This project will establish a small-scale cassava processing operation in the village of Ote, to be run and managed by the local women's group with the goal of increasing their income generating potential. Greater household income can lead to dramatic improvements in the quality of life for the women of Ote, a small village in the highly underdeveloped Akwaya region of Cameroon. Building a cassava processing center will enable the women to produce garri and sell it in local markets.
Ote village is isolated and largely undeveloped. Apart from subsistence farming, the economic opportunities available to women in the community are limited and the women and their families experience significant hardships. There is little money available to pay school fees, purchase essential items, cover medical expenses or meet nutritional needs. Cassava processing holds the potential to empower the women of Ote to generate the income needed to considerably improve their quality of life.
Cassava processing is a viable way to build capacity, generate income and yield considerable benefits to the community. Mechanized processing will enable women to utilize the full potential of their farmland to produce a greater quantity of garri, which is in high demand in local markets. The processing center will provide steady income and will be operated by the women themselves. Additional income will help the women to meet the needs of their families and sustain the project into the future.
With greater household income from garri production, school enrollment will grow. The increased number of educated youth will serve as a basis for improved knowledge in the village. As a result, they are better able to contribute to their community and help to overcome its challenges. Added income will also lead to growth in health and nutrition, and community level infrastructural development. FORUDEF views income generation as the catalyst for capacity building and community empowerment.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
