By Walter Wilson Nana
The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, with support from the Government of Japan, is awarding grants worth FCFA 177 Million to 18 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs to strengthen their projects for early recovery in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. These projects will also support economic recovery and promote social cohesion in crisis affected communities. To this effect, a ceremony for the signature of the grant agreements between UNDP and the CSOs took place recently at the Hotel La Falaise in Bonanjo, Douala.
Chaired by the Resident Representative of UNDP Cameroon, Jean-Luc Stalon and attended by H.E. Tsutomu Osawa, Ambassador of Japan to Cameroon, the UN Diplomat said his institution’s support to early recovery and social cohesion in the North West and South West regions is a contribution to the wider effort of the Government of Cameroon and UN agencies in Cameroon to promote social cohesion, reduce vulnerability and assist in efforts for recovery in the two regions.
The Japanese Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E Osawa mentioned that his country will always stand by the people and government of Cameroon through direct and indirect support mechanisms and make tangible contributions to the stability and peaceful resolution of the crisis bedeviling the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon.
On behalf of the beneficiary CSOs, Mrs Gospel Anu of Nkong Hill Top Association For Development, NADEV expressed gratitude to the UNDP for their initiative to support early recovery and social cohesion in the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon. She indicated that humanitarian needs in the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon are increasing due to the ongoing crisis and so the situation has displaced large number of persons and left thousands in desperate conditions.
Anu was worried that community violence is escalating and abduction of civilians, the destruction of public and private property, homes and livelihoods are affecting people in the aforementioned regions.
The ceremony also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the UNDP and the CSO partners, followed by a capacity building workshop for the grants awarded the CSOs.
An Early Recovery Mechanism-Small Grants Facility has been established by UNDP, with initial funding 300,000 USD (a part of the funding for the Facility coming from Japan), to provide grants to local CSOs. With the technical support of the Cameroon Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Program, a call for proposals was launched in May 2019, and over 60 project proposals were received. Projects contributing to a better environment and adopting a gender-based approach were prioritized in the selection of projects. 18 projects were finally selected and approved by an inclusive steering committee meeting in June 2019. 13 projects will be implemented in the Northwest region while four projects will be implemented in the Southwest region. Several projects will address livelihood issues but also community dialogue and economic recovery. One project for social cohesion through sports will be implemented in both regions.