As an entity department, the Human Rights & Good Governance program aims at securing the human and participatory rights of vulnerable communities
HUMAN & PROPERTY INHERITANCE RIGHTS
GENDER PARTICIPATION AND LEADERSHIP RIGHTS
THE RULE OF LAW
All three intervention areas are usually integrated to provide holistic support to any target community.
Community Mobilization
Awareness Raising
Capacity Building
Lobbying and Advocacy
Promoting Human Rights and Equality.
Work in partnership with international and national human rights organizations, and the government of our country.
Committed to solidarity and building alliances of grassroots beneficiary groups as task forces.
Empower women and girls to advocate for their rights.
Accountable, transparent, inclusive.
Credits and acknowledges women’s contributions in achieving change.
WOVCIG FUNAM BOME, MBENGWI, MOMO DIVISION: SINGING TO WELCOME OFFICIALS/VISITORS
The popular say that, ‘Together we stand and divided we fall,’ was applied to fortify the widows and in response to the survey findings/recommendations. This has been a great strategy in securing their rights from community members vis a vis customary malpractices against them. So far, more than sixty widows groups, called
Women of Vision Common Initiative Groups,” have been founded.
For the first time in the history of Cultures, widows gained their freedom of Recognition and to associate with their folk.
Resultantly,
More than sixty (60) groups of young widows below 49years old have been mobilized within pilot-target communities: 2006-2012.
Widows meet and freely share their bitter experiences and how to overcome them, and how to support one another, etc.
Widows gained sympathy from community members and leaders, and are now being supported, especially in the area of farmlands.
Presently, it is the widows who mobilize
and organize themselves into groups, and then invite IVFCam to
facilitate their registration with the government, and for other forms
of support, which include health, agriculture and micro-credit (see
IVFCam’s other program areas). This is clear indication of their
empowerment and courage against societal hindrances.
(See reports: Mbengwi 2005; Santa 2006; Nkambe 2010)
WIDOWS STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS
Following the survey finding and recommendations, widows need lots of
capacity building in every aspect of life, to enable them become more
productive and participatory in the development of their immediate
communities. If they are enhanced they will be recognized and accepted
by their communities as equal partners in development.
Considering that widows are one of the least thought-of in Cameroon,
IVFCam took it as part of her mission to target them for different
capacity building forums.
THE WOMEN’S COMMITTEE OF BATIBO PRESENTING THEIR ISSUES IN AN ENLARGED TRADITIONAL COUNCIL MEETING: 2010
The initiation of this practice, in 2005, in target villages of the
North West Region, met with resistance on the part of the men, who
believed that IVFCam’s intention was to seize their great power and
share with women. Additionally, the men argued that admitting women into
the traditional council was against culture and thus against the gods
of the land; more so, the inner core (“Ngumba”) of the council was
sacred.
After a period of lobbying and education, twenty (20) out of fourty (40)
target traditional councils (including Mbengwi in Mbengwi Su-division,
Moforbe in Santa Sub-division, and Bessi in Batibo Subdivision, opened
up to the proposal on an accepted a “wing-wing,” strategy: create a
committee for women only. That the women’s committee will meet on the
same day as the council, but sit apart and discuss issues related to
women. The leader of the women’s committee can, there after, table their
demands to the council during some plenary sessions.
To IVFCam, this was a great move into breaking through cultural
barriers. Of course, like all other development trends, this practice
has impacted on many other councils, as even those that had initially
refused to include women, now have women’s committee.
Additionally, village women of target localities now have a channel to
table their requests and grievances to the traditional council, where
they were hitherto not even allowed to come close to.
TRAINING ON INCREASING FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT IN SANTA SUBDIVISION, NORTH WEST CAMEROON
Following baseline findings, the best and most practical strategy to
improve the general situation of women, at the grassroots, is to partner
with the men, especially the cultural and social leaders of the
villages.
In Santa Subdivision, like in all other target subdivisions, the present
increased female representation on their local council is due to the
great contribution by this intervention; thanks to the Global Fund for
Women, USA.
