REACH OUT CAMEROON (REO)

by TANGWING PIUS MONJI
(BUEA)

REACH OUT CAMEROON (REO)
Moki Garage Stop, Great Soppo Native- Buea
P.O. Box 88, Buea- Cameroon
Email: reo4dev@gmail.com,
esther@reachoutcameroon.org
Tel- Office: (00237) 33 32 35 06
Mobile: (00237) 77 40 56 02
www.reachoutcameroon.org

Registration N0.082/G37/D14/1/vol.6/OAPP/69
Reach Out Cameroon (REO) is a women and youth centered Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Located at the Moki’s Garage Stop in the Bakweri Native Town of Great Soppo Buea with 16 years experience in community outreach activities in development oriented projects.

Founded in 1996 and legalized in December 2000, REO is a vision of her pioneer and current Executive Director- Omam Esther Njomo and a group of Medical Doctors, Gender Analysts, Social Workers, Nurses, Community Relay Agents and Agronomists who were all concerned with the plight of the rural masses, especially those in the hard-to-reach areas, also known as minority groups.

Such minority groups include: widows, single mothers, displaced women and their families, female school dropouts, orphans and vulnerable children, and HIV/AIDS infected persons, people in landlocked areas such as the Bakassi Peninsula, etc.

Over the past sixteen years, REO has provided assistance in community development, health and sanitation, gender empowerment and wealth creation.

THEIR GOAL
In Cameroon, especially in the South-west region, underprivileged and marginalized groups are socially integrated and economically empowered through:
- Gender issues and capacity building,
- Wealth creation, and
- Health and HIV/AIDS programs.

COMMUNITY VISION
Underprivileged groups are aware of their rights to participate in Decision making, have equal access to resources and benefits, and become self reliant within a supportive policy environment for sustainable development in Cameroon.

ORGANIZATIONS MISSION
Reach Out Cameroon supports underprivileged groups within the communities on health issues, wealth creation and provides capacity building and information through the use of participatory approaches and advocacy.

VOLUNTEERING
Volunteers applying to us through other organizations or directly will receive an official invitation letter legalized at the immigration office. Volunteers are generally responsible for organizing their visa, vaccination, transport and any other travel related items/costs. If you are coming through another organization, they may do some or all of this for you. Please check with your organization about this. We are not responsible for these arrangements but we are willing to assist if need be.

GENDER & CAPACITY BUILDING
Women and youths are one of REO's principal target groups within the framework of its capacity building activities. Under this, we organize workshops, seminars and conferences aimed at equipping the women and youths with survival skills such as: Business Management, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, Family Life, Decision Making, and Income Generation. We facilitate the establishment of micro projects within communities as well as establish linkages between partners and the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) s in view of reducing gender inequalities.

HEALTH & OVC DEPARTMENT
The health department of Reach Out Cameroon is a pillar that harbours the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) unit and supports underprivileged and minority individuals and groups to ensure that they are socially integrated and economically empowered through sustainable development initiatives.

REO’S OVERALL GOAL AND ULTIMATE OUTCOME
In Cameroon and the South West Region in particular, underprivileged groups are socially integrated and economically empowered through gender issues awareness and capacity building, wealth creation, health, HIV and AIDS programmes.

OUR CORE VALUES
Reach Out Cameroon is guided by three key principles, summarized in ACT;
- ACCOUNTABILITY
- COMMITMENT AND,
- TRANSPARENCY

IMMEDIATE OUTCOMES
Our immediate outcomes are classified into three core Pillars otherwise known as Departments:

A. Gender and Capacity Building
The capacities of marginalized and vulnerable groups are strengthened to ensure effective participation in development issues within their communities for the improvement of livelihoods
Communities adopt gender sensitive approaches and involve more women and youth in the decision making process

B. Wealth Creation
Household incomes are increased through the establishment of micro-projects and micro-credit operations to enable beneficiaries to become self-reliant in their communities.

C. Health, HIV and AIDS Programme
Communities adopt positive behaviors to be able to live a healthier and happier (serene) life. Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are integrated into the society and enjoy the same rights and privileges like other children in the communities.

ACT: Accountability, Commitment, Transparency
ORGANISATIONAL MISSION
REACH OUT supports underprivileged groups within the communities on health issues, wealth creation, and provides capacity building and information through the use of participatory approaches and advocacy Strategy.

STRATEGIES
From an analysis of internal environmental scan, the following strategies were adopted by management and Board of directors:

VISION
REO is a self-sustained organization, attracting skilled staff that works in cohesion to deliver services in the area of health, wealth creation, and gender capacity building programs with approved best practices and pooled resources at national and international levels for the betterment of communities in Cameroon.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The Health Department of Reach Out Cameroon is a pillar which harbors the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) unit and supports underprivileged individuals and groups to ensure that they are socially integrated and economically empowered through sustainable development initiatives.

PARTNERS
If Reach Out is making giant strides today it's thanks to collaborators/partners that deemed it necessary to sponsor the funding of some of its activities and programs. Even though the organization is still to identify core-funders, the list below exemplifies partners who sponsor some of our activities.

• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Social Affairs
• Ministry of the Promotion of Women and the Family
• National AIDS Control Committee
• Care Cameroon
• Associated Country Women of the World
• Plan Cameroon
• Canadian Cooperation AIDS Fund
• Hope for African Children Initiative
• Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA)
• Support Program for the Structuring of Civil Society in Cameroon
• GIZ (German International Cooperation)
• UNICEF
• National Community-driven Development Program(PNDP)
• MIVA Netherlands
• Drombaya
• Cameroon Alliance of Voluntary Organizations for Development (CAVOD)
• South West Civil Society Network (SWECSON)
• Dynamique Citoyenne(DC)
• Coalition of Women Headed Organizations in the South West
• Region(COWHOSW)
• Cameroon Platform for Civil Society in Cameroon (PLANOSCAM)


ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The day to day functioning of Reach Out Cameroon is managed by a team of devoted employees with a spirit of social cohesion and passion for development work. Coordinated by the Founder and Executive Director, Omam Esther Njomo, REO in addition to her full time staff hires consultants and volunteers to supplement efforts for specific durations based on need.