Social Centre For Humanitarian Services, Agriculture And Environmental Protection (SCHAEP)

HISTORY OF THE ORGANISATION

Liberalization in Cameroon’s economy has led to the abandonment of farmers to unscrupulous market forces – forced to buy expensive farm inputs and sell their produce at giveaway prices. SCHAEP was launched as a capacity-building organization to assist farmers in Kumba to control, manage and benefit from the proceeds of their labour.

As members of the community living the experience, the following problems were diagnosed by SCHAEP’s working team:

• Lack of organization amongst the farmers and hence poor communication.
• Poor sales of agricultural products due to lack of common markets.
• High cost of farm inputs as a result of individual purchase as opposed to less costly group purchase.
• Farmers’ reluctance to modernize traditional farming methods.
• Inability to resolve boundary problems amicably.
• Poor management of the farms’ hard-earned proceeds.
• Lack of knowledge re diversification of resources to generate more income at the end of production season.
• Rapid population growth due to migration from other villages for fertile lands.
• Poor hygienic conditions both at home and on the farms.

PURPOSE OF THE ORGANIZATION (MISSION)

SCHAEP aims to teach, train and organize the farms into common initiative groups through which they can better manage their agricultural products to their benefit.

SCHAEP further seeks to empower the farmers physically, morally, and financially so that they can later on solve their own problems.

OBJECTIVES

To assist communities in the villages by building their capacity on how to live and work in common initiative groups, in order to strengthen their bargaining position over sales of their produce and purchase of farm inputs.

• Train members of common initiative groups in the need for good governance and accountability.
• Educate the common initiative groups on individual management of resources.
• Teach the farmers nutrition and hygiene.
• Establish a school outreach program on environmental protection through tree planting and formation of clubs.
• Advocate and lobby for programs that will help the public and members of common initiative groups.
• Give assistances to widows and their children.
• Increase farm yields and raise the standard of living.

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

• Create more common initiative groups in the village and neighbouring villages.
• Inform members of the market trend of their produce.
• Plant trees in schools.
• Train farmers on management, leadership and accountability in running and managing a common initiative group.
• Support widows and their children in vocational institutions.
• Carry out vision education in the community and schools.

COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS

SCHAEP works with farmers irrespective of race, colour and religion, and with quarter and village heads, which are auxiliary of government.

SCHAEP volunteers are available to other organizations for further training. SCHAEP also seeks volunteers to work with its programs.