclaire Ekosso Njanjo, told the team during the tour that the German Cooperation has invested immeasurably in boosting good governance and other forms of development in the 33 villages that make up the subdivision.

She said the community has benefitted from kind gestures like the training of local authorities on the effective running of the council’s activities including the responsibilities of councilors.

The most recent of the incredible works, she said, is the Manjo multi-purpose community telecentre opened at the start of this month to promote Information and Communication Technology, ICT literacy among the population of Manjo.

“Almost the entire project was executed by the German Cooperation. The council did not purchase any of the computers we have here. The only work we did here was to retouch the building and make it comfortable to host such a center,” the local authority said.

“The center is going to promote rapid change in terms of ICT literacy in Manjo. We particularly have interest on girls and women because we know that the ICT is becoming a prerequisite for even for the businesses that the women run,” Mayor Ekosso added. 

Similar investments made in Mbanga 

In Mbanga, the team visited a nursery school and a borehole which officials said cost several millions of FCFA. 

The German institution, authorities said, invested some 50 million FCFA in constructing and equipping the Government Nursery School Quarter Nine Mbanga and FCFA 24 million on the borehole.

Mahout Leocadie, a senior teacher at the school, said the gesture from the German Cooperation has improved learning. Mahout said the facility was first used during the recent 2023/2024 academic year.

She said the modern facility which includes; a spacious and well-equipped classrooms, beds and internal modern toilettes, have also contributed in increasing attendance.

The Second Deputy Mayor of the Mbanga Council, El Hadj Mohamadou Lawal, expressed gratitude to the German Cooperation for the support.

He said works to establish the school were done by locals and insisted that the council will maintain the same spirit hence forth as a means to create job opportunities for locals.

“We want to say a very big thank you to the German Cooperation because we have gained a lot and continue gaining so much from this,” the mayor stated.

The press delegation will continue its tour this Monday with activities in the city of Douala still in the Littoral Region. Today’s visits would focus on successful Cameroonian entrepreneurs who got support from the German Cooperation.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3162 of Monday July 8, 2024