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To improve the living conditions of members through the creation of small businesses, income-generating activities and jobs, and socio-professional training for young people.
GICAECAM, the Common Initiative Group for Assistance and Cultural Exchange in Cameroon, was founded in 2001 following members’ involvement in UNICEF-led poverty-eradication activities and a national civil-society forum. Operating legally since 2002, it brings together diverse groups including children, young people, unemployed adults, people with disabilities, street-connected children and traders. Its mission is to combat poverty, improve living conditions and promote cultural exchange, solidarity and youth development across Cameroon. It also aims to preserve traditional culture, foster rural development, expand literacy for women and girls—especially those with disabilities—and support income-generating activities through micro-projects.
GICAECAM is governed by a General Assembly, a gender-balanced Steering Committee, and a volunteer-based operations team. Funding comes from membership fees, revenue-raising activities, donations and grants. Its work spans cultural development (craft fairs, exhibitions, tourism promotion), socio-economic support (skills training, apprenticeships, small enterprise development), education and vocational training (advocacy, scholarships, school placements), and health (awareness on sexual health, HIV/STIs, hygiene, substance misuse; vaccination campaigns; water access; borehole drilling; and rural health-post construction). These activities align with several SDGs, including poverty reduction, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water, decent work and global partnerships.
Despite strong early achievements—including training hundreds of girls, supporting apprenticeships, running ICT programmes, supporting young people with disabilities, and delivering community education—GICAECAM’s progress has been hindered by political barriers, illness of key leaders, the Boko Haram insurgency, the Anglophone conflict and COVID-19. Activities largely ceased due to lack of funding. Today, GICAECAM seeks renewed partnership through maNGOma: project funding, NGO connections, academic opportunities for disadvantaged youth, volunteer engagement and institutional collaboration. It also faces practical challenges such as reopening its office, securing equipment and financing current priority projects.
Current projects
Poverty is a reality in Cameroon, manifesting itself today in the misery that afflicts many families due to the low income of parents, and this situation is worsening. The most affected population is the youth, searching for an identity and lacking people to look up to. In particular young women struggle to find aspirational goals or see the benefit of education. UNESCO statistics show that the enrollment rate of girls in schools decreased by 16% in 2023. During the same period, the dropout rate reached 25% in disadvantaged areas.
Young women experiencing this level of poverty often resort to begging or even prostitution.
The Women's Beauty Training Center
This activity will create jobs for the young women, but it will also generate revenue for the organisation.
The main objective is to offer young women income generation opportunities through beauty and hairdressing. This will help to combat poverty and prevent young women having to turn to prostitution.
