Years after conflict uprooted thousands of families across the North West Region of Cameroon, many women continue to bear invisible psychological scars that have made rebuilding their livelihoods as difficult as surviving the crisis itself.
.jpeg)
That challenge is now at the centre of a new intervention launched by the Aspired Women Empowerment and Development Organization (ASWEDO), which is implementing the project "fostering psychological healing and livelihood empowerment for women and girls in Bamenda I Sub-Division" under the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Cameroon through the Civil Society Organisation Strengthening and Gender Inclusivity Project (PROSCIG), funded by the European Union.
The project was officially launched on July 30 in Upstation, Bamenda, bringing together representatives of GIZ Cameroon, government services, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and beneficiaries.
Unlike conventional livelihood programmes that focus primarily on income generation, the initiative places psychological healing at the heart of economic recovery.
Since 2016, the ongoing security crisis in the North West and South West regions has displaced thousands of families, disrupted businesses and left many women exposed to violence, exploitation and gender-based violence. Organisers say economic support alone cannot restore lives without first addressing the trauma that continues to affect decision-making, confidence and productivity.
ASWEDO Founder and Project Manager, Lilian Akwen, said the one-year project seeks to strengthen the socio-economic resilience of 33 carefully selected women by combining continuous psychosocial counselling with vocational skills, entrepreneurship training and support for income-generating activities.
More than 200 women expressed interest in the programme, but only 33 met the vulnerability criteria established during an assessment conducted by technical experts.
"Our objective is not only to provide livelihood support but to ensure these women regain confidence, dignity and the capacity to become economically independent," she said.
CEO Lilian Akwen explained that beneficiaries currently earn less than 50,000 FCFA monthly and are expected to increase their income by at least 20 percent during the implementation period.
The programme will establish two Common Initiative Groups (CIGs), promote social cohesion, provide business management, e-commerce, accounting and cooperative management training, while supporting beneficiaries to engage collectively in poultry production selected after a market assessment and consultations with participants.
She said the cooperative model was deliberately chosen to promote sustainability beyond the project's one-year lifespan.
Representing GIZ Cameroon, an Official who refused to be named stressed that psychological recovery remains the foundation upon which economic empowerment must be built.
"If we provide livelihood support without a stable mind, we will not achieve the expected results," the GIZ representative said.
"A person who is not psychologically stable may receive financial support today and still return to vulnerability tomorrow. We therefore want to strengthen both the mind and the livelihood."
The official said participants had already undergone several months of screening and psychosocial sessions before the official launch.
Beyond poultry production, participants will receive practical training in entrepreneurship, financial management, cooperative governance and professional development, with certificates awarded upon completion.
The programme forms part of the broader peacebuilding and social cohesion activities by GIZ currently implemented across the North West and South West regions under PROSCIG.
Launching the project on behalf of the Divisional Officer for Bamenda I, the representative described the initiative as a timely response to poverty, unemployment and social instability affecting vulnerable women.
She urged participants to seize the opportunity to become self-reliant while calling on development partners, civil society and the private sector to expand similar initiatives that strengthen women's economic resilience.
"Such efforts contribute directly to poverty reduction, social stability and sustainable development," she said.
Government technical services pledged institutional support to ensure the project's success.
Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) proposed establishing a formal partnership with ASWEDO, offering technical guidance, cooperative registration support and future access to government agricultural programmes.
MINADER officials also encouraged integrating poultry waste management into crop farming to maximise productivity and environmental sustainability.
The Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS) equally pledged psychosocial support services throughout the project, noting that emotional distress remains one of the greatest barriers preventing many conflict-affected women from rebuilding their lives.
The Officials stressed that continuous counselling and follow-up would be essential to sustaining the programme's impact long after implementation ends.
The Regional Delegate of the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and the Family for the North West Region, Wirba Hassan, described the beneficiaries as ambassadors who must extend the project's impact beyond themselves.
He encouraged them to build sustainable businesses capable of supporting other vulnerable women in future, recalling previous community initiatives where beneficiaries transferred livestock to new participants to expand impact.
He also urged the women to make full use of the Women's Empowerment Centre in Bamenda I as a platform for continuous learning and support.
For many participants, the intervention represents more than skills training.
One of the participants Michelle Djoumessi said the project has restored hope after years of emotional hardship caused by the crisis.
"I had reached a point where I believed things would never be the same again. But today I feel my life can change. This programme has given me new hope and the opportunity to improve my family's living conditions."
Another participant, Nini Odette, a veterinary graduate who struggled to secure employment after school, admitted she initially expected direct financial assistance.
Instead, she discovered a programme designed to prepare beneficiaries mentally before investing in their businesses.
"They made us understand that nothing comes free. If you are not psychologically prepared, you can easily waste whatever support you receive. They have helped me change my mindset before changing my livelihood."
As implementation begins, organisers say success will not be measured only by poultry production or income growth, but by whether women who once lived with fear, trauma and uncertainty can regain confidence, rebuild their families and become economically independent members of their communities.
By Bakah Derick in Bamenda
Tel: +237 694 71 85 77
.jpeg&description=New hope for conflict-hit women in Bamenda I as ASWEDO launches project to turn trauma into opportunity){kind=link}
0 Comments