LAUNCHING THE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SCHOOLS IN CAMEROON: JANUARY 2012 AT AYABA HOTEL,
BAMENDA
In view of upcoming Legislative and Municipal elections in Cameroon, in
September 2013, IVFCam, with support from the Women’s Democracy Network,
USA; and funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), organized
and ran six schools in Cameroon, for aspiring female councillors and
parliamentarians, and other social leaders, of the South-West, North
West, West, and Littoral regions.
One hundred and fifty-two (152) participants were trained among whom
were seventy candidates for the upcoming elections. Of the seventy about
twenty-five won and are presently holding offices on councils and the
parliament until 2018, when their mandate will expire.
FEMALIE PARLIAMENTARIANS, MAYORS AND COUNCELLORS OF NORTHWEST, WESTERN, LITTORIAL AND SOUTHWEST REGIONS
Social Accountability.
Following the Sept. 2013 twin elections in Cameroon, twenty five
participants (Students) of IVFCam’s Women’s Leadership Schools
(Trainings) were successful: 02 full Parliamentarians, two Alternate
Parliamentarians, and 21 councillors.
This training on Good Governance then became eminent for IVFCam to
organize for these Elected to better prepare themselves for the changes
that lie ahead and for them to become more competitive and accepted.
Of IVFCam’s three development programs, the Health & HIV/AIDS program, practically, has the greatest outreach at the grassroots where diseases are rampant due to ignorance, poverty, poor sanitation and cultural practices. This program focuses on promoting good health & sanitation, and the fight against HIV/AIDS among target beneficiaries and their households. Actions aimed at mitigating the impact of a pandemic or disease on the lives of beneficiaries as well as their communities are integrated in IVFCam’s three development programs and Charities.
By this program, IVFCam aims at contributing contributing to building healthy communities and nations beyond the Millennium Development goal of “Health for All by 2015.” Thus, IVFCam helps communities to identify and address their health challenges through prevention, service delivery and support, with respect to national and international expectations.
PREVENTION OF TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES.
IMPROVING HEALTH CARE SERVICE DELIVERY (Quality Control).
CARE AND SUPPORT TO THE INFECTED AND AFFECTED (See more under our CHARITIES).
NB: All three intervention areas are integrated to provide holistic
health support to our target communities. See examples of work done.
Community Mobilization
Awareness Raising
Capacity Building
Lobbying and Advocacy
Promoting Health Rights and Gender Equality.
Work in partnership with traditional institutions and Leaders that
perpetrate sexual and reproductive malpractices against women and girls;
and Government Partners that can enforce the laws.
Committed to solidarity and building alliances of grassroots beneficiary groups as task forces.
Empower women and girls to advocate for their reproductive health rights.
Because of Cameroon’s geography, topography and foods, etc, her citizens are vulnerable to common tropical diseases and other world known preventable generic diseases. Since IVFCam’s target population is predominantly poor, IVFCam promotes the perspective and practice of preventing diseases rather than getting infected and seeking for cure/treatment, which is not usually affordable. Specific to HIV/AIDS, while developed communities in Cameroon have accepted the prevalence of HIV/AIDS as a disease, and that it can be prevented or treated, enclave communities within the grassroots continue to regard HIV as a phenomenon or “Witchcraft;” and so, preventing HIV transmission still remains a challenge in such communities. This is largely why the disease is still highly prevalent at 8.7% above the national prevalence rate of 4.5% within regions like the North West that have culturally-adhered communities (NACC 2010). Such communities continue to practice unprotected sex, multi-partner-sex/marriages, widow-inheritance, common use of sharp objects, traditional scarifications and denial of condom use (AI-ChrisWOV-Mission 21-Switzerland 2006; and IVFCam-PACF-UK 2012-2015+). IVFCam extensively focuses on preventing HIV new infections, especially from mother to child. Her ongoing projects on PMTCT reach out to hundreds of pregnant women & their male-partners, and new borne babies.
