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Uplifting Ambitious Women

  • Writer: Abigail Ndikum
    Abigail Ndikum
  • Jan 2, 2024
  • 2 min read

The Anglophone Crisis has displaced almost 1 million people in Cameroon.*


The Anglophone Crisis ranked #1 on the Norwegian Refugee Council's 2019 list of the world's most neglected displacement crises.** Since then, Cameroon has remained within its top 10 list.


I believe that it's imperative to address the needs of displaced persons, who often suffer from trauma and a lack of stable shelter, food, water, income, and security. During my gap semester, I worked with the non-governmental organization, Hope and Rehabilitation Organisation (HaRO), to hold a program geared towards internally displaced women. HaRO, located in Yaoundé, Cameroon, works to "alleviate suffering and reduce vulnerabilities" within the country.


HaRO and I designed "Ambitious Women: Activate Your Potential", a one-week training program on income-generating skills, to economically empower internally displaced single mothers and widows. Throughout the program, they learned how to launch and grow a small business and how to make high-demand street foods such as puff puff (beignet), chin chin, cupcakes, and more.


At the end of the program, each participant was awarded a certificate of attestation, and the top ten business plans were awarded 100,000 CFA (approximately USD 164.72) as start-up capital to launch their businesses. The remaining participants received gift packages of non-perishable foods to feed their families, as well as baby clothes for those with newborns. After the training program, the HaRO team monitored and mentored the 10 businesses to ensure sustainable growth.


Thank you to the National Coordinator, Mr. Fritz Kwa Mendi, for graciously allowing me to work with your organization! Thank you to Ms. Sylvia Ndenkeh and Ms. Mirable for caring for me and adopting this program as your own. I'm grateful to my fellow interns Sandrine and Nora for opening their arms to me and supporting this project. My deepest gratitude to our fantastic head instructor, Mrs. Nicole Tcheygeu, for opening up her school to hold the training and leading the teaching component of the program. Last but not least, thank you to the DeWise Foundation for joining our programming. HaRO will always hold a special place in my heart when I look back on this year.


Please check out HaRO's Facebook page and website to learn more about their extraordinary, impactful work:




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