SNV has been in Cameroon since 1963. We started as a volunteer service, then as an agency executing projects and since 2003; we play the role of an independent organisation providing advisory services to local organisations. We work in close collaboration with local development partners, with central and decentralised State services. Our activities are in line with some national policies defined by the government of Cameroon in its PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) and the DSCE (Document de Stratégie pour la Croissance et l’Emploi).
Our activities are centred around two impact areas.
SNV supports organisations working in the forestry sector thereby enhancing the economic inclusion of the poor in forest value chains of Timber and Non Timber Forests Products (NTFP). Activities in this sector are focused on improving legal/institutional framework and governance in the forest sector, improving access to markets for NTFP, and improving the management of the community forests.
We also support actors working on livestock in the North West and Extreme Northern regions. Work in this sector aims at enhancing pastoralists’ participation in processes geared towards increasing their sustainable and equitable access to pastoral resources (land and water). Creating employment especially for women, in the processing and commercialisation of dairy products is also one objectives of this sector.
In the area of Basic Services (water and health), SNV Cameroon continues to boost social inclusion and equity, strengthen the capacities of local actors in budget tracking (public finance for basic services) both at national and regional level, with particular focus on promoting the sustainability of services.
Improving access to quality health services by the poor and marginalised with particular focus on women and children is our main goal in the health sector. Focus in 2010 is also on enhancing the organisational skills of dialogue structures and Mutual Health Organisations so that they can have access to budget information and are able to negotiate with health services and councils to improve the quality of services.
We work for an efficient, sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water. Our focus in this sector is on improving the number of poor people that have access to sufficient quantities of safe drinking water in rural and semi-urban areas.
Biogas as a source of renewable energy is an innovative sector for SNV Cameroon. We aim at enabling poor and intermediate revenue people to have sustainable access to renewable sources of energy.