The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Poverty Reduction Project provides substantial grants to associations of HIV+ people in northern Cameroon. In November 2008, they approached EFA’s regional staff to inquire about potential areas of collaboration.

After visiting four of EFA’s youth associations, the Project elected to provide two large grants of 4 and 6 million cfca respectively (~ $8,000 and $12,000) to the ASSYSGOD and AWALLA associations. The grants are intended to expand the association’s existing income generation activities, which were launched in July 2008 with seed money from EFA.

The ASSYSGOD grant will allow the association to expand and enclose their fields and to establish an irrigation system, providing the possibility of growing an increased variety of produce throughout the year. The grant will also provide the means for the association to launch a separate income generation activity focused on selling potable water to members of their community.

The AWALLA grant will also allow them to expand and enclose their community garden. In addition, the association will be able to build a warehouse to store their produce and purchase an industrial grinder. As a result, members of the association will benefit from their location in the market town of Banki by selling ground millet, peanuts and soy to market customers. Both grants will allow the associations to significantly increase the financial yield from their projects. The affiliation with UNDP also provides the possibility of future support for new associations.

Tags: ASSYSGOD, AWALLA, collaboration, fundraising, grants, News from Cameroon, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), youth network