Did you know? Hunger is the fire that drives a man to seek nourishment. Even the mightiest of warriors become weak when their bellies are hollow. NASLA's small seeds of love and hope through our RootBiz outreach program is bringing smiles and hope to many youths in Cameroon. Thanks to all our family of supporters, because of you this change is possible.
Today, we want to share the exciting testimony of one of our beneficiary, 'Herman', an unemployed school dropout now a fantastic vegetable (pepper) farmer, who grows his own vegetables for food, while generating income to take care of his basic needs and send his sister to school.
Herman's Testimony:
My name is Herman, a native of Tudig Village currently residing as an Internally Displace Person (IDP) in Bessi-fomukong village in Mbengwi Subdivision. I am 27 years old.
Like many of my peers, I found myself facing the challenge of No Job (unemployment) and an uncertain future after I droped out of school in 2017 due to the current anglophone crises affecting the two English speaking regions of Cameroon (NW & SW). Because many youth in our area are a target to the arm groups, I decided to move to Bessi village to live with a family friend. With limited opportunities in the village, and from a poor background, my family couldn't afford to sponsor me to go to the city where I could continue schooling or get a job, I felt disheartened and unsure of what path to pursue.
However, I had always possessed a deep love for nature and had fond childhood memories of helping my grandparents tend to our small garden behind the house, take care of goats, and pigs. This connection to nature, and the financial hardship of my family sparked a glimmer of hope within me. I decided to follow my passion and explore the world of farming since farming in the village is the highest practice and less cost demanding to start if you can access a land..
Driven by a thirst for knowledge, in 2021, The Network of Agric and Sustainable Leaders for Africa (NASLA) came to Bessi Village with the RootBiz workshop. I decided to attend the first workshop which was on sustainable farming and livestock (pig) agriculture, then in 2022 they came again with another training on poultry and vegetable farming, which I also attended. These trainings provided me with practical skills in sustainable farming methods, simple soil building techniques using organic compost around, and crop cultivation techniques and above all it also ignited in me the zeal to farm.
With determination and a small plot of land provided by my supportive family in Bessi, I started my own farm journey into pepper production. Though I faced numerous challenges, including unfavorable weather conditions, lack of some tools and also no enough money, I didn't stop what i wanted to do because i had no other option. I persevered, learning from each setback and adapting my methods accordingly until June when I was selected by NASLA’s follow-up team that visited our farms and supported us with some farm tools,(cutlass and watering cane).
As time goes on, my dedication and hard work has begin to bear fruit. My pepper farm is in the 2nd harvest now abd from the produce I am sure to pay my sisters fees in the primary school and also sure to afford basic food items for our home consumption.
My excitement is even different now as other community members are beginning to be inspired through my farm and my commitment to farming without fertilizers (chemicals) as we were taught in the training. .
Driven by my success and a desire to contribute to the needs of my family, today, my farm stands as a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the unwavering belief in oneself. And my all appreciation to NASLA and the RootBiz program and I pray that they continue to invest in my community, sharing knowledge and helping to create a brighter future for other unemployed youth. Thank you people so much.
Thank you to everyone who is supporting NASLA. We are always grateful for your support in seeds of love through every way you supported.
At last, we were able to meet the farmers! For over 6years, the English speaking region of Cameroon has been facing a serious political unrest that has gradually developed to a war crisis. This war has greatly affected the remote communities, in that, some illegal arm groups fighting against government arms have occupied most of the villages especially the main roads leading to these areas. Since March 11th 2023, the main road leading to Mbengwi Subdivision was blocked by this illegal groups. Unfortunately, this date, 11th was the date set for our ROOT Biz workshop that was supposed to be held in the community of Bessi-fomukong in Mbengwi. As a result the workshop was postponed to the 22nd of April 2023, hoping the roads may have been opened. Sadly till date the main roads is still blocked. So in other to access the community, we were forced to use the rough roads in the bushes, so that we were able to run the workshop. We thank the almighty that it was a success. 10 farmers, received farm tools and we had a 2hour question and answer, feedback session with the farmers to understand their present challenges and how they are coping with the current crisis. What means they used to market their produce? How has the prices been affected? Access to inputs and tools.
