COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM

USAID is working to undermine Boko Haram and ISIS-WA’s ability to operate and recruit by supporting local efforts that build resilience against violent extremism. By directly supporting positive local actors and leveraging USAID and other donor initiatives, USAID is stabilizing communities most affected by violent extremism and enabling the return of internally displaced persons. USAID’s regional program, Voices for Peace, is a community led project which aims to reduce vulnerability to extremism by amplifying local voices and encouraging dialogue of peace and tolerance, by identifying drivers of conflict and promoting positive narratives.

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TRADE

The West Africa Trade and Investment Hub helps farmers and firms compete and attract investments to the region to boost regional and global trade. The Trade Hub offers training regarding exports to government officials, business associations, and Cameroonian companies on the documentation and procedures required for export to the United States.

ENVIRONMENT

The Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) fosters conservation of the tropical forest in Cameroon and other countries in Central Africa, by providing technical assistance to government institutions for strengthening forest resource management capacity. Specifically, this program support aims to: 1) strengthen the policy and regulatory framework supporting sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation; 2) build and strengthen capacity at local, national and regional levels to monitor forest cover change, greenhouse emissions and biodiversity. 

GLOBAL HEALTH

The Government of Cameroon (GoC) has made significant commitments to reducing new HIV/AIDS infections and providing treatment to those living with the disease. However, the level of public spending on health is not sufficient to support these goals. Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID activities build partnerships to provide HIV prevention, care, and treatment throughout Cameroon with a focus on key and vulnerable populations including orphans and adolescent girls. As a Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) focus country, interventions center around strengthening health facility service delivery, routine net distribution, support for training, strengthening pharmaceutical management, supply chain and procurement of Insecticide Treated Nets, Rapid Diagnostic Tests, antimalarial, and preventive treatments. In health financing, PEPFAR, PMI, and other resources provide targeted technical assistance to the GoC in support of its sustainable health financing strategy and efforts to reduce or eliminate the impact of user fees as a barrier to accessing health services. Programs also promote the Global Health Security Agenda and assist the GoC to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats, and emerging pandemics including those that originate from animals. USAID’s neglected tropical diseases program fights diseases that can be cured or prevented by distributing drugs donated by the pharmaceutical industry. 

WORKING IN CRISIS AND CONFLICT

USAID is Cameroon’s leading donor of humanitarian assistance. We provide emergency food and nutrition assistance through market-based interventions that reduce acute food insecurity among the most vulnerable populations. We help build resilient households and communities by supporting disaster risk reduction activities designed to protect and restore livelihood assets. We assist humanitarian partners working in health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as in agriculture, food security, protection, humanitarian coordination and critical air services.

YOUTH

USAID also invests in Cameroon through the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).  Based at the Regional Leadership Center (RLC) in Ghana, West Africa, The YALI RLC, offers interactive and experiential training to participants from Cameroon and eight West African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo. The program has three study tracks: Business & Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, and Public Management, facilitated through hybrid and purely online models. The hybrid program is divided into four phases - a coursework phase delivered online and onsite. The remaining 3 phases are distributed equally among a mentorship program, internship or community service, and a report-writing period. The online program is divided into four phases - a coursework phase delivered online and the remaining 3 phases distributed equally among a mentorship program, internship or community service, and a report-writing period. The RLC is run as a public-private partnership, with the MasterCard Foundation, Africa 2.0, the Ghana Private Enterprise Federation, The DOW Chemical Company, Ecobank, and Microsoft among the key partners. Currently there are 405 Cameroon graduates.