2013-2017

BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN NORTH CAMEROON

2013-2017

Care

CARE works in over 100 countries to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. The organisation reaches more than 90 million people through 1,300 projects. We supported CARE’s teams in Haiti, Ecuador, Cameroon and Bangladesh, where they provide job opportunities for vulnerable people and help them rebuild their lives.

www.care.org

CHALLENGE

Rural communities in the Sahel Region increasingly endure the impacts of unpredictable rainfall. Severe seasonal floods and droughts result in the destruction of houses, goods, crops and livestock, threatening livelihoods and eroding food security. Adapting to climate change must become a priority.

ACTION

CARE analysed three communities in northern Cameroon to understand how vulnerable they were to climate shocks as individuals, households and villages. It then worked with the communities to build their understanding of climate risks and design effective adaptation strategies.

Thanks to CARE’s support and training, villagers and local authorities learned how to diversify their income sources (through activities like foraging or fruit, vegetable and plant sales). They also increased their knowledge of modern farming techniques, crop planting, food processing and storage, and became more aware of hygiene practices.

CARE facilitated the creation of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA). VSLAs are self-managed groups of 15 to 25 people who meet regularly to save their money in a safe space, access small loans, and obtain emergency insurance. The group members are trained to understand the basic concepts of lending, credit, repayment, interest and saving.

IMPACT

Despite growing security concerns in the Lake Chad Basin region, the results of the programme have not only been effective, but also mutually reinforcing.

COMMUNITY-BASED EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN SET UP

to provide accurate weather information, enabling early alerts

VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS (VSLA) HAVE BEEN CREATED

giving over 1,300 members the skills to succeed in saving as well as establishing new businesses

$26,000

CUMULATIVE SAVINGS OF VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS

as of April 2017