Microenterprise program in Cameroon

September 20, 2011

Working with an NGO called United Action for Children (UAC) in Buea, Cameroon, Dave, a member of the microfinance club, developed a microenterprise program for graduates from UAC’s Vocational Training Center. At the center, rural and street youth participate in a free three-year program which trains them in technical skills such as electricity, carpentry, or computers. After the program, many of these young adults wish to use their skills to start businesses, but they lack the financial capital to do so. They often end up working odd jobs or forced back into unemployment and poverty. Dave set up a business training class for graduates to learn the essentials of starting and running a business and to develop a business plan. Through a partnership Dave established with a local microfinance institution, graduates now have the opportunity to apply for a loan for their project. So far, a yam farming project and a cosmetics shop have been financed and are currently underway, and more microenterprises – including a documentation center, an electronics shop, and a village motorbike service – will be coming to Buea soon.