WOMEN FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Context: EFA Cameroon through a pilot project “Women for Small Business” (WOSB) is engaged to empower vulnerable women and young girls in a bit to reduce gender inequalities among men and women. The main objective is to assist at least 1000 vulnerable women and girls out of financial dependency through small business schemes in communities of Diamare Division, Far North region of Cameroon. And specifically, to: i- reduce the women and young girls’ dependency vis-a-vis their spouses; ii- increase beneficiaries’ revenue through income generating activities; iii- reinforce women rights to lucrative activities of their choices; and iv- stimulate feminine creative potentials in the wealth creation processes.

Activity: Sincegood health has no price and these women cannot carry out their activities, they were thereforeengaged in the 2022 breast cancer awareness month.

Aim: to raise awareness among vulnerable women of breast cancer and equip them with breast cancer preventive measures in order to help them continue income generating activities even if they get infected. It was also aimed at having them serve as ambassadors of the fight against breast cancer in their localities.

Educative talk: EFA Cameroon agents had meetings with group women of women for small business to talk about breast cancer trends. At the end of the exchange women understood the causes of breast cancer sand some primary prevention measures.

Breast Cancer Awareness Sportive Walk: 10 women participated in the march to raise awareness against breast cancer and some of them took advantage of the occasion to sell items such as water.

Testimony: “I really thank EFA Cameroon and GlobalGiving” for making us to debate on this subject. I use to be afraid of this disease because I had seen my neighbor cease all her activities that permitted her to sustain her small family and even right to death. Now that I know that I have the capacity to detect it in time and that I can be free from it if I’m treated early, it’s no longer a fatality to me”testified Damaris

Impact: Through WOSB women who participated in the activity, more women would be touched because they took the engagement to be ambassadors in their communities.

Challenges: Many women still do not believe that breast cancer is a health condition that can be treated.

EFA Cameroon if grateful to GLobalGiving for the continuous support and trust in reaching out to the vulnerable and would touch more vulnerable populations yet further with GG's increased efforts.