REGIONAL ANTENNAS
AWARENESS-RAISING MISSION IN THE LITTORAL AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF CAMEROON
In April 2000, the President of the Management Committee, the Executive Director and the Secretary General of VEPDEF, carried out a mission in the Littoral and Western provinces. The aim was to inform new members about VEPDEF so they could establish regional branches. During this field trip, the discussions were fruitful between the VEPDEF delegation and the meeting participants. The main focuses were on education and job training programs as well as opening new branches of the microfinance establishment MUDEF. The delegation provided clarifications about types of training, costs, interest rates on credit and savings, ranges of loan amounts, and credit terms. The delegation discussed and approved opening savings accounts in each locality, confirmed memberships, set up the final office, and secured the funds collected. We noted that participants were quite interested in VEPDEF’s activities. The awareness-raising and animation work was therefore entrusted to the co-opted presidents. The mission lasted 5 days, and the delegation traveled to 7 localities (Douala, Loum, Nkongsamba, Mélong, Kékem, Bafang, Bagangté), informing 240 people about VEPDEF. Among these people, 16 were co-opted to be group leaders who would then take the trouble to raise awareness of the organization and report to VEPDEF headquarters in Yaoundé, where permanent contact is established between these leaders and the VEPDEF Executive Directorate.
SET-UP OF REGIONAL ANTENNAS
From August 9 to 10 in 2000, a delegation from VEPDEF led by Ms. NANA Brigitte, Secretary General, visited the Littoral. The objective of this mission was to proceed with the installation of the regional offices of Wouri and Moungo.
The Douala stage provided an update on the activities of VEPDEF in this locality. The major difficulty for women in this city is linked to the scarcity of financial resources to develop their business activities. VEPDEF encouraged these women to attend training sessions in micro-credit management so that they are able to manage the loans that will be allocated to them very soon.
In Moungo, the town of Loum was the highlight of this visit with the elections and the installation of the local office. The Loum sub-prefecture meeting room served as a setting for the activities. The lack of information and communication was noted as a major difficulty that hinders the development of rural women in Loum. The office that was set up is therefore responsible for raising awareness and informing women about business opportunities and the need to come together to fight poverty.
In addition, a working session between the delegation of VEPDEF and the office set up made it possible to identify the main lines of action and organize a seminar in collaboration with the district delegation of the Ministry of the Condition of Women.
From August 19 to 21; VEPDEF proceeded to set up the Nkam branch office in Nkondjock. On this occasion, a training session for women in the management and administration of associative structures (common initiative groups, cooperatives), animation techniques, and group dynamics took place.
CREATING NETWORKS OF WOMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS IN THE DISTRICT OF NKONDJOCK AND THE DISTRICT OF NORTH MAKOMBE IN NKAM
Aware of the isolation of the district of Nkondjock, VEPDEF, which has been working in this area for more than 10 years, has already set up these networks to better educate women in this locality. Composed respectively of 102 associations with 3491 members for RAFAN Nkondjock and 54 associations with 2300 members for RAFAN Nord Makombé, it is a powerful body that mobilizes women and leads them to create and manage small activities that generate income. In this way, the networks animate economic and social life in these administrative units with strong agricultural potential with dynamic and hardworking populations but little road infrastructure allowing them to send their products to the areas of Bafang, Yabassi and Douala. The actions of VEPDEF in these localities have made it possible to revive the economic fabric and give hope to these once abandoned populations.
Thanks to the training received from VEPDEF MUDEF, women are better able to undertake and manage their activities. A fertilizer and pesticide store was set up with MUDEF funding and allows these populations to get supplies on site.