US Volunteers Want Cameroonian Women Freed From Poverty

By Christopher Ambe Shu

Pictured(From L-R):Chris Dejong,Ann Speyer,Agbor Magdalene in CHAMEG office,Buea

Two volunteers from the USA now working with RELUFA, Yaounde, a network for the fight against hunger in Cameroon have expressed their wish to see Cameroonian women lifted out of poverty .Ann Speyer and Chris Dejong made their wish public in a chat with The Recorder in Buea on February 18 during a visit to CHAMEG, a poverty-alleviation NGO, coordinated by women empowerment crusader, Agbor Magdalene.

The volunteers were in Buea to assess the impact of CHAMEG/RELULA micro-credits on beneficiaries. They had first visited beneficiaries in Muyuka and Kumba for assessment.

“We are here to see beneficiaries of CHAMEG credit scheme and talk to them so to get some of their stories and tell them to other people and show what these women are doing to fight poverty”, said Ann Speyer.

“There is a lot of poverty in Cameroon. And I think women in particular are affected because there are a lot of cultural ideas of what women can and can’t do. Women and children are always the most vulnerable of society. If there is poverty or disease they are the ones to suffer most”

Speyer said although Cameroonian women have difficulties, they are very resourceful and have good ideas. “If they have access to credits, they can really work hard and make their lives better”.

She was happy learning some of the income-generating activities (such as farming) the women were carrying to improve their lot.

She had this advice for women: “They should believe that they are capable of generating their own income, of taking care of themselves and their children; they should not be afraid to stand up for themselves to do what they know they are capable of doing…”

Agbor Magdalene, coordinator of CHAMEG and incumbent chairperson of RELUFA said poverty reduction and women empowerment are her targets. “I feel happy when women go about their activities with little or no stress”, she remarked.

According to her, RELULA started in early 2000 in Yaounde. “It is thanks to RELUFA that we have capital stock. I am happy because the credit itself has been institutionalized. Now RELUFA is registered with the Ministry of Finance and through them we are going to build our capital stock for credit to be easily given”

RELUFA has over 25 originations-NGOs and associations and its area of operation is the entire territory of Cameroon.

“Most of our assistance is coming form the Presbyterian Hunger Project in Chicago, USA,”said Agbor Magdalene.