New Horizons > June 2001

Talents Must Be Used!

Alice Kengne Youmbi, President of ECLOF Cameroon, explains how the sharing of resources and commitment advanced micro finance in her country.

As individuals, groups, churches, organizations, and nations, we have received talents from the Creator and it is our right, our privilege, our responsibility and even our obligation to multiply these talents.

With our talents we have the right and responsibility to do something, great or small for ourselves and for those around us, who did not have any chance of receiving the same talents.

Just as a seed, one talent can produce hundreds, and so, on the multiplier principle, thousands can be produced.

Cameroon Success
Some years ago in Cameroon, a group of women, who included medical doctors, pharmacists and lawyers, decided that it was their responsibility to share their knowledge with thousands of rural women who had not had the same the opportunities for education and training. The professional women developed a programme of community health training to enable the village women to organise their communities and improve their health.

In all the villages where this group of women went, huge numbers of people came to listen to their message. They appreciated the training, and many women wanted to be involved. However, everywhere, there was always a major problem. "How can we do this?" the village women asked. "We are too poor. We cannot." At the time, Cameroon was going through a severe economic crisis.

After hearing the lesson on talents, the women began to put it into practice. They discussed what they could do, and in doing so discovered they had many talents. They then developed small projects. Thanks to their shared talents, over the years the programme has spread. It is now a movement of more than 30,000 women.

Launching a New NEC
When we decided to launch a National ECLOF Committee (NEC) in order to run a micro finance programme, we had to consider a number of points.

Evaluating the Needs
First, we asked ourselves what was needed to alleviate poverty, and would allow for self-improvement and human development within our country, churches, and population? The deeper we feel needs, the stronger will be our determination to work for appropriate solutions. The ECLOF programme of Christian-inspired micro-finance, which is well-established world wide with clear principles and guidelines, then came as a blessing. When we heard about ECLOF, our main struggle and efforts converged towards getting an NEC established in Cameroon. We wanted to see it work, succeed and bear fruit for the good of all, particularly the needy and excluded.

Confronting the Needs
How did we convince ECLOF that we were capable of joining such a strong and wonderful network? We realised we had to prove to ECLOF, as well as ourselves, that we were able to adhere to ECLOF’s rules. After all, these requirements did not apply only to us. If others could succeed, then surely we could too.

Using our Talents
As we began to explore the establishment of a micro finance programme, we asked ourselves what talents we had as individuals, organizations and churches.

Clearly, we did not have much money, but this was no reason for saying "We cannot do this." After all, the Creator has provided each of us, each of our churches, and each of our organizations with talents. So, we identified our various talents and discovered that using them was not a chore but a privilege!

Getting Started
We heard about ECLOF at a meeting in July 1998. Sixteen people attended from the churches and other organizations; it was a crucial event for them all. They took the issue seriously, and considered the price that would have to be paid. They were ready to face the challenge and use their talents, which they did at various levels.

The road to registration as an NEC was not easy but, finally, almost two years later, 26 June 2000, at 6.07 p.m. we received approval from ECLOF Geneva. This was so important we made a note of the exact time! Four months later, in October 2000, the Cameroon Authorities officially recognised us. There are no words to express the joy and gratitude which filled our hearts when we got the wonderful news of this recognition; we had been waiting for it impatiently!

Finance

We decided that each church should contribute to the NEC 100,000 Cameroon francs (F CFA) (US$143) and each member organization 50,000F CFA (US$71.5). All members met their dues, and some voluntarily doubled their contributions. We used the money to cover set-up costs, including such practical things as papers, pens and other minimum office supplies.

We spent none of this money on members’ transport or board and lodging costs; individual churches and groups had to meet the expenses for representatives who travelled from other parts of the country to the capital, Yaoundé.

Talents Shared
An existing women’s organization generously provided office premises and the services of their members and staff, as well as accommodation for some members who had to stay in town after our long planning meeting.

As the registration process continued, costs rose and the women’s organization further agreed to provide some much-needed finance. Our embryonic NEC committed itself to repay this money when possible.

Our planning group’s regular meetings were characterised by good will, generosity and the determination to be credible and to succeed. The atmosphere of the meetings was friendly and joyful. Discussions were animated, frank and honest.

One board member, who holds a high position in a large company and is an elder in his church, said, "I’m happy every time I go to an ECLOF meeting because the atmosphere is healthy, warm and different from what I usually experience in the many meetings I attend, even in my church."

Promotion
At the beginning, projects came in, but the applications were not well completed and complied with no criteria. We quickly understood that something had to be done.

We then worked with board members in Douala and leaders of women’s guilds of seven Protestant churches, the Catholic church, many NGOs and other interested groups. We held a well-attended one-day promotion meeting in Douala for those interested in borrowing from ECLOF. Afterwards, we were able to get the services of a specialist project officer, and a credit officer free of charge. Our first approved projects resulted from this exercise.

Networking
From the beginning, we have worked with member churches, NGOs, CIGs (common interest groups), women’s guilds, and Christians with ecumenical experience. Our network continues to spread. As a result, information about ECLOF Cameroon is spreading throughout the country and increasing numbers of projects are interested in applying for an ECLOF loan. As a result, more groups than could be accommodated wished to attend a national workshop on credit that we ran. A considerable number would have liked to have joined our NEC. Although this was not always possible, the networking with these partners in Cameroon is promising.

Membership Criteria
We have a number of criteria for choosing which organizations can become members. We give preference to those groups that are well established and enjoy credibility. We favour groups that have many members, already have a positive impact on the population, and which cover a large area of the country. Prospective members need to be willing to conform to ECLOF rules, be inspired Christians and willing to make sacrifices.

Factors for Success
The following have been necessary for our NEC to succeed: good will, generosity, professionalism, women’s dynamic participation, a good communication network, the availability of documents, the reading and discussion of basic ECLOF documents, clear guidelines, communicative joy and humour, tolerance, frankness, faith, and quality resource persons.

Advice
We would urge colleagues in other parts of the world to be courageous and aim very high. Know that nothing great can be done without sacrifice: individual and collective sacrifice, and bear in mind that though you may not see the fruits immediately, you must persevere.

Thanks
ECLOF-Cameroon is grateful to ECLOF-Geneva and to the global ECLOF family for its acceptance of us. We are determined to work hard to deserve this mark of confidence. We are also grateful for the ECLOF-Geneva policy of granting priority particularly to women. Nine of the 15 members of our NEC are women and they are pleased that their abilities have been recognised.