Boosting reconstruction efforts: UNDP trains, equips 30 female youth start-ups in NW on pastry production.

This was during a three-day training, which spanned Wednesday 17 to Friday 19, July in Bamenda. 

It was organised by the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, implementing partner of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of the North West and South West Regions, PPRD-NW/SW. It was done with funds from the Islamic Development Bank, IsDB

Besides the training, participants also received material support. Organisers said the trainees were selected from council areas such as; Fundong, Ndu, Nkambe, Nwa, Santa, Mbengwi, Babessi and Ndop.

The North West Regional Coordinator of the PPRD-NW/SW, Buinda Godlove, who doubles as the North West Regional Delegate of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, chaired the event.

Also present on behalf of the UNDP, was Dr. Leslie Ngwa, Social Cohesion Expert cum UNDP Recovery Programme, council development officers among others. 

A food science expert, Joko Anna, lectured participants on practical skills in pastry making, business management, financial planning and marketing.

Donation of equipment 

At the end of the training, beneficiaries received equipment from UNDP. Some of the equipment were gas oven cookers, creaming machines, cupboards, bags of flour, bags of sugar, vegetable oil, frying pans, baking trays and many others.

The items were handed over to the beneficiaries by Godlove Buinda and Dr. Leslie Ngwa, on behalf of UNDP. 

Present during the donation was the North West Regional Delegate of Women Empowerment and the Family, Wirba Hassan.

Expected outcome after training

According to officials, the support is expected to be of help, not only to the beneficiaries, but also to the various communities from where they were selected. 

Officials said they were hopeful the equipment will go a long way to enhance economic empowerment, food security and gender equality.

According to the North West Coordinator of PPRD-NW/SW, Godlove Buinda, "women and children have been the most fragile victims of the crisis. We think that this is going to impact a lot as far as their lives are concerned”.

Buinda added that: “We have also insisted that they should do a kind of a small restitution workshops in their different municipalities, with the support of the council development officers, so that other women could benefit from this important training and then try to improve on life in the Region".

Beneficiaries promise to be productive

Upon receiving the training and support, the beneficiaries promised to establish sustainable businesses in their various communities, and also to train others.

One of them from the Ndu municipality expressed gratitude to the UNDP and its partners, promising to further train others in her municipality. The participant thanked organisers for thinking of the needy.

For her part, another beneficiary from the Fundong council area, who preferred not to be named for security reasons, said she will also train other women. 

She expressed joy that within three days, she acquired skills to start up a business that will change her financial situation.

The implementation of the PPRD-NW/SW project began in 2020. This was following the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue, to better the living conditions of the affected population in the crisis-hit North West and South West Regions.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3177 of Tuesday July 23, 2024