A ONE-DAY FREE TRAINING AND SUPPORT WORKSHOP ON PISCICULTURE ENTREPRENERSHIP IN BAMENDA
A ONE-DAY FREE TRAINING AND SUPPORT WORKSHOP ON PISCICULTURE ENTREPRENERSHIP IN BAMENDA
TOPIC: Inclusive Sustainable Pisciculture Social Entrepreneurship for Economic Growth and Food Security in Cameroon
ORGANISERS: GLOBALINK SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP & STARTUPS COOP LTD. P.O. BOX 714 BAMENDA
PROJECT TITLE: BLUE HOPE RESOURCES CAMEROON (BHR) PROJECT
VENUE: WOMEN EMPOWWRMENT CENTER BAMENDA
DATE & TIME: 18TH MAY 2025 FROM 8 AM
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This project aims to establish 500 small-scale sustainable fish farming ventures across rural and peri-urban Cameroon, targeting vulnerable population especially; women, youth, senior citizens, and individuals with physical disabilities. Through training, capacity building, access to start-up resources, value-added food processes, market linkage support, and regular mentorship, the initiative seeks to foster inclusive economic and social empowerment, address food security, and promote environmentally sustainable aquaculture practices.
By leveraging local water resources, technologies and social entrepreneurship-based models, the project will build scalable, eco-friendly and sustainable micro-enterprises that would contribute to livelihoods, food security, economic development and environmental conservation.
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE:
Cameroon faces increasing challenges of rural poverty, unemployment (especially among youth and women), food insecurity, and a significant dependence on food import (particularly rice, wheat, fish, and sugar)
Nevertheless, the government of Cameroon has recognized the importance of reducing the dependency on foods imports and has initiated a Three-Year Integrated Import Substitution Plan 2024-2026, with focus on development priority sectors such as Agro-industry. According to a report by the South African think tank ISS Africa, Cameroon could reduce its dependence on food imports by 31.7% by 2043, and this decline is expected to come from sharp progress in the agricultural sector.
The sustainability of fish and sea foods is good for both humans and the planet.
While aquaculture presents an untapped opportunity in Cameroon, sustainable pisciculture entrepreneurship presents a high-potential solution to poverty, food insecurity, youth employment, and the dependency on foods imports (frozen fish), towards improvement the balance of trade deficits of the country.
According to a study on the determinants of the profitability of fish farming in Cameroon by small farmers, main barriers encountered include; insufficient quality and quantity of fingerlings, inadequate quality of feeds, inadequate financing and weak technical capacities (Cynthia Jeh M. et al; 2018).
With the above national and global challenges, and opportunities in favor of sustainable inland fishing developments in Cameroon, we of GSES COOP LTD have developed the interest in this sector and created a Project for Sustainable pisciculture entrepreneurship development called Blue Hope Resources (BHR) Project. Through this project, we will develop and implement pragmatic strategies that will increase both sustainability and profitability in fish farming entrepreneurship in many communities of Cameroon by facilitating access to resources, training, and capital.
The BHR Project targets 500 motivated aspiring vulnerable people, in many communities of Cameroon, who fall in the following groups: Women and girls, Unemployed youth, Senior citizens, Persons with physical disabilities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE BHR PROJECT:
To promote inclusive and sustainable pisciculture-based social entrepreneurship for improved livelihoods, food security, and economic empowerment through the development of 500 small-scale inland (fresh water) fish farms in Cameroon.
