Challenges and Prospects of Sustaining Donor-Funded Projects in Rural Cameroon

Abstract

For more than five decades, developing countries (including Cameroon) have been primary beneficiaries of donor-funded projects targeting many sectors, including agriculture and rural development. Cameroon’s rural landscape witnessed a series of project interventions which emphasized sustainability. Although research efforts have been directed towards understanding the planning, implementation and impacts of donor-funded projects, not enough scientific information exists on the determinants, challenges and prospects of sustaining donor-funded projects in rural communities in Cameroon. For this study, the Investment Fund for Communal and Agricultural Micro-projects (FIMAC I) scheme, was used to diagnose the determinants, challenges and prospects for sustaining development projects in the North West Region (NWR) of Cameroon. A representative sample of 150 beneficiaries drawn from 20 farming groups in the NWR was conducted, to generate data which was complemented by interviews. The binary logistic regression results reveal the following: Although there is a significant change in the level of incomes for the FIMAC I project beneficiaries, its sustainability (mirrored through continuity) is dependent upon a myriad of socio-economic factors including family size, length of stay in the community, gender, education and the status of the beneficiary. Furthermore, the less transparent loan application process and the lack of collateral security were the main challenges faced by project beneficiaries. We argue that the introduction of soft loans with minimal demands for collateral security could increase beneficiary participation in projects, while beneficiary groups should further diversify their sources of capital and productive activities. The study does not only contribute to existing theoretical constructs on sustainable rural development, but also makes a succinct request for future studies to unbundle the conditions, under which donor-funded projects are rendered sustainable in rural contexts.

Transitional Opportunities of the Family Farms to Agribusiness in Livestock Production in Cameroon

“…Muluh, et al [4] pointed that the failure of government services could affect the veterinary health services. Other factors include poor housing, low soil fertility for forage production, and weak market chains for livestock and their products.…”

“…It should be observed that different livestock species have different ways of managing them thus highlighting good stockman ship as a prerequisite of livestock production. Livestock production can be intensive or extensive [4]. The intensive production is characterized by smaller number of herd sizes (number of animal on the farm), sometimes characterized by limited use of high production technology.…”

“…In many parts of Africa, social relationships are partly defi ned in relation to livestock, and the size of a household's livestock holding may confer considerable social important. The sharing of livestock with others is often a means to create or strengthen social relationships, through their use as dowry or bride price, as allocations to other family members and as loans [4]. Social status in livestock-based communities is often associated with leadership and access to natural, physical and fi nancial resources.…”

“…Despite the importance of livestock to the population of the North West Region, the sector suffers from many challenges (i.e. diseases, high feeding cost, drought, price fl uctuation, bird fl u outbreak, theft, transhumance and its consequences, little or no livestock extension services) [4]. Bird Flu lastly hit the entire country in 2008 and caused actors in the sectors millions of FCFA as loss [5].…”

“…Farmers face a variety of price, yield and resource risks that make their incomes unstable and unpredictable from year to year. Animals may be destroyed by drought or new pest outbreaks, input costs may increase and product prices may plummet because of adjustments in the local or world market [4]. The livelihoods of breeders depend to a large extent on livestock production, and their access to formal fi nancial services is usually limited.…”