In undertaking prevention projects, IVFCam aims at promoting the adage and practices of “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Minimize new infections and safe the uninfected.
Eliminate horizontal transmission of by “Keeping the Uninfected Ones
uninfected;” and by assisting the infected not to be re-infected.
Local and Municipal Councils.
Community Based and Faith Based Organizations (CBOs/FBOs)
Community Health Workers/Service Providers.
Women
Children
The Geographical Communities in which the women and men are found.
HEALTH WORKER DEMONSTRATE TO WIDOWS HOW TO USE A CONDOM
Funded by the Positive Action for Children’s Fund, UK, this intervention aimed at securing the reproductive health rights of young widows and keep them alive and healthy to bring up their orphan children. It was in response to the baseline survey findings and recommendations of 20005 and 2006 (“Problems & Needs of Widows”). The leaders of the mobilized & constituted widows groups were then trained on and provided First Aid boxes that contain materials like condoms, blades, cotton, gauge, spirit etc and generic drugs. All these tools will help prevent widows and their immediate family members from getting in direct contact with infected blood.
A trained Widow, as Community Health Service Provider now provides Care to an Orphan in her village
Whatever intervention is made on the field can only be effective if the Chiefs of Centre and other Health Personnel have updated information and practices on services required. Where there is no Health Centre at all, these Community Health Workers, with their First Aid Boxes, will begin the process of medical care in situations of emergency, and then carry the patient to the hospital or health unit for intensive follow-up.
IVFCam strategically aims at contributing to minimizing poverty, especially among the masses and women at the grassroots.
Agriculture (Crop and Animal Farming).
2. Enterprise development (Income Generating Activities)
3. Micro-Loans for Business ventures.
NB: All three intervention areas are usually integrated to provide holistic economic enhancement to our target communities.
Although women produce 80% of food crops, they own only 5% of the land
they farm. Because women lack landed property, which is the only
accepted collateral by commercial financial houses, they cannot access
loans to set-up alternative Income Generating activities; no doubt women
remain subsistent farmers and persistently poor and dependent on men
for livelihood (RuWEF-WWDP-Germany 2005-2012).
The situation is worse for widows and single-mothers, as they are
visibly deprived from owning any property or money of their own (see our
HR & GG program).
Improve the livelihoods of poor people, especially female-headed families
Enable women farmers move from subsistent to commercial agriculture.
Empower women to become enterprising and source income in different ways.
Facilitate access to micro-credit for women and poor communities.
Traditional Rulers and Councillors. NB: The Ministries of: Agriculture; Land Tenure and Property; Women’s Empowerment and the Family; Employment; and Small & Medium Size; are inherent government partners.
Widows
Poor Women
Lobbying & Advocacy
Community Mobilization
Capacity Building
Provision of Micro Credit.
Women in small-scale business have just received their various Group Loan
Because women lack landed property, which is the only accepted collateral by commercial financial houses, they cannot access loans … and dependent on men for livelihood (RuWEF-WWDP-Germany 2005-2012). Yet, without money, women cannot advance their economic status as so desired.
Access funds for women to set up or expand on their businesses or enterprises.
In this way, women too, like their male counterparts, will be able to
raise capital to acquire the scarce land for commercial agriculture,
manage businesses that can even employ other family or community
members, and be able to take care of her children.
Capacitate in Financial Management
Increase access to money
Credit Unions
Banks
Constituted groups of Women
Constituted groups of Poor Women and men
Capacity Building in enterprise development
Provision of Micro Loans.
stall in my village thanks to IVFCam
More than 95% of income for women at the grassroots comes from
“Subsistent Framing,” wherein small amounts of their food crops are sold
out at local markets (IVFCam-NEF 2005), mainly during the harvesting
season. This explains, to a greater extend, why grassroots women lack a
steady source of income, remain subsistent in their livelihoods, and
very dependent on their male partners.
The need to enable women create alternative sources of income is therefore imperative if women must grow economically.
© Inter Faith Vision Foundation 2022
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