By Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon.
The civil society organisation, Reach Out Cameroon has contracted a development pact with the Muslim women and their sisters of the Mbororo Cultural and Development Association, MBOSCUDA, all in Buea.
Dubbed “Disbursement of Seed Capital to MBOSCUDA and Buea Muslim Women,” the ceremony took place Friday, July 12 2013 at Cameroon Cultural Centre.
Reach Out Executive Director, Esther Njomo Omam explained that it is about inclusive development, with minority and maginalised groups called to the development process of their communities and the country in general. “It is gender equity, giving access to economic development to the vulnerable groups of our population. They should have a say in the development, political, economic, social and cultural leadership processes of their society,” she said.
Representative of Mbororo women signing out their financial assistance from Reach Out
According to Omam, the Muslim and Mbororo women have potentials that must be harnessed to improve their livelihoods. “We are tapping into what they have, bring it out and ensure that they are improved,” she mentioned.
After receiving a seed capital of FCFA 750,000, President of the Buea Muslim women, Aicha Muhammed, took a commitment that her group will stick to the terms of the contract. “This is an economic empowerment strategy that all
Esther Omam Executive Director of Reach Out signs the contract for development with Mbororo Muslim women in Buea.
our women will be involved. We will make good use so that during the evaluation period, our benefactors will not be disappointed. We will be doing cassava farming and fashion designing,” she said.
Amina Musa, on behalf of MBOSCUDA, received same amount of money saying; “Our women will be setting up petty businesses so that they will be able to assist themselves and their respective families.”
Wife of Southwest Regional Governor,
Beneficiary groups at the ceremony.
Nicole Okalia enjoined the women across the Region to be at the fore of the fight against poverty, noting that their strategies should be inclusive; the government and NGOs like Reach Out not left.
Southwest Regional Delegate of Women Empowerment and the Family, Judith Moffa expressed gratitude to Reach Out for partnering with her ministry to empower the Cameroonian woman. “This is the power of social mobilisation, so, let the women not disappoint us,” she said.
A signatory to the contract, the Imam of Buea, El Hadj Muhammed Aboubakar, prayed that Reach Out should bless more women, adding that the contract will be scrupulously respected. To the beneficiaries, he said it is an opportunity that others are envious, so, it should be treated with care and dexterity.
Other speakers at the ceremony; Mrs Amina Akan, wife of the Nigerian Consul General to the Southwest and Northwest Regions of Cameroon, Regina Billong, Board Member of Reach Out Cameroon and Ayuk Bessem of the National Employment Fund, Limbe, all entreated the Mbororo and Muslim women to nurse their packages from Reach Out and grow bigger, “why not more than Reach Out,” one of them quipped.
This activity of Reach Out is part of a larger project of theirs christened; Women working for women and changing lives for economic strengthening in the Southwest Region.
