Cameroon

The modern state of Cameroon was created in 1961 following the unification of two former colonies, one British and one French. Since then it has evolved from one-party rule to a multiparty system. Cameroon has one of the highest literacy rates in the continent. While experiencing improvement in the general quality of life in recent years, the people of Cameroon continue to live with inadequacies in the healthcare and education systems, as well as in the management of their natural resources and economic systems.

The government continues to open new schools to address the educational needs of youth, but has difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified teachers. Water-borne illnesses, poor nutrition, and sexually transmitted diseases threaten health throughout the country. A majority of the population continues to work the land using damaging agricultural practices. Volunteers concentrate their efforts at the grassroots level in classroom instruction, teacher training, agriculture, agroforestry, and health. A small enterprise development project addresses the growing needs in the business sector.

Education

Providing an expanding school-age population with quality education remains a challenge for the Cameroonian government. Volunteers help improve the quality of education by teaching classes in English, math, science, and computers and by developing teaching materials applicable to Cameroonian life. Health and environmental education curricula are integrated into daily lessons. Volunteers bring innovative techniques to the classroom that enhance students' critical thinking skills and improve the teaching skills of their Cameroonian counterparts.

Environment

Due to population growth and increasing competition for land in Cameroon, farmers are cultivating on steep hillsides and in ecologically important forested areas, accelerating soil erosion, degradation of existing farmland, and desertification. Volunteers are working to establish networks of farmer leaders who understand the benefits of agroforestry and permanent farming systems, and who will teach these activities to other farmers.

Health

In Cameroon,the doctor-to-patient ratio is 1: 10,500, the infant mortality rate exceeds 6 percent, and only half the population has access to safe drinking water. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has emerged as one of the most pressing social health concerns, with an estimated 6 percent of the population infected.

Volunteers work on prevention activities that encourage communities to assess local health and water/sanitation problems, prioritize these concerns and identify appropriate interventions.

Working with Volunteers from other sectors, health Volunteers have led workshops on fruit drying, community tree-planting projects and gender-related issues. Increasing numbers of community members are exposed to family health education activities targeting preventive health and improved water/sanitation practices.

Small Enterprise Development

The informal sector of the economy is critical in Cameroon. The small enterprise development project links Volunteers with credit and savings organizations, providing entrepreneurs with credit and the skills necessary to effectively use that credit.

Last updated Sep 28 2008