Volunteering in the Agro Farm program is operated under the women’s empowerment division set up by MIFACIG. This program is suitable for those who study the environment and climate change, sustainable agriculture and livelihood, women’s studies, international relations, social work, development studies, Gardening, Cameroon studies, and cultural studies. The Women’s empowerment program may equally interest people who are simply taking a gap year, or are on a career break, or are on vacation.
MIFACIG Volunteer Agro Farm program aims to integrate the old with the new. It looks to teach local farmers new farming techniques while still trying to retain their cultural heritage that is embodied by their way of farming that goes back to the time of their ancestors
You as a volunteer will be placed with a local Cameroon family and your main role will be to assist in the field, learn new ways of farming, and possibly even impart some of your own knowledge of agriculture to the locals. As agriculture is one of the largest sources of income for Cameroon, it is a big part of who the people are. This program, by placing you in a Cameroon household, and making you a tool in their engine of livelihood, truly does guarantee a proper immersion into Cameroon culture and lifestyle.
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE:
| Project: | Agriculture farm |
|---|---|
| Program: | Income Generation |
| Start Dates: | 1st and 20th of each month |
| Language Requirements: | English or French |
| Food and Accommodation: | standard 2 to 3 meals a day(Breakfast, lunch, supper) |
| Key Activities: | Agro farm work with MIFACIG staff and / or women in the community. manual work for cultivation, plantation, harvesting, Gardening, training farmers, documentation, planning |
| Beneficiaries: | Women and other community group, MIFACIG staff |
| Working Hours: | 3 to 5 hours a day / 6 days a week |
| Required Qualifications and Skills: | Anybody interested in manual work/ having prior working experience in the field of agriculture management |
| Program Fees: | 400 Euros to 1305 Euros |
Agriculture is a major sector of the Cameroon economy. It provides employment opportunities to 96 percent of the total population and contributes about 50 percent to the country’s total GDP.
Therefore, the development of this agricultural sector is extremely crucial for the development of the national economy. Cameroon Agriculture is mainly the subsistence type. People practice integrated agriculture and Gardening. We can find livestock, crops and other enterprises being set up side by side. This is a very sustainable concept and works without deteriorating nature. However, it does need some commercialization and output maximization.
If you, as a volunteer are fond of Cameroon rural life then you must see how people are involved in farming. Once you observe the Cameroon rural agriculture you will begin to understand how exactly the farming is “sustainable.” Volunteering in Agriculture would be a great opportunity for you to learn local knowledge, culture and the way of living. Volunteers interested in sustainable agriculture, low external input sustainable agriculture or traditional type of agriculture can have real life experiences with such practices in the farms in villages where MIFACIG has been working.
GOALS
- To give volunteers the experience of working within the system of traditional Cameroon Agriculture.
- To raise awareness within our targeted community about dignity of labor and motivate them to start income generating agricultural enterprises.
- To generate income from our farm and use that income to help improve the conditions of the rural communities we work with.
- To bring some visible changes to the livelihood of very vulnerable farmers within the local area.
- To study the locals who engage in indigenous agricultural practices that one rarely finds anywhere else in the world.