First published by
The Eye Opener 24
Friday 23 January, 2015
With Reports by Ngong Song Jean Marie
Hope For the
Needy Association (HOFNA CAMEROON) was created in June 2007 with head quarters
in Bamenda Cameroon and was officially registered as a common initiative group
(CIG) in 2010 then as an Association in 2012.The Association has as mission to
empower the most disadvantage and susceptible youth and women to achieve
lasting positive changes in their lives.
Based on
this premise, the association in her effort of ensuring self sustenance and
financial viability braced the challenge and embarked on an agricultural scheme
in Bambui some few kilometers out of Bamenda town. The association secured a
one hectare of uncultivated land for the project. After clearing, felling of
trees and cultivation, the first ever water melon seeds were planted in Bamenda
on the 30 of September 2014 and it took exactly 3months for the harvest to be
done on the 6th of January 2015 thanks to the sacrifice of time and
energy by HOFNA staff led by Munteh Florence and the director Christelle Bay C.
It took HOFNA staff and a battery of volunteers one full day and several loads
of pick up trucks to empty the farm of water melon that the few who had the
opportunity to taste the fruits first described them as soft, red, juicy and
very sweet.
In an
exclusive interview with the Executive Director of the Association, Christelle
Bay C, 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow, she narrates the journey of the farm
projects, recounts the challenges and lessons learned and takes a look back
into the just ended 2014 year in her Association. (She was interviewed by the
Associations P.R.O).
Q: This is the first
time HOFNA CAMEROON has embarked on a giant agricultural project, can we know why?
According to
our mission statement, we at HOFNA are continually seeking for those avenues
that will result in lasting positive changes in the lives of those we are out
to serve. We are one of the institutions pioneering one European Union Cameroon
sponsored program which is to revamp the production of coffee and cocoa in Cameroon
(the PAPA project) and at the fore front is another backbone of HOFNA Munteh
Florence. The preliminaries have been done and we are going to set up a nursery
of up to 50.000 coffee seedlings in February and our organization is going to
own a certified coffee farm known by the Cameroon government in such a way that
MINADER and related ministries can get supplies from us and distribute nation
wide. As you can see, we are not just venturing into agriculture afresh. The
issue here is about looking for avenues to empower youths and sustainable
agriculture is one of the pillars of HOFNA.
Q: HOFNA just completed
her water Melon Project, a novelty in the Region, what were the difficulties
encountered?
The
conception was not an easy one given that we were practically introducing water
melon cultivation in Bamenda and start up generally was a difficult one as we
had to source for finance. The issue of getting expertise was a major
difficulty and we had to employ the services of a technician and it swelled our
expenses. Along the line, the intensity of the dry season was a huge set back
as it pushed us to go into irrigation farming unprepared. Unfortunately, we
fell into the hands of a charlatan who almost killed the project because the
irrigation scheme did not work despite the financial investment into it. At the
end of the day, insufficient water made 60% of the fruits not to have their
normal sizes. Day in and out, myself, Munteh Florence, and our volunteers had
to cum valleys and wells in search of water to water the farm. I think that the
difficulties were there just to make HOFNA learn, break the myth that water
Melon can not be grown in the North West Region of Cameroon and discover the
sector as an income generating one for our organization.
Q: why did HOFNA chose
Water Melon cultivation in the NWR which is not a traditional cash crop in the
area?
Jean, I know
if you have a slice of water melon in front of you, you will not hesitate to
savor it. Every body loves melon. It has a natural attraction and it is one of
the most consumed fruits and at HOFNA, we believe like Nelson Mandela that “it
is always impossible until it is done”. Many people had believed that water
melon can not be grown in the region, but for us our belief that “even though it is difficult it
is possible”, was the major driving force of our venturing into melon
cultivation. Let me also remind you jean that water melon has a universal and
timeless market and hence a good income generating avenue for our association.
We taught of plantain cultivation, guava and other things but they are so
common in the Region. At HOFNA, we believe much in uniqueness. When we conceive
something in our minds, we pursue it till we achieve positive results and when
we make mistakes; we recollect and correct them until we arrive our ultimate
results.
Q: water melon
cultivation involves a lot of manpower and expertise. Who played the trick for
the success?
First we
used mainly organic fertilizers as components. HOFNA is like sun ray, when it
shines every body sees and rushes to be part of it. On this premise, when we
started the project, a group of women and some university students at the
National Polytechnic Bamenda fell in love with the scheme and volunteered
throughout and we accord a lot of appreciation to them. Today, one of the EXCO
for the Cameroon National Youth Council for Bamenda I has even pledged to mobilize
50 youths in the next phase to come and work in the farm for at least a day.
Q: why did HOFNA at her
experimental phase of a project like water melon cultivation entertain volunteers?
The aim of
the water melon project is not solely to generate income for HOFNA. It is to
train other young people and women on how to generate income for themselves
using the melon. When the volunteers are fully trained, HOFNA will assist them
in setting up their various farms.
Q: what is HOFNAs
MESSAGE to NGOS who can only succeed through project funding?
I will want
them to believe in the concept of social entrepreneurship; that is making an
effort to make what is ours, engaging in income generating activities, to be
people who create jobs, to be NGOs who generate their own income to support
people without relying solely on grants and foreign aid. Relying on grants is
what is keeping most organizations behind, making them stagnant and inhibiting
growth. How many projects will you have to write to secure funds to sponsor a
child at your backyard who wants to learn carpentry, building or even go to
school to make a future for his/herself?
Q: How can you describe
the HOFNA made water melon to the public?
Q: what were some high
achievements of HOFNA in the just ended 2014?
Blowing your
own trumpets is not easy. Recounting our achievements in the just ended 2014
will be like counting sand at the sea shore. Let just use December as a yard
stick. We had a solid partnership with the American Embassy in Yaoundé and
thanks to it come January 28 we will launch our Project “Engaging Men and Boys to
end Child Trafficking, Child Marriage and other forms of Gender Based Violence”.
We are targeting traditional rulers, title holders and avenues to engage gender
transformation. We will start at Donga-Mantung division with a workshop for
traditional rulers to talk gender based violence and child trafficking vices
that are so rampant in the area which share a borders with neighboring Nigeria.
We will visit a secondary school in Nkambe where in a debate, the students air
their views on education and child marriage. HOFNA will hold another workshop with saloon
owners and barbers and taxi drivers because they inter liaise with the public
on daily basis. We will do a caravan with motor bikes in Bamenda to raise
awareness on gender based violence and child trafficking. HOFNA will be honored
with the Presence of the Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO) of the American Embassy
in Cameroon – Merlyn Schultz, the Cultural Affairs Specialist (CAS) - Yaa
Gladys Shang Viban and the Cultural Affairs Assistant (CAA) – Olivia Mukam
Wandji.