Greeting Joining Hands!

Michael Winters, Pastor of Morton Grove Community Church

and Co-Moderator of the PHP Advisory Committee

I write you, unofficially, from the Presbyterian Hunger Program Advisory Team, which met this past weekend (March 13-15, 2008) in Louisville. After Lionel and Alexa briefed the Advisory Team, I am able to say how very pleased and excited I am about what the PCUSA is able to do through your leadership, commitment and partnership. Through the nine international JH networks, it has become apparent to me that the trajectory of this PCUSA initiative has found its mark, effectively redressing injustice, hunger, and poverty at its root causes, using means that are culturally sensitive and technologically appropriate. I am delighted to see the empowerment of the poor and capacitation of women in every network. Even more exciting is to see the potential of cross-networking emerging.

Joining Hands has the full support and prayers of the Presbyterian Hunger Advisor Committee. Thank you for your efforts together. Your witness as the whole people of God is commendatory.

A violent awakening

by Christi Boyd, JH Companionship Facilitator

pictures of unrest taken and made available by unknown

For long known as a peaceful haven in a volatile region, Cameroon experienced last month the worst unrest since the turbulence surrounding its first multi-party election of 1992. Latent, suppressed frustrations came to an outburst, in which 40 Cameroonians lost their lives, according to the authorities. Some human rights groups refute these estimates, claiming the death toll surpasses 100.

An exasperated continent

Catalyzed by a nationwide strike of taxi drivers in objection to hiking fuel prices, the protests intensified as breadwinners voiced their exasperation about ever rising costs of living. Unable to contain any longer their impatience with bleak employment prospects, rioting youth only grew more infuriated by the belittlement of an older establishment ignoring their concerns.

And across generations disapproval was cautiouslyconcessions by the government to increase salaries of civil servants will maintain

uttered about upcoming constitutional changes to eliminate term limits for the President.  Remembering more prosperous times during the first quarter-century following independence, Cameroonians refuse to put up with it anymore.

It remains to be seen how long the relative calm, which returned after the clamp down and subsequent concessions by the government, will last.

The outcry of the Cameroonian people is resonating all over the African continent, as the difficulties the general population experiences are often rooted in common underlying causes.

Economic decline

For a quarter-century following independence, Cameroon was one of the most prosperous countries in Africa. But in the mid-1980s commodity prices for its principal exports--oil, cocoa, coffee, and cotton--dropped and the economy fell into a decade-long recession. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) led  the government to embark upon a series of economic reform programs. In 1993 civil service salaries were slashed by 65% and to make things worse for the population, the CFA franc--the common currency of Cameroon and 13 other African states--was devalued by 50% the following year. Agricutural subsidies were lifted, quadripling the prices of fertilizers and other agricultural enhancers. It has rendered them unaffordable for most of the rural population, on whom the entire population relies for their food security.

Agro-fuels and food prices
In recent years an almost unbridled interest in agro-fuels, produced to satisfy unrestrained gas consumption in industrialized countries, is causing a surge in global demands for the food stuffs from which they are generated. The correlation between price increases for wheat, rice, corn and sugar and the products derived from them has been well established, and forecasts of agro-fuel related hunger among poor communities is raising alarm. For further information read (but with a critical eye) Biofuel Expansion: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities for Rural People by the InternationalFund for Agricultural Development

Long touted for its self-sufficiency and economic potential, Cameroon may soon become a country where food is inaccessible for the masses of people who live below the poverty line.

Trade liberalization and local economies
The situation may still get worse for the general population. An Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is negotiated between the European Union Commission and six economic sub regions of 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. This and similar trade agreements are in the first place designed with the expansion of European and American economies in mind.

Introducing reciprocal trade liberalization, the EPA has Cameroon and other ACP countries trade away the very mechanisms needed to nurture the development of their local industries, and has them open up their markets to increased levels of imports from the EU. This results in the destruction of local industries that cannot compete with the often subsidized European products. Additionally, economic experts estimate that the Cameroonian government will loose millions of dollars in taxes annually as under the EPA accord many goods or products from EU member countries will enter the country duty-free.

Last December, the Dole-controlled Compagnie Fruitière - which exports more than half of West Africa’s bananas to the EU – succeeded in persuading Cameroon to break away from its regional groupings and sign an interim deal ahead of the processes initially set out to come to a healthy agreement. The Director of the company claims that under the EPA his company will be doubling the acreage planted and the volume exported. This may be bad news for small farmers who risk losing their fields like others have in the past for the same company.

Similar trade agreements between the US and developing economies of its Southern neighbors have already proven to negatively impact local economies on both sides.

Natural wealth and democratic processes

Even though Cameroonians seem to enjoy more democratic liberties than some of their neigbors in the Central African region, last month's events, particularly seen in light of the intended constitutional change, brought out the hardline stance of a political elite clinging to power. It is a tendency typical for the socio-political environment in resource-rich African nations. Deals between oil-, gas- and mining companies and their host governments are surrounded by obscurity, and payments of the revenues often lack the transparency needed for civil society to verify national budgets. Those in power, who are able to benefit personally from this situation vie to hold on to their positions, which tarnish already fragile democratic processes.

