Job Skills for 10,000 Youths in Cameroon.

Integrated Agricultural Association (IAA) has been working to empower youths and young women in sustainable skills in agriculture, and fast discovered that sustainaable income opportunities cannot be created if communities involved are engaged in destructive agricultural practices, suffer from gender inequalities and poor farmer organization. IAA then started thinking how to make entrepreneurship a success by addressing these challenges in an integrated and differentiated approach.

IAA developed programs on Organic Fertilizer and Pest management and Computer Literacy. Over 200 youths and young women have been trained on compost production and marketing, turning waste into treasure and improving the soil. Over 100 girls have been trained on computer skills and AI used to adapt to digital landscape in the job market. Communities have been paired with mentors to continue these activities as entrepreneurs. IAA has increase women and youth participation in market gardening, bee farming and conservation and economic empowerment through micro-finance and trained over 1000 women on micro business skills, which is still continuing and will last for a long time.

IAA is presently leading a project that is improving on the value chain of honey and vegetables. Bee farmers and vegetable producers' capacity is being developed in qualitative and quantitative production of honey and vegetables.They are organized into cooperatives and their leaders trained on management and leadership skills. IAA is helping in marketing of honey and vegetables in major towns of Cameroon and bee wax through identified international and local partners.

In Africa, youth unemployment and poverty must be addressed through an integrated approach based on local and cultural realities. With limited technology and digital educational background, local approaches are the best methods to empower both educated and uneducated individuals to create faire opportunities for sustainable income and development. With your support we could go even further to create more visible impacts in our communities. Make a difference today through GlobalGiving. Thank you for being part of our donor community!

With gratitudes!

Integrated Agricultural Association (IAA) aims to empower both in and out of school rural youths with Vocational Skills in Market gardening, Poultry production and Fishing to promote self employment and reduce poverty.

In Cameroon, the unemployment rate is 30% while that of underemployment stands at 75% (International Labor Organization’s 2013 report). It is worth noting that Cameroon has a population of over 20 million inhabitants and most of the people belong to the middle class. It may interest you to know that the working population of Cameroon is about 12million and only a little over 200,000 people work in the public service. With government being the highest employer, this implies that the other 11.8million people who are not government employed are a call for concern.

Most of the barriers to resolving the unemployment challenge in Cameroon includes: 1-the unprecedented economic crisis suffered in the 1990s 2-the educational system of Cameroon which focuses mainly on theories and abstract concepts with little or no training in technology and entrepreneurship, 3-lowquality jobs, 4-skills mismatch, 5-inadequate job matching, 6-the work experience trap, 7-lack of access to capital, 8-little or no entrepreneurship and business training, 9-limited youth participation, 10-social discrimination and corruption, 11-frustration and discouragement, amongst others.

It is no doubt that youth unemployment is one of the major challenges Cameroon faces today as thousands of young people find no opportunities after school. Through training, young people are taught on Environment Management, Horticulture production, Market gardening , Poultry production and Business management. To date, over 18600 self jobs have been created in the agriculture and trade sectors, which have significantly reduced poverty and food insecurity.

Your continued support today will enable us provide the much needed skills to young people to fight unemployment and poverty in our community. Thank you for considering to donate today, your donation will be used to achieve these goals.

With Gratitude!