Agriculture
Test and analysis project
Location: Mfou, Benebalot, So'o in Cameroon
Dates: 2021 to 2023
Project type: humanitarian analysis and local economic analysis
Context
Located in the heart of Yaoundé, Cameroon, the group of Unit Aide members engaged in a humanitarian and economic investment project in the village of Mfou, moving from Benabalot to So.
Objective
Testing the Land and the Local Economy: This project, which ran from 2021 to 2023, was a personal effort for members to assess the viability of agriculture in the region and determine if we could leverage this avenue for our centers.
Initiative
Cultivating the land to revitalize the local economy.
Produce resources to finance projects.
Generate revenue through product sales, creating internal turnover that directly benefits our future centers.
Commitment
Unit Aide members have committed to:
Understanding the needs of surrounding villages.
Create sustainable and collaborative solutions.
Develop cultivation methods and promote local products.
Impact
The small income generated was personal investment by the founding members for this project and was used to carry out an action with our orphanages, by providing food.
Conclusion
Finally, Unit Aide has reached the end of its pilot project, which ran from 2021 to 2023, and after careful consideration, has decided not to pursue this large-scale initiative immediately. Indeed, farming represented a huge investment in terms of on-site labor control and generated little income compared to the work we could carry out remotely. Given the current conditions of our residents, we have moved forward step by step. This could become a long-term project in the future.
Lessons learned
This experience allowed us to integrate into the mentality of the villages, thus offering the opportunity to test our team and to sort through to keep only professional and serious people, supported by recognized authorities.
Next steps
We plan to apply the lessons learned in our future projects, focusing on a more sustainable and cost-effective approach. We will continue to assess the needs of local communities to determine whether a long-term recovery of agriculture could be considered, with on-the-ground analysis.