Introduction
Cameroon is characterized by high levels of poverty, especially in rural areas. Approximately 70% of Cameroon’s poor people live in rural areas, and almost all rural residents are poor. They don’t have basic social services such as food and water, shelter, energy, health and education, and transport and communications services. The natural resource base to which they have access cannot provide rural people with the means of subsistence.
Rural areas in Cameroon tend to have similar characteristics. Nkom is a typical example of these rural areas with a dire need of basic social needs. Nkom is situated in Sanaga Maritime, Littoral, Cameroon. Its geographical coordinates are 4° 5' 0" North, 10° 5' East.
Association Nkom sought to respond to increased suffering, starvation and deaths among communities. Association Nkom was established and registered formally in Switzerland on October 7, 2010. The association is also registered with the non-governmental organizations board in Douala (Cameroon). Association Nkom would like to work at grassroots level to enhance the capacity of communities it works with to enable them to respond to their basic needs using first and foremost, their local resources.
Among the key strategic choices of the strategy of our association is the decision to build on existing experience, replicable programmes, and innovative service delivery. The initiatives of the association will include the Local economic development fund, Community water supply and sanitation, Food security and livelihoods, Rural housing, the Technopreneur programme, Local Business service centers, Small and Middle enterprise incubators, Agricultural marketing and farming development, Assistance to the development of skills for industry and employment, creation of self-sustaining villages, Establishment of IT centers, Distance learning centers, Awareness programmes for primary and secondary schools, Waste management programmes, and others.
Vision and Our Objectives
Association Nkom sought to respond to increased suffering, starvation and deaths among communities. Association Nkom would like to work at grassroots level to enhance the capacity of communities it works with to enable them to respond to their basic needs using first and foremost, their local resources.
Among the key strategic choices of the strategy of our association is the decision to build on existing experience, replicable programmes, and innovative service delivery. The initiatives of the association will include the Local economic development fund, Community water supply and sanitation, Food security and livelihoods, Rural housing, the Technopreneur programme, Local Business service centers, Small and Middle enterprise incubators, Agricultural marketing and farming development, Assistance to the development of skills for industry and employment, creation of self-sustaining villages, Establishment of IT centers, Distance learning centers, Awareness programmes for primary and secondary schools, Waste management programmes, and others.
Association Nkom is a member of Wiser Earth, a social network for sustainability. Thank you for your kind support for the development of our rural communities
Core Programmes
Association Nkom focuses on seven initial core programmes. The Rural Development Model (RDM) summarizes these core programmes (see figure). The RDM model draws upon the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Framework (ISRDF) initiated and implemented in many developing countries. The vision of the ISRDF is to “attain socially cohesive and stable communities with viable institutions, sustainable economies and universal access to social amenities, able to attract skilled and knowledgeable people, equipped to contribute to their own and the nation’s growth and development.” Association Nkom will take on scaling work in Nkom as a model for other rural communities in Cameroon.
Food Security and livelihoods: To enhance food security through a contingent of measures aimed at ensuring food self-sufficiency and self-reliance and hence nutritional status at both household and community levels.
Water and Environmental Sanitation: To enhance community access to potable water systems/points and promote hygiene and environmental sanitation practices.
Education: To use information and communication technologies in the education sector in rural areas with the deployment of solar ICT4D labs (SoLabs) and public access points (PAPs) to support primary, secondary, and adult education.
Electricity: To promote Solar Village (SolVi) projects with the supply, installation, and maintenance of solar plants (standalone solar street lights, solar system for SoLabs and PAPs, etc.). Our main focus here is in the use of solar energy for generation of light for various purposes. For example, the total average sun irradiance for Nkom is 4.69 (Thanks to NASA).
Health (Integrated Health Center): The Center will offer both conventional and integrative medical services (including telemedicine), providing patients with a broad range of health care options to meet your individual needs. Home to the practices of primary care physicians, medical specialists and complementary therapists.
Road (D52): To create awareness and seek the support of all stakeholders (under the approval of the Cameroonian Government) to improve the quality of the D52 road. The enclaved nature of our rural areas hinders any development, the supply of food to urban areas and subsequent export. An American President once said "where a road passes, development follows." This statement, beyond all reasonable doubts, sounds valid.
Protestant/Catholic Churches: To help people and strengthen rural communities in Cameroon by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Over the years, the church has played a pivotal role in rural communities. The Church has deep roots in Cameroon's rural areas, as a center of weekly worship, baptisms, weddings, funerals and community events. The idea is also to build an effective leadership by transforming and strengthening rural churches by building the leadership of clergy and laity, creating incentives for clergy retention and helping churches engage in their communities.
Your Support to Association Nkom
You can support us in four different forms: (a) sharing existing experience, replicable programmes, and innovative service delivery by providing project documents on similar initiatives; (b) accepting to become a stakeholder, (c) donating to the Association, and (d) mobilizing additional partnerships.
The widest range of interest groups possible will be mobilized around the RDM model by Association Nkom, ranging from the targeted rural poor communities or the beneficiaries on the one hand, and service providers and donors on the other. The roles of stakeholders will differ at various points of implementation, as will the number of partnership and participation arrangements that will evolve.
A broad range of stakeholders has been identified based on the needs of rural communities:
• Rural communities
• Rural women groups
• Traditional leaders
• Youth
• Local governments
• Provincial governments
• National Government
• Donor and development agencies
• NGOs
• Funding organizations
• Media
• Community development organizations
• Multilateral aid organizations
• Religious leaders/organizations
• Agribusiness
• Conservation/Environment Groups
Thank you for your kind support for the development of our rural communities.