Cameroon Impressions
Friday, September 30, 2011
Cameroon Impressions: Housing-Material-Traditional Appropriate Technology
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:17 AM,
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Cameroon Colors
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Labels: Cameroon Impressions
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:50 AM,
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Dolls Stall
Monday, September 26, 2011
Labels: Cameroon Impressions, CAT
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:23 AM,
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Cameroon NGO and Culture
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Most NGOs fall into one of two types: those with a focus on social problems such as AIDS awareness, condom distribution, and street children; and ethnic development associations that link urban migrants with their home villages, build hospitals, schools, and bridges "back home," and organize urban ethnic festivals. Ethnic associations often are organized as rotating credit associations, building on a long tradition of mutual aid in both rural and urban areas. They reflect the increasing importance of ethnicity in national and local politics.
Read more on Culture of Cameroon - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, dress, marriage, men, life, wedding, tribe, population, and religion.
Read more on Culture of Cameroon - traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, dress, marriage, men, life, wedding, tribe, population, and religion.
Labels: Cameroon, Culture, NGOs
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:29 AM,
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Snail farming
Friday, September 23, 2011
Guardian post international
Recently, snail farming has become affordable for the thousands of poor farm families living in the fringes of cities in Cameroon. Snail rearing involves cheap labors and a fresh opportunity is enabling farmers to save these endangered animal species from extinction. Eating snails for meals had long been associated with certain tribes in Cameroon. Consumers prefer snail meat to beef, pork and other regular sources of protein because they are, very nutritious, lean meat, low cholesterol, [provide] a lot of energy and will be prescribed to nursing mothers and malnourished children as affordable source of protein. Snails which were once scavenged in the bushes for food and incomes are now reared in homes. The use of pesticides in many plantation farms across Cameroon is blamed on the decrease in snail production reason why Heifer Cameroon initiated a home base production scheme for the farm families. Today a scarcity in production has precipitated a need to match supply with demand. The development organization Heifer Cameroon has been working with some communities across the south west, littoral and western regions of Cameroon to support the rearing and marketing of snails as part of its efforts to end hunger and unsustainable land use systems in Cameroon.
Dr. Henry Njakoi, a Veterinary doctor and Heifer’s Country Director in Cameroon, says it’s thanks to existing Snail farming technology in neighboring countries, the farmers already have some knowledge of their own to contribute to the effort. So his organization is concentrating on other aspects of training farm families to produce snails, how to create a conducive habitat, provide nutrition, and promote good health and reproduction. “When you provide the right conditions, they actually do multiply and get ready for the market,”Dr, Njakoi explains. Since village farmers lack refrigeration facilities, Heifer International Cameroon teaches other methods of preservation.
Read more »Labels: Appropriate Technology, Snail Farming
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:19 PM,
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Cameroon Health
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Maternal mortality remains very high in Cameroon ; the number of women who die while giving birth is estimated at 9000 per year, according to figures released Friday by the Department of Public Health.
“These figures are still high, and the objective of the Cameroonian authorities is to reduce them at least by two thirds by 2015”, said the Minister of Health Andre Mama Fouda.
As a prelude to the celebration on May 8 of the African Day of maternal and infant mortality reduction, the Cameroonian authorities focused on awareness, especially as according to studies, many women die during child birth for lack of adequate monitoring during pregnancy.
Medical sources also indicate that there are still women who reach their ninth month of pregnancy without any pre-natal consultation.
The causes of death were varied, although direct obstetric consequences which constitute 75 percent of deaths were related to hemorrhage (bleeding), complications of unsafe abortions (arterial and convulsive hypertension), infections and obstructed labor.
Results from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) show that maternal mortality follows an evolutionary curve of about 2 percent, moving from 6,000 deaths in 1998 to7, 500 in 2004 and 9000 deaths in 2010. [Via]
Labels: Health
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:19 PM,
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Cameroon Calling
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Labels: Cameroon Impressions, Culture, People
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:46 PM,
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Women in Cameroon
Labels: Cameroon Women
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12:24 PM,
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Cameroon Wetlands
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Lake Chad is the remnant of a much larger lake known as Mega-Chad which 22,000 years ago drained a greener Sahara and was three times the size of Lake Victoria, now Africa's largest lake, WWF noted.
"It is now the focal point of life in a huge expanse of arid Sahelian Africa. Technically best described as an inland delta, the new internationally protected wetland covers 2.6 million hectares vital to countless birds as well as endangered otters, gazelles and elephants. The Lake is also home to hippopotamuses and Nile Crocodiles."
