In November 2007, a PCUSA delegation headed by the Moderator of the 217th General Assembly, Joan Gray, traveled to Cameroon for 50th anniversary celebrations of two PCUSA partner denominations. They also spent several days visiting with Joining Hands partners of RELUFA and communities affiliated with the network's programs.

Thank God for RELUFA

by Joan Gray

One of the truly bright spots in my recent trip to Africa was the opportunity to see and hear about the great work being done by RELUFA. Alongside the terrible poverty in the country of Cameroon there are people trying to make a difference.

Our delegation was blessed to have one of those people, Valéry Nodem, national coordinator of RELUFA, as our guide for part of the trip. We were impressed with Valéry's knowledge of the culture and people, his integrity in the midst of a corrupt system, and his commitment to helping the poor people of Cameroon help themselves. Christi Boyd, a PCUSA mission co-worker in Cameroon is the liason between RELUFA and our denomination.

Grain Bank Cooperatives

The highlight of our journey was a visit to the far north of Cameroon to see firsthand the work of the grain bank cooperatives supported by RELUFA. We visited villages and heard the people tell about how the food stabilization program had raised their standard of living such that they were able to send their children to school. Several of the cooperatives are made up of Christians, Muslims, and those practicing traditional religion. There are several all-female cooperatives, empowering women to provide for their children at a higher level.

Micro Finance and Economic Justice

Back in Yaounde we heard about a RELUFA sponsored program that enables college students to support themselves through microfinance loans for a variety of entrepreneurial projects. Then there is the work around issues of systemic poverty and justice in natural resources. RELUFA is supporting the “Publish what you pay” campaign to aid transparency in transactions between the Cameroonian government  and multinationals extracting oil, gas and minerals in Cameroonian territory.

In many other ways such as these RELUFA is grabbing hold of the giant problem of poverty in Cameroon and is making a difference.

At an estimated cost of US$3.7 billion, the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline Project, built by a consortium of three major oil companies -- Exxon, Chevron and Petronas -- is the single, largest foreign direct investment in Africa. The project extracts oil from beneath the fields and villages of a remote rural region in the landlocked country of Chad. In order to bring the oil to international markets, the project built a 680 mile long pipeline through neighboring Cameroon that crosses rivers, houses, family plantations, and a tropical forest before reaching the Atlantic Coast. The production is supposed to be operational for more than 25 years.

by Valéry Nodem, RELUFA coordinator

Red Flags

When the Pipeline project was announced, non-governmental and human rights organizations in Chad and Cameroon, as well as international organizations, had serious concerns about it, and requested that it be postponed until Chad and Cameroon had built stronger institutions which could better safeguard the project. The project was being planned at a time when Cameroon was rated as the most corrupt country in the world for two years running and Chad was one of the world’s poorest countries with regular reports of severe human rights violations. The capacities of both states to monitor the project’s social and environmental plan, as well as their capacities to negotiate such a project and secure access to justice for local communities, were extremely weak.

Eight years after project financing was secured and five years after pipeline construction was completed, there is still no law or intervention plan in case of oil spill, one of the project’s basic safeguard requirements.

Deaf Ears

These arguments, however, fell on deaf ears. Instead of building institutions first, the World Bank approved the project and (a rare project occurrence) construction was completed almost a year ahead of time. In order to avoid common project delays, a lot of promises were made to local communities along the pipeline route: electricity, hospitals, schools, potable water, jobs, etc. But the project went so fast that local communities didn’t see anything coming, and were disappointed that instead of giving them a better life as promised, the pipeline came in their lives with no benefits and in many cases brought environmental and social damage, leaving them in misery and despair.

Social Closure

Having finished the construction works and with the project in full productive swing, the oil consortium, represented in Cameroon by the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (COTCO) announced a deadline of December 2004 to collect the last requests of affected communities about any damage they claimed to have endured due to the project,.and called that process “social closure”. RELUFA and other non-profit organizations (NGOs) in Chad and Cameroon that defend the rights of the local communities argued, however, that not only were many more people still awaiting their compensations, but also that for such a major project which will operate for at least 25 years, the complaint process should not be closed, as some impacts could occur during, or show up only after years of, operation. For the life of the project, there should always be an opening for new complaints.

Complaints

And so, RELUFA and other Cameroonian NGOs set out in late 2004 to visit the 242 villages which the pipeline crosses in Cameroon and, having continued in 2005, we brought back more than 400 complaints from communities still claiming compensation for losses -- such as degraded water sources, destroyed sacred sites, and other losses -- during the construction of the pipeline! Issues proved more widespread than the ten cases COTCO declared as the only outstanding claims.

Annual Assessments

A compilation of all these complaints was presented to COTCO and the government of Cameroon, who were then obliged to sit down together with us and take a closer look at the problems raised. The parties eventually agreed to enter an ongoing process of “annual assessments” rather than a single "social closure": every year the oil consortium is open to reviewing new complaints from communities and finding, in consultation with the government and NGO's a solution to them. In light of this process, several joint field visits took place for the multi-stakeholder group to have a common understanding of the different cases, and a few rules were put in place to classify and resolve different types of problems.

