CAGEAD partners with IOM; empower vulnerable youths and women in Santa village through entrepreneurship
Items distributed to beneficiaries of IGA Santa village
The impact of this project is expected to go far beyond the immediate beneficiaries. By empowering 35 individuals with diverse businesses like Table marketing, hairdressing, piggery, poultry, tailoring, phone repairer, carpentry, provision stores, restoration and many others in Santa Village, the ripple effects will extend to their families, communities, and the local economy. For Mercy, one of the beneficiaries, this opportunity represents a chance to break the cycle of poverty and give her children the future she always dreamed of.
According to Mercy, she has always dreamed of becoming a saloon owner for years but no one wanted to support her. In her words:
‘I could barely feed my children and pay our bills. I have been stressed all my life since the start of the crisis. However, my dream has finally come true, thanks to CAGEAD and IOM’.
Mercy; beneficiary Santa village
This support comes at a critical time. Like many in Santa village, who have been deeply affected by the armed conflict in the North West and South West Region of Cameroon, most of them have lost their homes, properties, livelihoods, and even loved ones and have become internally displaced persons (IDPs), in this community. The traumas of displacement, coupled with the loss of their means of income, have left these individuals on the edge of misery.
Through this project, CAGEAD and IOM is not only providing immediate economic relief but also offering sustainable ways to financial independence. This project is meant to build resilience in the community by improving economic empowerment and financial freedom to the vulnerable population.
The project follows a community-based approach, allowing beneficiaries to identify the type of business they are passionate about. CAGEAD worked with the community facilitation team (CFTs) to identify these vulnerable people, by the type of business they can do. This approach is designed to ensure that the support offered is not just a one-time handout, but a long-term solution. CAGEAD's Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) team will be tracking the progress of these beneficiaries to ensure that the businesses thrive and provide lasting change.
As the startup kits were handed over to beneficiaries in Santa village, they expressed their joy, gratitude, and a renewed belief that brighter days are ahead. With the continued support of CAGEAD & IOM, this ambition pledges to not only change lives but to transform Santa village that has long been defined by hardship since the start of the crisis.
By Chia Fastinus Kam