Complementing programs

The issues referred to above only sample the complexity of the problems the African people endure in their daily struggle for survival. Programs like RELUFA’s grain banks and Credit Against Poverty provide a tangible and much needed alternative to overcome hunger and poverty (see below for more info and stories on the Grain Banks and on CAP). But these local solutions need to be complemented and sustained by activities to change the devouring trade models that destroy vulnerable economies.

The regional trends affirm the need for our network's investment in the regional Publish What You Pay activties through which civil society of resource-rich nations in Central and West Africa will be empowered to call their political leadership to accountability and good governance.

Last but not least, Joining Hands' overarching theme of Trade Justice, and the educational materials and fairly traded products offered through its affiliated Partners for Just Trade provide an opportunity for overseas Joining hands partners and our Presbyterian constituency to work together for change.

RELUFA establishes sixteen New Grain Banks

by Elias Gondji, Administrator of GIE ADERSA and RELUFA's Food Sovereignty Program Coordinator

Launched in 2006 with 18 participating communities, the Food Sovereignty program in the Far North Province has since solidified with as main activity the ongoing accompaniment of the initial groups. Thanks to grants from the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Hunger Program and donations from various churches and individuals, Presbyterian as well as Methodist, RELUFA could expand this year its operations both in number of groups and in the surface covered. With an additional 16 grain bank cooperatives the total number has grown from 18 to 34.

Women loading up the stock just delivered for their group

Whereas the program was first started with communities of the district Mokolo in the Mayo Tsanaga Division, it has now been extended to the Division of Diamaré to also include the Districts of Meri and Ndoukoula.

To be able to establish these new grain banks, awareness building activities needed to be organized in each of the new communities. The groups then had to be ratified, the initial grain stocks purchased and their distribution among the new granaries ensured.

Sensitization of the new groups
Field workers of member organizations GIE ADERSA and ADESE have criss-crossed villages and clusters of communities to screen potential groups on their ability to organize as grain bank cooperatives and to lead the operations as part of RELUFA’s Food Sovereignty Program. Through our sensitization actvities we identified a number of communities that decided on a temporary leadership, who were then invited for a meeting to have their groups ratified.

Ratification of the participating groups

And so, all group leaders were called to the office of ADERSA for a ratification meeting on 15 February 2008, during which they learned more in detail about the objectives and operations of RELUFA's Food Sovereignty program. The staff explained the various conditions to which the groups were expected to commit before receiving their initial grain stocks from RELUFA. Given the financial constraints, a question and answer session was held to determine the final selection of groups.

Purchase and delivery of initial stocks

It being the harvest time of the counter seasonal variation of yellow sorghum, muskwaari, the stocks needed for each of the groups were sought at the markets located in the area's where muskwaari is grown. A small purchasing team made up of one village trainer (Robert Konai, ADERSA) and two retailers, who had been identified at the grain markets of Noubou and of Djappai, was put in place.

After prospection and a basic survey on the market price, and in communication with the national network coordinator, Valery Nodem, it was agreed to pay 14,000FCFA (about $30) for a bag of 100 kilograms, which included all handling and transportation charges. In this way we were able to buy 60 bags of 100 kilograms per group, totalling 960 bags. The bags were then transported with small rented trucks and delivered against receipt to the different participating groups.

Perspectives

Having put in place this way all sixteen new grain banks, the main activities for the field workers will consist of continued training for the groups, their legalisation, the ongoing accompaniment of all grain bank cooperatives supported by RELUFA and the regular inspection of their granaries. In light of the program's upcoming expansion to communities in the North Province, exchange visits are planned for a third network member organization, Fondation Salaaman (FoSal), to familiarize itself with the operations to be able to accompany new grain bank cooperatives in their region.

CAP Database Project-

Planting seeds in the fields of partnership

by Christopher DeJong, volunteer

Credit Against Poverty, or CAP for short, is a microfinance program by which RELUFA makes small loans to network affiliates at the grassroots for starting or augmenting small business efforts. Most loan recipients, both groups and individuals, engage in a wide variety of income generating projects, including anything from small animal husbandry to food drying and vending to brick-making.

 

Since my arrival in October to spend a year volunteering with RELUFA along with my wife Ann, I have been working with CAP coordinator Guy-Roland Noumigue to create a database management system for the program. We have just completed the “beta” of the software, essentially the first draft, and it is now installed on a server in the RELUFA offices and ready for regular use. Our goals for this system are to track information about CAP clients, their projects, and the loans they obtain from CAP. This will provide faster access to this information, which has been tracked by hand on paper up until now, will let us analyze the use and repayment of loans, and help us to discern long-term trends in the viability and health of the CAP program.

CAP Coordinator Guy Roland Noumigue and Chris deJong during a working session in RELUFA's office.