A Multi-Stakeholder "Platform"

Over the last two years, we – government, COTCO, and NGOs -- have met several times in a multi-stakeholder “platform” to try and find a concerted solution to the remaining problems. Sadly, NGOs are finding a lack of will from COTCO and from the government to effectively resolve the remaining complaints. For a consortium that made so many promises before and during the construction, made up of oil companies having the latest and most outstanding technology in the world, and who together could build a pipeline under the sea, it’s unacceptable that after so many years, they stiil have not replaced a water well destroyed during the construction or paid due compensation to affected communities. How much money have these companies made in profits from the oil that flows through these communities?

Public forums in 2006 and 2007

Last month, in November 2007, the platform organized a forum in Yaoundé to inform the public about the latest developments related to the project. RELUFA decided not to attend. Why? With much fanfare a similar forum was organized in 2006. But efforts to respect the event’s commitments were so minimal, that it became clear the government and COTCO lack the real will, and with little communication between them and the NGOs, the process is not moving forward. And so, RELUFA drew up a letter addressed to the government explaining our decision to not attend the meeting, despite the fact that all other NGO's went ahead with it.

Local Fisheries

In the meantime, in Kribi, one of the country’s few coastal destinations for tourists and where the pipeline juts out into the sea, local fishermen complain that since the pipeline was built, and their natural fishing reef was dynamited to build the Pipeline's terminal, their catches have plummeted.

They say they often get their nets cut by installations from the pipeline or covered with greasy residue. But these complaints could eventually prove to be only minor compared to what may happen to their livelihoods should there one day be an oil spill.

First Oil Spill

And indeed, earlier this year, in January 2007, more than 200 barrels of crude oil spilled in Kribi. Populations from Kribi were only informed about the spill nearly a week after, by Radio France International and newspapers rather than by government or project officials. Even some local authorities were not immediately informed. While this was a relatively small spill by industry standards, the local impacts were anything but. It has raised the already heightened anxiety in the local communities. With still no project-specific oil spill response plan in place (as required under project agreements), Exxon instead put in place its company plan for spill intervention.

The negligence of COTCO and our government did not go unnoticed. RELUFA and one of its member organizations issued a public communiqué to remind COTCO and the government of the need for Cameroon to have its own oil spill response plan, and the need to be better prepared in case, next time, the spill is major.

Continued Accompaniment of Communities

RELUFA continues to talk with communities affected by the pipeline and to hold the government and COTCO accountable for their responsibilities. We have been frustrated to watch so many of the red flags we raised in the earlier stages of this project turn into reality. But we are not giving up our work because of the daunting challenges we face. In fact, we have an even stronger resolve to bring change. RELUFA will continue to fight for those afflicted by the pipeline and to make sure that one day projects like this will only happen if benefits to the local people, and the people of Cameroon, can be guaranteed.

Revenue Transparency
As RELUFA had since 2003 been monitoring the pipeline project, we decided two years later to join other Cameroonian NGOs in the launch of the national Publish What You Pay coalition to advocate for transparency in the financial deals struck between oil companies (and other extractive industries) and our government. For most of 2007, RELUFA hosted the campaign’s secretariat and earlier this month, December 2007, the network was chosen to be the chair of the coalition's board. As in other participating countries, our Publish What You Pay campaign is sending a strong message to the government of Cameroon that oil projects cannot be done behind closed doors as in the past.

Last but not least, RELUFA has been selected to host a new Regional Capacity Building Project to strengthen the capacity of national Publish What You Pay campaigns in over 15 African countries.

Unanimously, Chicago Presbytery moves to overture the 2008 GA

by R. Michael Winters, Chicago JH Teamleader

Voting unanamously, the delegates at the Chicago Presbytery Assembly overtured the 2008 General Assembly to

1. become signatory to the Publish What You Pay Campaign (PWYP); and

2. direct the Stated Clerk and Moderator to endorse in writing the PWYP campaign appeal; and

3. call synods, presbyteries and congregations to advocate for the mandatory disclosure of net taxes, fees, royalties, and other payments made by extractive industry companies, both multinational and state owned enterprises, to all national governments on a disaggregated and country-by-country basis; and

4. join the world-wide effort to curb the current threats posed by the destructive practices of the extractive industries.

This was a stunning and overwhelming victory for Chicago Joining Hands’ advocacy effort. The General Assembly of the PCUSA convenes in San Jose, CA on June 21, 2008. The next advocacy effort will be at that time, before the GA committee, which will then report to the floor of GA.

One Week, Two Meetings

by Ann Speyer, Volunteer

Ann and her husband, Chris, have suspended their professional carreers in San Fransisco to work with RELUFA as volunteers for an entire year.

The week of November 5-10, 2007 was an eventful one for RELUFA.  Twice at their offices in Yaoundé, the main gathering room with its neat square of tables was full of people, French and English words mingling and bouncing off the black and white tile floor.  Bookending the week on Monday and Friday, both meetings brought people together from diverse places, ready to focus together on RELUFA’s work and vision. 

Celebrations and Sharing with partners

The Monday meeting started the week with a celebratory tone, and featured a delegation from the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Methodist missionary couple, Credit Against Poverty (CAP) program beneficiaries, and RELUFA staff.

