Cameroon

From equatorial rainforests to semi-deserts, Cameroon encompasses a huge range of climates and terrains. Living off the land is tough, and extreme poverty remains rife for rural people.

With support from us however, families are learning how to adapt to their local conditions, build livelihoods that last and protect their environment.

In the poorest region, the Far North Province, months of drought are followed by intense downpours. To prepare for these acute climatic changes, we train families in water harvesting, and show them how to integrate livestock such as goats into a sustainable farming system.

In the central and southern regions, hungry families are all too frequently forced to hunt for bush-meat, destroying the valuable forests in the process. By providing them with grasscutters (a cane rat that grows to about 8kg and is much prized for its meat) for breeding, we enable them to add protein to their diets as well as earn an income. We also help families to set up ‘backyard gardens’ to produce healthy vegetables.

We work in Cameroon through our partner, the non-governmental organisation Heifer Cameroon.

Read more about our transforming work in Cameroon

After Seraphine Ngono’s husband died in 2001, she was left the sole breadwinner for her nine children. Yet today, those children are in school, and one is even at university – thanks to the income Seraphine earns from her farm.

With training from Send a Cow, Seraphine has been able to diversify what she produces. She has added the cash crops of huckleberry and okra to her staples of maize, groundnuts and cassava. The goats we gave her provide manure to enrich her soil, and she has sold three kids to pay for hospital fees, books, and food.

“The training has helped me be where I am today,” she says. “I am now a proud person in the village, because those who used to laugh at me for attending training now come to ask me for vegetables!”