We are working to remodel the ROOT Biz workshop in the midst of the war in other to be able to run virtual sessions to reach the unreached. Also, as it is our goal to serve the poor farmers in the suburb who are always lacking in opportunities, we plan to organise Trainings of Trainers (TOT) geared towards training key focal leaders from the communities we serve who will be able to pass the knowledge to others in the community even when access is limited for our team to the community. Our ROOTBiz program was designed with the prime goal of providing training to young people in more remote communities who depend agriculture for livelihood, but the, war, covid-19 and above all the hardships of the recent years made the expansion of our services extremely challenging. However, we continue to take little steps towards reaching the expected goal. Our goal is to be begin fundraising for the experiential learning center which will be a safe and comfortable space where people can come and stay to learn while sharing ideas. All these can only be possible because we work together in collaboration.
Thank you to all of our volunteers, donors, and everyone at GlobalGiving! If you would like to provide feedback, learn more about our projects, or if you are interested in volunteering with us, please email us at nasla.younginitiative@gmail.com. There is also an opportunity to leave a note at the end of this report.
Tendong Denis Ngweh! (“My appreciation always”)
FALL - Winter 2022 REPORT
Organization: NETWORK OF AGRIC AND SUSTAINABLE LEADERS FOR AFRICA
(NASLAAFRICA)
NASLAAfrica supports and creates opportunities for youths and communities in Cameroon/Africa to grow healthy food, create jobs, and grow hope by:
• Organizing and hosting periodic workshops (classroom and on-the-farm training) for skills training and new ideas development for youths and farmers in sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and entrepreneurship
• Offering assistance with farm tools, and seeds and promoting a sustainable environment
management.
• improving smallholder farmers’ access to markets
This Annual Report/Review focuses on our ROOT Biz workshop. It is work that is more urgent than ever. The youths and communities we serve faced many challenges in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to disrupt access to agricultural inputs, training, and markets, increasing poverty and hunger for farming families. The ongoing civil war in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon has continued to affect many businesses and schools leading to increase unemployment and challenges.
With your support, we have reached more than 500 youths and small-income farmers across 30 communities in Cameroon, helping them to tackle these challenges head-on and make a decent living from agriculture, while sustainably managing the natural resources around them.
As we write this report in December 2022, the challenges for youths and rural communities continue to escalate as the conflict in Ukraine has caused an increase in food prices in Cameroon.
We are grateful to the many individuals, organizations, faith-based ministries, institutions, and community groups locally and internationally who supported NASLAAfrica in 2022.
Activities or achievements
This section summarizes NASLAAfrica’s achievements in 2022 and outlines our goals for 2023. In the first quarter of 2022, we held an internal team meeting and hosted our first ROOT Biz workshop for the year 2022. This workshop took place in a very remote community of Bessi-formukong in the Mbengwi Subdivision. The workshop was focused on training livestock pig
farmers on organic feed formulation, health management, and marketing. The great strength of our ROOT Biz workshops this year was the recruitment of contract staff and volunteers who serve as resource trainers for these training. In the second and third quarters, we organize two workshops in Bamenda and in Mbengwi on indigenous poultry management and business development and on introduction to permaculture respectively in the above communities. Youths, students, and smallholder farmers from different communities in Cameroon benefited from this program. In Bessi-fomukong village, two farmers were supported with 100kg of compost pig feed.
We carried out 3 follow-up visits to our 15 participants. They all are doing wonderfully in their projects but are limited in similar challenges of lack of some basic tools, limitation in some skills areas, and access to quality seeds, and breeds.
We began arrangements to access land for the YAP center in Mbengwi. Good Feedback on this as of date is that NASLAAfrica has been offered partially donated land for the center. The full cost of the land is 9000 USD, with NASLA going to cover 5000 USD out of this sum.
Our ROOT Biz workshop for the last quarter of the year 2022 was postponed due to insecurity in the community where it was planned to hold.
In agriculture, our programs will continue to support youths and farmers to transition from chemicalized agriculture to sustainable, regenerative livelihoods. Access to quality inputs, tools, skills training opportunities, technology, and information improves income, increases food, and makes livelihoods more resilient.
Our goal for 2023, will be to lunch the Youth Agriculture and Permaculture (YAP) center project which will be a platform for skills training, education, research, permaculture gardens, food security, and demonstration in sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship, and youth employment: We will emphasize the creation of job opportunities for young people throughout the value chain.
