Hope Advocates Africa, with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), empowered women in the conflict-affected Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon through our Promoting a Culture of Peace by Strengthening Social Cohesion project. By engaging women’s groups in Bamenda and Tole, we facilitated community dialogues, fostered economic resilience, and promoted social cohesion. These women participated in income-generating activities, such as soap and yogurt production, beading, and snail and fowl rearing, which provided sustainable livelihoods and supported their families.
In addition to these activities, the project expanded its scope to include vocational training, offering 6 beneficiaries the opportunity to learn tailoring, shoe beading, and other crafts. These new skills empowered the women to diversify their sources of income, ensuring long-term economic independence and greater resilience in the face of ongoing challenges. The project not only addressed immediate economic needs but also strengthened trust and stability in the community, paving the way for lasting peace in these high-risk areas impacted by conflict.
We are deeply grateful to OSIWA for their invaluable support, which enabled us to contribute to long-term peace, economic empowerment, and resilience in these communities, helping to transform the lives of vulnerable women and their families.
