Common Initiative Group of the Bogso Women Farmers (GICPAB)

Cameroon

Categories:Children and Youth:

- 10 years to adult

-health and nutrition

Poverty Eradication:

- income generation

-job creation

Social Services:

- education

-health and welfare

Level of Activity:Global

Ecosystem:Tropical/Sub-Tropical

Summary

In the face of pervasive poverty and food shortages, the Bogso village women

mobilised and organised into the Common Initiative Group of Bogso Women

Farmers (CIGPAB) in 1992, under the leadership of Ms. Teclaire Ntomp.

Determined to maximise productivity and profitability from the cultivation

of cassava, a traditional tuber staple, the women pooled together their

natural, technical and human resources within the traditional system of

"Yum", an organization of community members whereby agricultural work is

done collectively on plots of land belonging to individual members of the

group based on an agreed schedule.

The "Yum" basically consists of an organizing committee chaired by a

president, which is responsible for the preparation of a work schedule, as

well as for the follow-up and evaluation of activities which are spread over

the entire year. The outcomes of this self-help initiative have far

surpassed expectations within the community's economy (increased

agricultural production and surplus for marketing, crop diversification

resulting in palm-oil, corn, and pepper Common Initiative Groups (CIGs), a

cassava processing unit); health (wells, latrines, health center and

pharmacy outpost set up, training of 2 primary health care providers); food

security (community food self-sufficiency, communal kitchen and school

canteen); education and youth safety (local library, teacher for supervision

and tutoring); income generation (sales of cassava and by-products, palm

oil, corn, pepper and other crops, sales of cassava recipe books,

micro-credit system); employment (numerous jobs created by the various

CIGPAB activities), and general living standards.

The "Yum" has tremendously uplifted the women's self-worth, boosted their

self-confidence and enhanced their leadership and empowerment, as well as

consolidating the community as a whole. The Bogso women farmers' success

story is rooted in endogenous solidarity enhanced by principled and

sustainable partnerships that honor grassroots women's experience and

expertise, validate indigenous knowledge, traditional practices, and local

institutions. The CIGPAB women's visibility, voice, activity diversification

and upscaling, increased income, wider dissemination of "home-grown"

knowledge, networking and collaboration have been facilitated though

practice showcasing and documentation, active participation in various

processes nationally and internationally, thanks to partners' input.

The selection of GICPAB for EXPO 2000 means that the Bogso women's effort to

develop locally within the "Yum", is becoming a model globally. Local

community self-help initiative supported by national and international

partners is at the heart of sustainable human development as we head into

the new millennium.