Food security: We will reignite youth and community engagement in sustainable agriculture and permaculture
Environment protection and Climate action: We will promote regenerative practices that help to heal the land and will work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the resilience and the adaptive capacity of communities to climate change.
Gender equality: We will design our projects to be gender-sensitive and include meaningful outcomes for women’s economic empowerment.
Resilience: We will enhance youth and communities, enterprises, and ecosystems’ ability to mitigate and adapt to shocks.
Once more thanks to all our supporters, sponsors, and partners for your continues partnership toward the vision of NASLA to serve youths and communities.
REPORT ON THE TRAINING OF YOUTHS ON BIOSECURITY MANAGEMENT IN POULTRY
FARM AND RECORD KEEPING ON JUNE 11, 2022:
Types of trainees:
Youths (18-35years old) and / Small-holder farmers
Attendance:
Number of members present: 13 (10 women 3 men)
Persons to contact: Mr.Tendong
Date of meeting: 06/11/2022
Venue of the meeting: City FM radio building, Che Street-Ntarinkon Bamenda
Duration of the meeting in hours:
3hrs and 30mins
Start time 10:40 am
End time: 2:10pm
The theme of the training: BIOSECURITY MANAGEMENT IN A POULTRY FARM AND RECORD
KEEPING
Context and rationale: Within the framework of the NASLAAfrica ROOT Biz program, it was identified that many existing and potential poultry farmers in the Mezam Division had insufficient knowledge of BIOSECURITY MANAGEMENT and RECORD KEEPING, from the problem identified and chosen for animation, a theme was formulated as biosecurity management in a poultry farm and record keeping.
The training session started at 10:40 am with 10 participants together with one volunteer, the CEO of NASLAAfrica, and one Resource trainer in charge of the execution of the training.
The agenda was presented as follows:
A word of prayer was offered by Ibrahim, one of the participants, the CEO of NASLAAfrica Mr. Tendong also gave an opening word where he used this opportunity to welcome everyone present. He also gave a brief introduction about NASLAAfrica and the ROOT Biz program. There was a brief introduction of all participants who were present at the training ground.
Thereafter, the objectives and expected results of the training were presented by the Facilitator which were;
OBJECTIVES:
EXPECTED RESULTS:
Regarding the introduction the subject matter “biosecurity” was defined, stating the types of biosecurity and the importance of biosecurity to a farmer’s production in relation to Poultry Farming. The different disease causal agents (bacterias, fungi, viruses, parasites, environmental diseases, poisoning, etc.) were discussed.
The Participants were made to understand how to prevent and control these diseases. The following points were examined;
The different methods that could be used to identify a sick broiler were also treated with great emphasis being laid on several points (use of sight, observation, changes in behavior, the use of sound, and faces).
Furthermore, some common broiler diseases were examined, their signs and symptoms and route treatments that could be given, and the different ways in which drugs can be administered to the broilers.
To continue the participants were trained on Record keeping where they were thought on:
At the end of the training, a room was given for the participants to ask questions for better understanding and clarification and as well share their experiences. Several questions were posed which were answered detailly with much clarity.
On other matters emphasis was laid on the filling of the management book in relation to the training on biosecurity and its importance.
The workshop ended with refreshments, and group and individual picture taking.
NETWORK OF AGRIC AND SUSTAINABLE LEADERS FOR AFRICA (NASLA)
ROOTBIZ QUARTERLY WORKSHOP – SPRING 2022
Date of training: 04/03/2021
Venue of the training: Bessi-fomukong village, Mbengwi
Duration of the training Start time 10:30 am End time 1:30 pm
Classroom sessions: 2 hours Practical hands-on session: 1hour
Theme of the training: INCREASE SUSTAINABILITY IN PIG PRODUCTION SYSTEMS THROUGH PROPER FEED FORMULATION TECHNIQUES, BIOSECURITY MEASURES AND MARKETING STRATEGIES.
