BUWOFA Program (Women and Young Girls)

In alignment with the “Women, Peace, and Security” agenda related to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted on October 31, 2000, HOPE FOR NATIONS (HFN) proposes the Build Women and Family (BUWOFA) project aimed at empowering women and young girls. The BUWOFA project is implemented in the Menoua Department of Cameroon and seeks to improve the living conditions of women in communities affected by crises in the North-West and South-West regions of the country by enhancing their livelihoods and promoting social cohesion.

The overarching goal is to enhance the living conditions of women in the Menoua Department by developing initiatives that strengthen their economic autonomy and foster social cohesion. To this end, the project ensures the physical and psychological safety of women and girls in the Menoua Department (post-conflict areas) by creating a space for listening and counseling, and by providing empowerment services, legal support, and health care. It is committed to combating all forms of gender-based violence through concrete prevention and awareness-raising actions. Additionally, it aims to improve the livelihoods of 125 vulnerable households by supporting the education of young girls and creating income-generating activities, while promoting sustainable practices in natural resource and environmental management. Beneficiaries are actively involved in the design and implementation of ecological projects that enhance community resilience to climate change.

This project facilitates women’s involvement in political processes by providing leadership, entrepreneurship, governance, and civic engagement training to 500 women and young girls, thereby improving their representation and influence in decision-making roles. At the community level, it raises awareness among 2,000 women/girls and men/boys about reproductive health, community health promotion, and gender-based violence. To ensure effective implementation of this project, effective coordination and thorough monitoring and evaluation are conducted to guarantee the efficacy and impact of the actions taken. The primary target groups of the project are internally displaced women and vulnerable women from the host population.

This project is implemented by HOPE FOR NATIONS (HFN) with technical and financial support from the Central Africa Women, Peace, and Security Consortium, which includes the Association for the Fight Against Violence Against Women (ALVF) from Cameroon, Women Act for Living Together (WALT) from the Central African Republic, and the Fund for Congolese Women from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Other local partners are also involved in the implementation of the project, ensuring a collaborative and inclusive approach to achieve the set objectives.