Voice of Grace Foundation [VGF] Cameroon

Voice of Grace Foundation Cameroon is a registered, not for profit and non governmental organization with registration N^o 1076/G.37/D.14/1/756/VOLII.BAPP, recognised by Law of Association and NGOs of 12/12/1990 and its Decree of Implementation Law No 92/455/PM of 23/11/1992 and governed by the provisions of Law No 92/006 of 14/08/1992. Based in the South West Region of Cameroon has as its main goal to empower rural women, single teenage mothers, unemployed youths and other marginalized of the rural and urban poor communities economically, create and sensitize them on such issues as pertaining to their rights ( health, education, sexual reproduction), civil engagement , participation and promote the fight for Gender based violence and Discrimination against women; and above all creating jobs as a means of fighting unemployment and poverty alleviation., and promoting environmental protection. It is an equivalence of US not –for- profit 501(3C) tax-exempted organization. This is supported by an Affidavit of supportdrawn from the legalization framework document of NGOs and Associations in Cameroon. Born on November 7, 2006 out of the compassion to assist the single teenage mothers(STMs), rural and urban poor women(RUPW) and destitute youths(DYs).

MISSION of VGF: “to enhance the tool of economic growth through the rule of law and good governance at the national and international levels with focus on a) Economic empowerment, b) Poverty Alleviation c) Socio-economic sustainable Development, d) Social Integration e) Human Rights and the fight against Gender based and Domestic Violence; f) Fight Climate change g) and the promotion of the fight against HIV/AIDS and gender Equity( since poverty is a multidimensional and involving not only a lack of income but a lack of basic services and lack of participation of life processes that often influence people ways of lifestyles)

VISION of VGF: To alleviate poverty by building job creators out of the marginalized in the community and promote the human rights of women. This means it is a rural community enjoying human rights, social and economic justice and equality between men and women and youths,. These most disadvantaged are empowered with the tools necessary to a more participatory role in their community economically, socially and educationally in order to contribute concretely to the development of the overall rural communities in Cameroon and across the globe.

Driven by the Director’s passion to assist single teenage mothers( youths) and women who often lack the opportunity to participate in life processes that affect their own life the organization was set up in fulfillment of this purpose. This was as a result of the untold misery and tattered appearance exhibited by the numerous rural and urban poor women population.(especially those discriminated against). This passion grew more when the Director within a day counseled forty-five(45) bartered and disfigured women by their rude less husbands.(victims of violence and assaults) , some , just for the fact that they requested for food money or hospital bills either for themselves or their children. More so, research has revealed that because of little or no economic powers most women are seen by their husbands as procreative machines , and stigmatized with such labels as ‘poverty’ and ‘liability’ – meaning object of ridicule and shame, disgrace, and waste of resources.

Furthermore, women have the potentials to change whole community and families, yet are so under- resourced and under-valued. To help give the woman the image she deserves and develop the untapped potentials in them, the project started up by giving non refundable minute sums as initial capital or seed capital to these numerous socially disadvantaged which eventual grew into this full National and International Project program – “The empowerment of the Voiceless.”

Couple with the fact that most men love to use money and power to destroy young women and girls; and suppress the youths , the founders deemed it necessary to create a forum where they can help to educate these young ‘preys’, sensitize them and campaign against such deviant attitudes.

In a nutshell, the project exists to fight social exclusion, promote youths and women economic justice and empowerment, fight cultural malpractices against women and youths, and esteem the image of these marginalized populace, encourage participation in decision making, and promote their rights, be them civil, political, social, economic or cultural. These are appropriate ways of addressing these sensitive issues that often culminate in juvenile delinquencies as prostitution, clandestine emigration, cheating, arm-robbery, drug addiction etc. Thus, helping to stabilize the society; and as such deviant acts are being kept under control to some extent, since poverty is the mother of allcrimes. Also the fact that many strikes are born out of disgruntlement, ignorance, habits and cultural influence, the project is aimed at educating, sensitizing, empowering and building a violent free society and impacting youths with the importance of positivism amidst challenges and hopelessness rather than disillusion.

In fact this is the tool to foster economic development and justice for the women, facilitate the social and economic integration of women, protect their vulnerability (rights), build women capacity on resource management (entrepreneurial skills), advocate and mobilize resources for the advancement of the rural and urban poor women and strengthen the fight against practices that subject people to inhuman treatment.