Some Internally Displaced Persons IDPs
particularly women who have of recent been receiving training in income
generating activities from the founder of Burita Beads have exhibited their
products in Bamenda.
The exhibition event Saturday July 28, marked the
culmination of a period of three months training during which the IDP women were
trained in income generating activities.
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BURITA
BEADS founder and IDP women displaying products
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According to the Founder of Burita Beads, the
three months free training program for IDPs was inspired by the increasing
presence of IDP women in Bamenda.
“So many people have been giving them food,
clothes and others but it’s not sustainable because you give today, you have to
give tomorrow and so we thought off coming up with something different and the
only idea that came to mind was something to empower these women to be able to
feed themselves; to provide these things that people are giving them by
themselves.” Yenjong Rita Buriya said
The first set of 35 women received free
training in activities like beads production, production of detergents,
production of body lotions and coconut oil which according to Burita Beads
founder will be accompanied with some startup capital.
I am here because there was war in my
village; I could not stay; people were dying, with the military and some
unknown men shooting so we had to escape to town. While in town we were
stranded having nothing to do before I came in contact with Madam Rita who told
me about her work and I had to bring some other people to the center. I have
been here for one month but I intend to continue and graduate in the next badge
because it’s very helpful. Emmanualla one of the trainees said adding “the
other things we know how to produce like the detergents; knowing how to produce
it and with little money it helps the family because really leaving from the
village (Belo) and coming to stay in town having nothing to do with the family
and so many people around you other relatives it’s not easy.”
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| beads exhibited |
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| They can smile at least for what they have done |
Like Sembo, Cecilia from Batibo sees the
program as not only occupying them both at the training center and home but
also empowering them to generate revenue for the family while also reduce
expenditure since some of the products like detergents will be used at home.
Cecilia a full time farmer in Batibo regrets
that her food has been abandoned in the farms because of shootings every day.
“We are here like this we are living in hunger. I have all those things; I was
a farmer. All those things are left in the farm. We don’t have food. This time we harvest
beans, corn, yam and pumpkins. We are living in the house about 15 of us. … and
we are renting two rooms house and we are living on buying buying but since I
came here and met Aunty Rita, she made me comfortable.”
While hoping to get some form of assistance
and the crisis ending, the duo have engaged their families in the production
exercise with plans to make this a major income generating activity.
After the graduation of the first batch, Rita
Buriya has announced the beginning of the next training session
immediately.
Though started as a family initiative, Burita
Beads founder admits that she has received some assistance. “We have been able
to get assistance from a good number of persons; the humanitarian arm of the
Now Movement led by Barrister Akere Muna. They have given us space, startup
capital for some of the women and they have provided chairs for which we are very
grateful. Others have been supporting with others identifying some women and
giving startup capital, we have had people who have assisted in form of
training material so we have had a lot of assistance.”