Lake Chad basin is home to over 20 million people with the majority dependent on the lake and other wetlands for their fishing, hunting, farming and grazing. But the basin is recognized as highly challenged by climate change, desertification and unsustainable management of water resources and fisheries, according to WWF.
Lake Chad to be fully protected as international wetlands, read at National Geographic.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 7:20 PM,
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Garage openers
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
How you want your garage door to open? Thanks to advances in technology that now you can do it automatically through remote control. What a convenience? Have a look at D&M Garage Doors and see what is on the offer. Buy garage openers and get remotes when you purchase a new electric opener for free. They also offer electronic keypad openers that can also open and close your garage door, just by putting in a secret security code. You can choose from three different types of electric garage openers: Belt drive, Chain drive and Screw drive.
D & M Garage Doors screw drive garage openers are specially engineered to run smoothly and quietly, even in extreme temperatures. The one-piece solid steel rail reduces friction, and the electronic thermostat adjusts and increases force as it gets colder, delivering superior performance, whatever the temperature. Have a look at the site and learn more about what type of garage door opener meets your needs. Better still try one of them.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:47 PM,
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Cane Rats
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Aaron Kaah
The joy that characterized the honey moon of Nkemacha John 45, and wife Nkemacha Marie 34, did not last beyond the delivery of their first daughter. Time weathered out their compassion -at best leaving John only with the law to hand to the wife and five children. (One boy and four girls) Ndobegang Solange 19, Ndobegang Elise 16, Ndobegang Jeannette 13, Ndobegang Sergio 10, and Ndobegang Abelta (11months).When Send A Cow/ Heifer International Cameroon assisted Marie through Groupe d’Initiative Commune les Debrouillards de Ndobo under a cane rat project, the family uncovered it, s destiny– at the outskirt of the Douala metropolis in the Littoral Region of Cameroon. The first fruit of the assistance was love and sharing among the couple.
Before the Send A Cow and Heifer International Cameroon assistance, Marie her husband John were leaving a cat and mouse life. “We were in disorder in fact nothing was going” the woman said at the time. John was an absentee husband and cared little about any one. In 2006 Marie and John joined Groupe d’Initiative Commune les Débrouillard de Ndobo. That same year the 16 group members applied to Heifer International Cameroon for assistance in cane rat production. In 2008, Send A Cow/ Heifer International Cameroon retained the group for assistance. Training sessions on group dynamics, integrated agriculture, leadership, HIV and AIDS, sensitization on gender equity as well as record keeping took place in preparation for the placement of cane rats. At the end of the training each farm family was given 4cane rats, improved seeds and farm tools.
For the Nkamacha’s the best option was to concentrate on the Gender Equity knowledge. “The immediate impact of this project was the remarkable improvement in working relation with my husband; our children were aware of our difficulties and greatly cooperate with us. With our determination and the full participation of our children, we witnessed a boost in food crop and vegetable production; from 200 to 400kg of maize, from 60 to 150 kilograms of okra and 632kg of huckleberry on the same piece of land’ Marie said..
This gender campaign helped the couple to give their children maximum attention and Marie regretted having shunned her children’s education in the hands of the husband. “The situation is no longer the same” she said. By meticulously following the gender equity lessons John and Marie managed their little savings with love and trust and was able to afford their children schools needs on time. This reflected in their performance in school. “Ndobegang Sergio who repeated class five in the promotion examinations took the third position for promotion into class six” Marie admitted with smiles.
Her daughter Nbobegang Solange particularly happy with Send A Cow/ Heifer Cameroon contribution to their lives said, “My mother completed my registration fees in college last year with project proceeds. When she sold okra worth 15,000FCFA ($33.5) after consultations with my father she completed the fees. This was not the case before this project. This cane rat project brought more serenity in our home”. The girl was also proud that the mother could dialogue with the father freely unlike in the past. Marie and her Husband led by example and were not hesitant to carry out domestic chores together when necessary. This motivated the children to put in their best in the family farm fields and home chores. This sense of cooperation according to Solange brought to the family joy, peace and order. Marie’s health complications once brought in by social stress was abated. The love maximized the income of the family.
The family ate a balance diet on regular bases. The Nkenmacha’s have taken pride to pass on the gift of knowledge to their other farm families in the community who envy their status. “I counseled my friend Ashu Catherine who succeeded in resolving her marital problems with her husband. Now they live happily” Marie explained elatedly. Today with love for one another, the Nkemacha’s success record in their community is unparalleled and their wish to Send A Cow and Heifer International Cameroon had been simple but solid “God bless the hands that changed our lives and family” they prayed.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 7:02 PM,
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