Boyo: CEMASUD trains, equips 40 small-scale farmers in Njinikom.

The farmers recently gained knowledge on sustainable gardening initiative to improve on their living conditions. This was through a project dubbed: “Improving nutrition and household income levels for vulnerable women through sustainable market gardening in Njinikom”. 

The beneficiary farmers received improved gardening equipment, farm inputs and theoretical knowledge on how to establish and sustain home gardens.

They were handed watering cans, sprayers, insecticide, fungicide and all it takes for them to run market gardening in such a way that they can help support themselves, their children and have extra income to meet up with their basic needs of life.

Speaking on the essence of the training and equipment offered to the farmers, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of CEMASUD, Eric Chiagah, said “the idea behind this is to ensure that every home in this community has access to vegetables, fruit seeds…”.

He added that the selected 20 vulnerable farmers are from Kikfuini and 20 from Bobong, both communities that have been facing decline in food security since the Anglophone crisis turned into an armed conflict. 

Chiagah said his organisation aims to reduce food insecurity and help families provide basic needs.

Beneficiaries laud initiative 

The farmers who benefitted from the training offered by CEMASUD expressed gratitude to the organisation for not only adding their knowledge but also giving them equipment to boost their farming activities.

Speaking on behalf of the Kikfuini community, Chia Esther, said “there are times you want to do something but you don’t have the means of starting but CEMASUD has shown us the starting point”. 

Representing the Bobong community, Longku Edith, filled with joy, said “this gesture will go a long way to facilitate our farming”. 

She promised that the knowledge they gained during the training will be put into practice her hopes and went on to echo a “thank you CEMASUD” message.

The CEMASUD initiative to equip the farmers with theoretical knowledge and equipment was also saluted by the Sub Divisional Delegate of Agriculture and Rural Development for Njinikom, Mbeng Clara.

She said it is a stich in time, adding that “I believe this will go a long way to support their families and those around them,”.

After the training, the organisation will in the coming weeks ahead, conduct site follow-ups to ensure the effective implementation and long-term success of the farming methods introduced during the capacity-building workshops. 

Their targeted groups are; single mothers and single parent children, disadvantaged and marginalised elderly, widows, physically challenged persons, Internally Displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.

Seeking to exchange the life-changing initiative, CEMASUD has now called on goodwill partners to join them to reach more vulnerable women in other communities within the crises affected North West Region.

By investing in the skills and resources of these 40 vulnerable women, the project seeks to create a lasting positive impact on the overall wellbeing of the crisis-affected families in Njinikom Subdivision.

About CEMASUD

Community Empowerment Agency for Sustainable Development, CEMASUD is a nonprofit, non-governmental philanthropic association founded in 2009.

It is an impact driven non-profit organisation, aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture, enhancing environmental protection initiatives and improving the livelihoods of the disadvantage and the marginalised poor in Cameroon. 

The organisation is committed towards the socio-economic empowerment of the vulnerable poor in communities, improving rural livelihoods, promoting sustainable development initiatives in local areas and enhancing community participation in environmental restoration.

Some CEMASUD’s areas of intervention are, community development, sustainable agriculture; women, youth and minority empowerment, educational support/ livelihoods skills training, orphan & vulnerable children, gender-based violence.

By Nadege Dzilamonyuy Limnyuy(Journalism Student on Internship)

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3198 of Tuesday August 13, 2024