Chicago JH Gets a Big Assist from RELUFA

by R. Michael Winters, Chicago JH Teamleader

For a week in September, Chicago Joining Hands (JH) hosted Valéry Nodem, National Coordinator of RELUFA (Network Against Hunger and Injustice in Cameroon) and Christi Boyd, the PCUSA Joining Hands Companionship Facilitator in Cameroon.

RELUFA had invited Chicago JH to accompany them in their Transparency Campaign and become advocates for Publish What You Pay – the international transparency initiative.

Together, JH Chicago, our companions from Cameroon, as well as PCUSA/JH staff Alexa Smith, we seized the opportunity of their visit and found ourselves in a whirlwind of advocacy activities in the Chicago area to advocate for RELUFA's extractive industry transparency campaign. We were also accompanied by Sarah Pray, the Director of the US branch of the International Publish What You Pay (PWYP) coalition, from Washington, DC.

Joining Hands: Valéry Nodem (RELUFA), Sarah Pray (PWYP-USA), Alexa Smith (PCUSA/JH staff), Carlene Hyrams (Chicago Presbytery) and representatives from five covenanting JH congregations in Chicago. (Not in the picture: Christi Boyd, PCUSA/JH Companionship Facilitator)

Transparency Campaigns

The transparency initiative is an international attempt to regulate the way the extractive industry reports the contractual arrangements with their host governments for the purpose of extracting their natural resources, particularly the mining, oil and gas industries. The initiative recognizes that vast amount of cash exchange hands, ostensibly for the benefit of the population in these developing countries. Unfortunately, the initiative has evolved because the poor in these resource rich nations are not benefiting. Transparency would enable the international community to be effective advocates and enable the people of these developing nations, themselves, to become involved in the decisions regarding the benefits of the sale of their resources.

UN Expert Group Meeting in New York

Valéry’s and Christi’s visit to Chicago began in New York where they attended the United Nation’s expert group meeting on "The use of non-renewable resource revenues for sustainable local development: Challenges and opportunities for developing countries". Valéry, having become an important advocate on this issue for all of Africa was one of the participants to bear witness. Their week ended in a flurry of activities in Chicago and suburbs:

On the Air with Chicago NPR Affiliate

Jerome McDonnell, host of WBEZ 91.5 (Chicago NPR affiliate) invited Valéry and Sarah to be interviewed on Air for his "Worldview" show, which aired only 30 minutes after the interview was finished! The program was also broad casted on NPR’s International Satellite Radio network. In a morning addressing the necessity of the transparency initiative, Valéry and Sarah were brilliant in their advocacy. The interview can be downloaded as a (24MB) podcast file (24 MB) at the WBEZ website and

Interviews by the Defender and Christian Century

Valéry, Christi and Sara were also interviewed by Anita Bryant, a writer for the Chicago Defender, an African American paper and by Dean Peerman who writes for The Christian Century. Publication date of these interviews has not yet been stated.

Lobbying with Congressional Leaders

During their visit, the team including Valéry, Christi and Sara made two congressional visits (on both sides of the isle), one to a congressman (Roskam - R) in a key position. They also met with Congresswoman Schakowsky - D. In both cases, they met with staffers, as the representatives were still in Washington. Of course, the visits were very helpful insuring that, at least, these representatives understood that there were local advocates for this international initiative, for which a Bill will soon be on the table in the House. Incidentally, in the Senate, 11 Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Rice advocating for the initiative! We received word of this letter posted the very day of the congressional visits.

Overture to the 218th General Assembly (2008)

Hopefully, their busy and successful visit will be accompanied by a positive response from the Presbytery of Chicago which is being asked to address a resolution to overture the 218th General Assembly (2008) for the PCUSA to become member of the PWYP Campaign and to be an advocate for its initiative. The Presbytery of Chicago meets in assembly on October 16, 2007. San Francisco Presbytery will also address the “Chicago Overture” later in the year, as well as the Presbytery of Los Ranchos.

Download and read the overture >>>

Michael Winters is pastor of Morton Grove Community Church, one of the first congregations in the Chicago Presbytery that covenanted to the Joining Hands program.

"CAP Holidays" for a productive vacation

by Guy Roland Noumigue, CAP Program Coordinator

Like most other countries in the world, the months of June, July and Augu are vacation time. After nine months of studies, young adults attending high school, colleges and university have during this period little to do, whether they are in rural or urban areas. It makes this interval a difficult time to manage. Some youth help their parents in agricultural or commercial activities. Others seek to volonteer in services, organizations or public and private enterprises. A few are able to save up or borrow money to start an income generating project. But most do not find these opportunities.

The CAP Holidays Initiative

RELUFA’s Credit Against Poverty program (CAP) has taken the need of this category into consideration and launched its first round of “CAP for Productive Holidays” loans. Through this special initiative CAP serves students from highschools and universities who are registered in a secondary or higher educational institution.

Preparations and launch

It took several stages to make the program operational: receiving the loan request, organizing an awareness building meeting with potential beneficiaries and their parents; the signing of loan agreements and the disbursement of funds; as well follow-up and loan repayments lateron in this period.

During a first meeting in June with the young candidates for CAP vacation loans and their parents, each youth presented the project he/she wanted to set up. Each presentation was followed by a discussion and exchange, which allowed for a few to review their projects, modifying the original proposal or changing the choice of project altogether. The loan disbursements took place after the young beneficiaries and their parents had signed the loan agreement.

Once the loan was given, follow-up visits were made to ensure the actual implementation of the project and to discuss with the beneficiaries how to manage the activity. Along the same lines of thought an mid-term evaluation gathering of these young entrepreneurials was organized at RELFA’s headquarters in August.

Projects and loan amounts

A total of 78 youth from different regions and towns in Cameroon have this way benefitted from the "CAP Holidays" initiative. The total amount CAP provided for these loans was 7 357 000 FCFA (about $16 000), and the amount per loan ranged from 32 000 FCFA to 100 000 FCFA each (about $71-210). The financed activities came from different sectors: agriculture, husbandry, textiles, restauration, production and sale of charcoal, processing foods (natural juicees, frying plantains and other snacks), small commerce of consumer goods (cosmetics, sports clothing, jewelry, t-shirts, shoes) etc. as well as from services, like telephone booths, sale of telephone credit cards, fixing of community water taps, etc.

Impact

The diversity in activities shows in itself already the enthusiasme and cleverness of the youth. But CAP Holidays also had other positive impact: not only helped the income generating projects families pay for next year's studies and school supplies, the students also beat idleness and unemployment by developing a spirit of entrepreneurship, a sense of responsibility, and a taste for work routines. The program further nurtured better group mentality and helped build cohesion, unity, and understanding between familiy members. etc. ….

Several parents shared that the CAP Holidays initiative has allowed their sons and daughters to face realities of everyday life, to develop themselves, to employ their talents, their skills, their knowledge and their energy. They said the financial activities have strengthened the bond with their children. Besides the fact that parents stood guarantee for their children, they also have helped and accompanied the youth in their activities.

CAP Holidays: To be continued...

In a country like Cameroon where the largest part of the population is made up of youth, who are excluded from the formal circuits for financial support we believe and demonstrate that CAP Holidays make it possible to trust this underprivileged group of society. We encourage and support this type of initiative to overcome hunger and poverty and their faces of prostitution, delinquancy and the criminality. RELUFA is already making appointments with many other youths for next year's Vacation period.