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The Place and The People
Njinikom is a
sub-division in the Boyo Division of the North-West Province of
Cameroon. The Njinikom people belong to the Kom ethnic group,
the largest of three ethnic groups which make up the division.
The other two ethnic groups are the Bum and the Mbororos.
Njinikom is one of 4 sub-divisions of the Boyo Division. The
other 3 are Belo, Fundong and Bum.
Rather than fold
their arms and complain, torchbearers in Njinikom sub-division
have committed to prayerfully seek solutions to the community’s
problems through Torch (Christian community Development Prayer
Cell) formation. These Torches are involved in prayer
mobilization around the problems, seed money contribution and
are practically seeking solutions through income-generating
projects in their communities.
Problem
Identification
Like most rural
areas in Cameroon, Njinikom Sub-Division is characterised by
widespread poverty. Farming is the major economic activity. It
is mostly done by women and at a subsistence level. Any excess
farm output is sold to meet other family needs. Most people in
this community are sometimes obliged to sell part of their farm
produce meant for household consumption to meet other needs.
After investing
in prayer, the kwinkilu, Wombong 1 and Wombong 2 Torches
identified poverty as one of the major problems affecting the
Njinikom community. Torch formation in Njinikom Sub-Division
started after some members of this community caught the
Torchbearer vision of Christian Community Development. After
attending the August 2003 Torchbearer Christian Community
Development Conference in Yaounde, Mrs Anna Komalua and Mr.
Simon Ngwainmbi shared the vision in Njinikom. This led to the
formation of the Kwinkilu Torch on October 28, 2003. This was
the first Torch that started in Njinikom Sub-Division. It was
formed around the problem of lack of good drinking water in the
Kwinkilu-Kikfuini area. As this Torch met once a week to pray
and seed towards the Kikfuini water project, it later realized
the need for income-generating activities to empower them to
contribute to the community’s water project. This, they thought
would equally empower them to solve other poverty problems at
the family and community levels. The Torch then decided to start
the goat-rearing project with one goat.
The Wombong 1
Torch formed on November 1, 2003 around the poverty problem in
the community also later started a goat rearing project with one
goat.
Prayer
Mobilization
Thirteen Torches
have been formed in Njinikom Sub-Division since the first Torch
in this community began on October 28, 2003. These Torches meet
once a week for one hour to prayerfully seek solutions to
problems in their communities. Nine of the Torches are very
active. Three of these Torches - Wombong 1, Wombong 2 and
Kwinkilu are currently involved in goat rearing as a means of
tackling the poverty problem in the community. Women currently
constitute 70% of these Torches.
Project Conception and
Implementation
The origin of the Torchbearer goat
project can be traced back to the visit of the Torchbearer
missionary team to the Kwinkilu Torch in Kikfuini, Njinikom on
June 27, 2003. This team was made up of two board members from
the USA (Dr. Martin Niboh and Dr. Mark Hubbard), René Njamnshi
(Administrative Assistant to the National Coordinator in
Cameroon), Mr. Ngwainmbi Simon (Boyo Divisional Coordinator) and
Joshua Chitu (Facilitator, Njinikom). It was on this day that
the Kwinkilu Torch introduced their goat rearing project which
they had started with one goat. This Torch received an
on-the-spot support of one goat from the Torchbearer Foundation.
The journey to the Torchbearer Goat Project had begun! During
another missionary trip to Boyo Division in July 2003 (prior to
the July 2003 Prayer Summits), the Wombong 1 Torch which was
formed around the problem of poverty in the community, had also
started a goat rearing project with one goat. At this time Dr.
Hubbard had left for the USA but Rev. & Mrs. Howard & Kathy
Boyd and Chelsie Moore joined the rest of the team members. The
Wombong 1 Torch equally received a support of one more goat from
the missionary team.
In the Kom clan,
one is considered rich if they own 5 or more goats. A young goat
of about 9 months costs between 10,000 – 15,000 frs ($20 - $30)
whereas a mature goat costs between $40 - $50. By June 2005, the
Kwinkilu and Wombong 1 Torches had acquired 1 goat each from
their seed money. It would take a Torch with 10 members like the
Kwinkilu Torch, about 7 months to acquire one young goat if it
had to depend entirely on its seed money. Seeding 100 frs per
member per week, this Torch would raise 4, 000 frs ($8) per
month from which it would immediately use 50% (2,000 frs or $4)
for its project.
Between June 2003 and June 2005, the
Torchbearer Foundation through the assistance of Rev. Howard
Boyd and his Church (Branson Hills Assemblies of God, Missouri,
USA) has assisted the Kwinkilu and Wombong 1 and Wombong 2
Torches with a total of 9 goats.
The long-term plan of this project
is to empower Torch members with at least a goat each. This will
directly benefit Torch members and their families: supply of
protein and income-generation for the families. As these Torches
and their members are empowered, the community as a whole will
benefit – seeding in the Torches will improve, thus enabling the
Torches to solve more problems in the community. Torch members’
tithing in their local congregations is expected to increase
thereby strengthening the local church.
The Torchbearer Foundation
encourages Torches who have identified common problems in their
communities to work together towards finding solutions to the
problems. It is in this light that the Torchbearer Foundation is
bringing all Torches rearing goats under the Torchbearer Goat
Project. The project is aimed at helping these Torches to:
- Address
the unemployment and poverty problem in the community by
promoting income generation
- Bring
meaningful change in the lives of individuals and their
communities
- To be
involved in participatory human development
- Share
knowledge and strengthen the capacities of the rural poor
- Establish
and sustain dynamic partnerships at the grassroots level
- Share
ideas and skills among Torches and the communities
- Give
social support to members of the community
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