Beneficiaries: Youth, Women Pig Farmers (Producers)
Number of participants: = 50 (30 youths and 20 women)
Contact Persons: Mr. Tendong, NASLA Founder/Director / Ms. Zie, Program Manager
Context and rationale: Within the framework of the NASLAAfrica ROOTBIZ capacity building program, it was identified that pig producers (farmers) in Bessi-fomukong village in Mbengwi Subdivision lack sufficient knowledge of feed formulation, biosecurity measures, and the various marketing strategies to sell their produce, from the problem identified and chosen for animation, a theme was formulated as: INCREASE SUSTAINABILITY IN PIG PRODUCTION SYSTEMS THROUGH PROPER FEED FORMULATION TECHNIQUES, BIOSECURITY MEASURES AND MARKETING STRATEGIES with objectives;
Objectives: To share ideas, and experiences and improve farmers’ knowledge of feed formulation techniques, biosecurity measures, and good marketing strategies for sustainability.
(types of locally adaptable breed, type of feed, feed ingredients, method of mixing (tools), method of storage, frequency of feeding, frequency of cleaning pigsty house, vaccination/treatment, and marketing strategies).
The training session started at 10:00 am with 42 participants present together with two trainers, and two volunteers in charge of the execution of the training.
The workshop agenda was presented as follows:
Arrival and registration of participants
Welcome by the project coordinator
Objectives and expected results
Presentation of NASLA Africa and the ROOT Biz Program
Presentation of the program of the workshop
Introduction of participants
Training proper
Introduction to feed formulation for pigs
Nutrients
Ingredients
Balance feed
Level of inclusion of feed ingredients
Feed formula
Introduction on biosecurity
Causal agents of diseases in pigs
Prevention and control of diseases in pigs
How to identify sick animals
Some common diseases in pigs
Drug administration
Marketing strategies
Questions and answers
Practical Demonstration of feed formulation
Closing remarks
A word of prayer was offered by Mr. Tendong who used this opportunity to welcome everyone. There was a brief introduction of all participants who were present at the training ground.
Thereafter, the objectives and expected results of the training were presented by the Ms. Zie which were the following:
OBJECTIVES:
1. To ensure proper feed formulation techniques
2. To ensure timely intervention in addressing minor animal health concerns.
3. To improve on the know-how of pig farmers in fostering sustainable livestock production activities.
4. Ensure a remarkable increase in both quantity and quality of pigs
5. Train pig farmers on the appropriate techniques for identifying sick animals
6. Train pig farmers on the handling of animal health instruments and drugs.
7. To create awareness about good marketing opportunities and strengthen farmers' knowledge of effective marketing strategies.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
1. Pig farmers to possess a better knowledge of the formulation of animal feed
2. Pig farmers to possess a better knowledge of animal health and identification of sick animals
3. Pig farmers to possess a better knowledge of various pig common diseases, their signs, symptoms, and drugs of choice for curative purposes.
4. Pig farmers to possess better knowledge to prevent disease/infection from entering their farms and spread of infection within the farm
5. Pig farmers to possess a better knowledge of how to sell their pigs
In the introduction of the subject matter terms related to feed formulation was defined, and “biosecurity” was also defined, stating the different types of feed ingredients, different types of biosecurity, and the importance of a balanced feed and biosecurity to a farmer’s production in relation to pig farming. The different disease causal agents (bacterias, fungi, viruses, parasites, environmental diseases, poisoning, etc.) were discussed.
Furthermore, the farmers (producers) were explained the:
use of the main raw materials for feed formulation from their farms' notion of nutrients, ingredients, balanced feed
use of any feed formula to come out with a balanced feed
principles of preventing animal disease attack
Practices, preventive measures,(offensive and defensive)
different techniques to market their pigs
Different methods that could be used to identify a sick pig were also treated with great emphasis being laid on several points (use of sight, observation, changes in behavior, use of smell, use of touch, the use of sound).
To add, some common animal diseases were examined their signs and symptoms and route treatments that could be given, and the different ways in which drugs can be administered to animals with great warnings that it is very risky for farmers to use administration by injection.
In the session on marketing strategies, farmers were sensitized to 5 basic marketing channels to sell their produce locally and regionally. They were also trained on the 3 main Ps of marketing (Price, Promotion, and People) that can easily be adapted and practiced in their environment while encouraging the farmers on the importance of good community relationships (people relationships) to boost their marketing.
At the end of the training, the room was given to the producers to ask questions for better understanding and clarification. Several questions were posed which were answered. The training ended at 1:30 am with refreshments and departure.
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