1. Promoting Mushroom Value Chain - Agribusiness initiatives
Project Overview
This project started in 2012 with the creation of the first mushroom farm in Ndop - NW region where we grew more than 200kg of mushrooms. We trained 5 youths in the community and offered them seeds with support from MUPTAREC in Bamenda (a partner organization specialized in mushroom spawn production). In 2014 we moved to Sabga where we started another farm an Introduced women but it did not succeed due to inadequate viable spawn (which is still of great concern today). Our project is focus on training and supporting only youths that are serious and willing to work or those farmers that show passion for mushroom cultivation and small scale organic vegetable farming. In 2015-16, under the Pan African Award for Education, Teach A Man To Fish - UK sponsored our project to teach students and youths mushroom cultivation techniques. 45 students from the Regional College of Agriculture - Bambili - NW region and 15 youths (in Ndop and Sabga), Student from the Pan African Institute for Development (PAID-WA) - Buea were also trained and mentored on mushroom cultivation. In 2016-2017, The Pollination Project - UK supported the mushroom project; farmers in Buea were trained, a mushroom pilot farm was opened with students from the university of Buea agricultural club trained. We have being mentoring youths since then and introducing farmers into mushroom cultivation in Buea. We have support student research to show growth variation of mushroom on different substrates in Buea as well as engage youth in mushroom value chain. Our project have successfully grown mushrooms, harvested, packaged, branded and sold. Money raised from mushroom farming was used to start a vegetable farm were, spent mushroom substrate was used as compost manure to grow vegetables like Broccoli, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, lettuce and celery.
Our project farm is on campus at the Pan African Institute for Development - Buea run by students under the mentorship program. Students enroll each year on the project and benefit from 30 hours mentorship. We grow mushrooms, package them and sell. Our greatest partner is the Regional Delegation of Agriculture (MINADER) - Buea who we work with to foster mushroom cultivation in the region.
The Problem
Mushroom cultivation still has a lot to be done. The few people who are in Bamenda who can produce spawn of the Pleurotus spp., are producing spawns that are less viable and most often a lot of youths who engage in this farming get discouraged by the poor growth results. Spawn development is not well organised and is a less developed sector. Only a single specie of mushroom (Pleurotus spp.,) is cultivated and the market is not well organised because most growers don't respect food safety techniques and some of them will use Urea fertilizer to boast growth. We have never used urea in our farm (source: discussion with farmer on ways to improve yields) which is why our production was fairly different from other farms in Bamenda. Most mushroom farmers especially youths are not well supported and follow up with most of them starting up with very minimal capital. They often get discourage when they can not store or sell the mushrooms on time. Supermarket owners don't believe in selling local products and think only canned mushrooms are good. The mushroom sector as a whole is not receiving a lot of attention from the government and private companies. Developing this sector will employ more than 500,000 youths into the value chain.
Milestones
- Set up a mushroom spawn production unit for the region and produce at least 1000 kg of fresh mushrooms per harvest.
- Introduce other mushroom species by requesting for partnership with NGOs abroad and volunteers who can come to Cameroon to provide training and support
- Create a mushroom sales point where produce from the growers are sold and people can easily find the products.
- Develop the mushroom value chain by employing simple processing techniques while applying food safety norms and regulations.
- Associate organic vegetable producers to the mushroom value chain and use digital agriculture management tools to implement, monitor and evaluate the project while linking growers to markets and financing as well as ensuring transparency in the supply chain and reporting.
Conclusion
What we seek is partnership and support to promote youth engagement in mushroom cultivation value chain. A lot youths and farmers have shown interest but technical support is minimal. We are seeking for partners who can help us organize this sector with technical and material support. Organizing the mushroom sector will considerably reduce migration and create direct jobs.
Do not hesitate to contact us for more information and volunteers are welcome at any time from any country. To volunteer is to support mushroom farming and you should have the technical skills needed to participate. Our work is base on practicals, we want farmers and youths to learn and see how mushroom farming can create direct jobs while supplying fresh organic and healthy food.
Mushroom cultivation mentorship program video
2. Vocational Training Center Project
Project Overview
This project is focus on empowering and training youths especially girls and women with skills in dress making and marking, dress beading, making of hair fascinators, shoes. We are currently in the process of registering a vocation training center in Buea to be able to reach out to many youths who are showing interest. Our focus is to train school drop-outs and teenage mothers who are unable to go to school as well as make a living.
This project started in 2018 with the training of inmates at the upper farms prison in Buea-SW region Cameroon. Currently, we have been solicited by government officials to create a vocational training center where other youths especially women can be trained on hands-on skills in fashion designing and related accessories.
By the end of 2021, we hope to achieve the following:
- Establish an integrated vocational training center that will empower youths especially girls and women to become self-reliant
- Produce high quality dresses, beaded necklaces and bracelets, shoes and hair fascinators with trademark.
- Run certified training courses in craft and fashion design including other technical fields that will make trainees to become professionals and enable them to jump-start or foster educational career.
- Build partnerships with high institutions of learning to complement teaching programs with practicals sessions. Partner with other NGOs abroad especially those dealing with renewable energy and biogas construction.
Shoe making session at the Upper Farms Prison Buea - SW Region Cameroon
Final product