So far, the software contains partial information on a few clients. Our next step, now that the system is live and available, is to enter the remaining client data which is on paper into the system. Meanwhile, I continue to work with Guy to develop the software. In keeping with current software engineering practice, we move in small incremental steps, each one of which adds a usable program function that Guy has requested and prioritized in conversation with me. This approach allows us to work together on a regular basis to discuss Guy's ongoing use of the software, and what additional program function would be a good next step for CAP. I then write that function in a few days, Guy uses it as soon as it is available, and it feeds back into our ongoing development work together.

In addition to software development, we are also creating some software training sessions for RELUFA and staff of its member organizations. One of these is database training in a program called Access, another is training with the spreadsheet program Excel. These are powerful data-analysis tools that are designed to be used by non-programmers. The CAP software we have now created has the ability to export its data to other programs, so Guy and I will also work together to analyze our CAP data set using Access and Excel. This will assist Guy and other training participants in developing their own analysis tools using Access and Excel, whether for the CAP client data or information for other programs. Our hope with this two-pronged approach of writing a software package together and creating training sessions with software tools is to build not only RELUFA's data-management capabilities, but also its capacity to create its own data management tools long after our one year in Cameroon ends. In other words, our goal is not just some work during our short year together, but the planting of seeds in the fields of partnership.

Credit Against Poverty

Northern Farmers working together to Raise Animals and Quality of Life

by Guy Noumigue, CAP Program Coordinator, and Ann Speyer, volunteer

One of the first groups to receive a loan through RELUFA's micro-finance program Credit Against Poverty (CAP) was a group called AGROPEES (Agricole, Promotion, Education des Eleveurs du Sahel).

Founded in 2006 by some young men of Zidim, a village in Cameroon’s Extreme North province, AGROPEES is a Common Initiative Group with twelve members, working to improve conditions for farmers who breed livestock and grow crops in the area. The group’s members are all quite young, the oldest among them no more than thirty years old. Led by a veterinarian named Jonathan, they aim to provide access to necessary agricultural materials and supplies at a fair price, and medications and veterinary expertise for those who raise animals.

Increasing stock

In January 2007, the members of AGROPEES received a loan of 388,000 FCFA (around $690 US) from the CAP program so they could work on raising animals as a group. Before the loan, individual group members owned a few animals here and there, but the loan allowed them to acquire more livestock so that all of them could work together. They purchased several sheep and goats and a few donkeys, increasing the size of their collective herd to at least 25 animals.

Facing the challenges

Raising the animals involves acquiring beasts in good health, feeding them plenty of hay so they fatten up, then selling them at a profit. Every morning, the flock must be put out to pasture, then escorted back home each evening. Additionally, animals are often given doses of medication every few months to protect the herd from illness.

The rainy season brings certain challenges for those who raise animals in Cameroon’s northern regions. It’s difficult to keep the hay dry enough so the animals will eat it. The herds and flocks must be pastured carefully so they don’t destroy the crops that are growing during this time of year. And like most of us, the beasts don’t enjoy being out in the rain. Things slow down while the rains fall from July to October, but it’s also the season most favorable for reproduction, and therefore important in the cycle of animal husbandry.

Filling the gap

The government provides some veterinary assistance, but usually there is only one person to service a whole group of villages. If your goats become very ill, they will probably die before the veterinary technician for your area is able to arrive. This is where the work of AGROPEES helps to fill in the gaps. The members of the group have much collective experience : among them, there are experts in commerce, agriculture, and animal husbandry. Some sell agricultural supplies, some are trained in veterinary medicine, and others grow crops such as millet, sorghum, soy, cotton, and corn.

Sharing responsibilities

In the region where AGROPEES operates, most buying and selling of animals takes place on Tuesday, the busiest day at the marketplace. Each week when they have animals to sell, certain group members accompany the treasurer to market, and together they sell the animals they’ve brought and decide which new ones to buy.

Typically, a group’s treasurer is the person in charge of money and finances. Because the money and finances of AGROPEES are completely invested in their sheep, goats, and donkeys, their tresasurer is actually the chief herdsman, looking after the animals with the help of the other members. Any profits from selling their animals at market are divided among the group.

Growing together

In spite of the difficulties described, caring for their collective flocks and herds has brought the members of AGROPEES together, not only at their monthly meetings, but also each time they go to market to buy and sell animals. They continue to acquire new skills and knowledge from one another as they work together. Their project and its benefits, still relatively small-scale, have already improved the buying power of group members and their families, and their quality of life has also improved thanks to this additional source of revenue. As for the CAP loan that allowed them to launch their project in the first place, they have kept their repayment schedule and made their final payment in January 2008.

Benefitting the community

The example of AGROPEES, as they promote their activity and help each other, has inspired others to join the group, some new members and some former members who had stopped attending. The surrounding villagers benefit too, because they no longer have to wait for the Tuesday market to buy animals, but can buy healthy animals at a fair price from AGROPEES, right in their own community. All their projects continue to progress : sales of agricultural materials and supplies, sales of products and medications for animal health, veterinary expertise and service. As they continue their good work, the group members hope to continue improving their services so that they can improve not only their own situations, but the quality of life for all farmers in their region.