The occasion was a happy one indeed: the presentation of two large donations from Methodist churches in the USA, one for RELUFA’s food sovereignty program and the other for the CAP micro-credit program. Introductions went around the table, beneficiaries spoke about what they’ve gained thanks to their CAP program loans, and smiles broke through as Francophones and Anglophones translated for one another, arriving at well-earned moments of understanding.  During the proceedings, trays of dried fruits and plantains passed from hand to hand, produced by a women’s cooperative who had purchased their food drying equipment with help from a CAP loan.

The afternoon was a beautiful demonstration of how RELUFA as a network does indeed bring people and organizations together. 

CAP Task Force evaluates first year of micro-finance operations

The Friday immediately following, the tone in the room was more businesslike, though no less congenial.  For the first time since its launching in January 2007, the CAP work group was reuniting to review the program’s first year. Eight different organizations of RELUFA were represented, as well as a micro-finance consultant and RELUFA staff. Many of these same people and organizations had planned, discussed, and struggled together for three years to form the CAP program, and now that it was up and running nearly a year, it was time to ask: what worked well?  What challenges do we face?  What changes can make our program better and stronger?  There were suggestions on streamlining the application process, acknowledgements of the creativity and resourcefulness of beneficiaries, hard questions about what to do when payments are not made on time.

The meeting moderator and secretary kept the group focused and engaged through each step of the agenda.  When the day’s business was concluded mid-afternoon, participants shared a delicious lunch and a renewed sense that Credit Against Poverty, still a work-in-progress, is well worth continued investment, as are the people it serves.

Enterprising Women

by Ann Speyer, PCUSA volunteer with RELUFA

What could you do with a thousand borrowed dollars?  The members of FADE (Femmes Actives et Développement), a women’s collective in Yaoundé, Cameroon, used a loan of 500,000 CFA (slightly over $1000 U.S.) from RELUFA’s Credit Against Poverty program to purchase a large gas-heated food dehydrator, or sechoir.  They were among the first to apply when the micro-credit program was launched in January 2007; nearly a year later, the women evaluate their progress and look toward the future.

A visit to their November meeting finds five FADE members hard at work at the home of Marie Tchebembia, the group’s leader.  They are clearly very proud of their sechoir, which gleams in a nearby outbuilding.  When put into action, it gently dries succulent bits of local produce into delicious ready-made snacks or meal ingredients.Today’s order of business involves preparing a quantity of vegetables for drying, and the women sit outside in the shade, surrounded by large bowls of greens (kelen keleng), okra (gombo), and Cameroonian ‘plums,’ a purple-skinned vegetable with pale green flesh and a bitter flavor. They come together like this at least once a month, and more often if they’ve got orders from customers.

The women prepare one vegetable at a time, seeding and chopping the ‘plums,’ then separating the greens from their stalks, then thinly slicing the okra.  As they work, they talk about their dried foods enterprise thus far.  There are certainly challenges: keeping themselves supplied with raw materials, locating quality affordable packaging, spreading the word about their products, finding clients willing to purchase large quantities.  But they continue to educate people on the advantages of dried produce: all the nutritional value is still there, it’s very convenient, foods keep longer and travel more easily, and one can enjoy fruits and vegetables outside of their specific growing seasons.

For now, FADE members sell primarily by word of mouth from Madame Tchebembia’s office at the government bureau where she works, and they attend expositions where they can promote their products.  But they dream of finding more substantial clientele, hiring additional help, and above all of purchasing a field where they can grow their own supply of fruits and vegetables to dry, thus avoiding the whims of the market.   As it is, they are doing all the work themselves, generating enough income to repay their C.A.P. loan, and are keeping their repayment schedule perfectly, with enough left to sustain their activity and put some profits in their own pockets.

A few days after the FADE meeting, we pay a visit to Madame Tchebembia’s workplace, the archives office in one of Yaounde’s town hall buildings, where she shows us the small vitrine that displays their wares.  Surrounded on all sides by tall binders of birth certificates, she speaks of how groups like FADE make a difference in Cameroonian women’s lives.  So many women wait at home with hands folded, she says, for an oft-unemployed husband to bring home a paycheck.  This should not be!  Women need to have confidence in their own abilities to support themselves and their families, and being part of a women’s collective provides them with a forum to share their experiences, learn new skills, and work together.

Founded in June 2005, FADE’s goal has always been to empower Cameroonian women by putting them in charge of income-generating activities.  Before the C.A.P. Program made it possible for them to purchase their sechoir, their primary activity had been processing manioc (also called cassava root) into starch and flour.  Among the very first FADE activities were training sessions where the women became quite accomplished at guiding manioc from dirt-crusted root to a bottle of white laundry starch powder, enough for thirty shirts.  They continue to process manioc to this day.

But things have changed since those early days, especially since the C.A.P. loan and the sechoir, according to Madame Tchebembia.  Women hold their heads higher, are more likely to attend group meetings, and are seeing tangible financial results from their work.  They are truly proud of what they’ve accomplished as a group, and are better prepared not only to face challenges along the way, but to dream about their future.