RELUFA has over several years been working to address hunger in the Far North which is the poorest and most food-insecure region in Cameroon. Since 2013, the influx of refugees and internally displaced persons in most villages caused by the Boko Haram Islamic sect insurgency, has increased pressure on natural resources (food, water, timber,) of the local population. One village that has been particularly affected is Gourenguel, closest to the Minawao refugee camp. Refugees and internally displaced persons come to the community members to ask for local food while also sharing the water sources and firewood. However, humanitarian agencies and government programs are focused on providing emergency response for the refugees with little assistance to host communities. Food insecurity increased in Gourenguel and RELUFA, in 2016 created a community cereal bank in the village with support from the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
Secure adequate storage facilities to store the cereal was one major handicap for this village and in 2021 with support from Growing Hope Globally, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Presbyterian Hunger Program, Gourenguel now has a functioning cereal bank with a modern cereal storage house. This will contribute to improving the food storage conditions and hunger in the village as there will be available cereal for families with no food.
