The SAILD-Maroua branch welcomed the Regional Manager of the German organization Bread for the World on June 23, 2025, in Maroua.
The main objective of this visit was to monitor the implementation activities of the project “Scaling up agroecology to strengthen food and nutrition security in four departments in the East and Far North regions of Cameroon (Agroecology+).” The project, which began in November 2024, is jointly run by the Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD) and Bread for the World (PPLM) in the departments of Lom and Djérem and Haut-Nyong in the East, and the departments of Diamaré and Mayo Kani in the Far North of Cameroon.
The working day, led by the SAILD-Maroua branch manager, brought together a dozen stakeholders, including those responsible for implementing the Agroecology+ project and the beneficiary populations. It was an opportunity for Maria, PPLM’s Regional Manager, to talk with them in order to understand the progress of the project, the difficulties they are encountering, and to find solutions for the full development of all.
Significant progress
To this end, improvements in the beneficiaries’ lifestyles have been clearly
demonstrated. “In the past, women with sick children would go to the health center to get nutritional supplements (Plumpy Sup), which were sometimes out of stock. But with the arrival of the project, women received training on cooking practices, including how to prepare soy-enriched porridge with cowpeas, and adopted these nutrient-rich meals. Parents are able to screen their children at home with the cuff. We have almost no malnourished children left in the village,” said a village chief. Similarly, progress has been made in the agropastoral sector.
“Thanks to techniques such as building small dams, using organic fertilizer, compost, crop rotation, and the Zai method, which were disseminated by SAILD through facilitators in the Farmer Field Schools (FFS), I have almost doubled my production, especially with the reintroduction of traditional seeds” said a smallholder farmer. “I benefited from training in the manufacture of salt licks and dewormers made from neem leaves and papaya trees, which allow me to raise my animals” said a livestock farmer.
In addition, interviews with SAILD members enabled Maria to make an assessment. “SAILD-Maroua has the advantage of knowing the producers it works with. There is a close relationship between it and its target audience. The project implementation team in Maroua has a good understanding of its environment. It has become increasingly stable over the years, and the beneficiaries know the project implementation team” she noted. To ensure the continuity of Agroecology+ project activities, she suggests that the implementation team work on the sustainability of actions and focus on the technical and financial empowerment of producers.
- Sharon Maché
