Project Description
The training program offered by S4ICE aims to reduce gender inequalities and enhance the economic empowerment of 20 women in the artisanal mining sector in Cameroon. Participants will receive advanced training that will enable them to effectively manage their mining activities, access new markets, and maximize their income while adopting sustainable mining practices.
Project Context
Women play a crucial role in the artisanal mining chain in Cameroon. However, they face a set of significant challenges, including stigma, a lack of practical technical skills in management, limited access to resources and markets, and precarious working conditions. By training them in entrepreneurship, this program aims to address these gaps, promote their economic independence, and encourage responsible mining practices.
Project Objectives
This project aims to increase the participation and inclusion of young women in the exploration, exploitation, and marketing of mining products in Cameroon, specifically in the East region. It is an initiative that includes intensive programs to equip participants with the necessary entrepreneurial knowledge to effectively engage in mining exploration, exploitation, and marketing. Additionally, it aims to provide them with relevant knowledge related to emerging information and communication technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and securing mining sites.
The main desirable objectives for this program are:
Strengthening Women’s Skills: by training 20 women in basic entrepreneurial practices related to business management applied to the mining sector.;
Reducing income inequalities and enhancing women’s economic empowerment: Increase participants’ income by at least 70% during the first year following the training program.
Providing women involved with knowledge of sustainable environmental practices: Encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly and health-conscious mining techniques.
Specifically, it involves providing skills to women that cover basic and technical mining operations, including extraction, processing, trading, safety, waste management, and the use of specialized equipment. Additionally, workshops will be organized to develop skills in project management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and communication. These skills will empower women to take on supervisory roles, lead their own businesses, or undertake community projects. Furthermore, this program aims to train 20 young women in specific technical skills related to geological and mining activities in a secure and sustainable manner. This amounts to training:
- 05 entrepreneurs in the mining sector
- 05 in exploration professions: geotechnicians, miners
- 05 in transformation professions: tailors, jewelers
- 05 environmentalists: cultivators, nursery workers
Project Methodology
The program is implemented through a combination of training methods observed over fourteen days. During this period, the program will include interactive workshops, mentoring sessions, practical case studies, and field visits. At the end of the training, participants will receive a bonus and personalized guidance to apply the acquired knowledge to their daily mining activities.
Expected Project Results
The expected benefits of this project include:
- Skills Improvement: Participants will be better equipped to manage their mining businesses profitably and sustainably;
- Financial Autonomy: Increased income for beneficiaries, contributing to reducing income disparities and improving participants’ quality of life;
- Economic Model: By empowering women, the project aims to strengthen the local mining community and promote inclusive and equitable economic models;
- Technological Innovation Integration of ICT and AI into mining practices for better efficiency and safety.
Project Sustainability
The program is designed to be sustainable and adaptable. The knowledge acquired by the participants will be shared within the beneficiary community, creating a multiplier effect. Additionally, the success of this initial phase of the program will pave the way for similar projects in other mining regions of Cameroon and even in Central African countries where women are predominantly victims of stigma.
Partnerships
The project must rely on strategic partnerships with local and international institutions, civil society organizations, mining sector companies, and academic institutions to validate the quality and relevance of the training. These collaborations will also facilitate access to resources and markets for the participants.
Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Number of trained women, revenue increase, participant satisfaction;
- Tracking methods: Surveys, interviews, and regular progress reports;
- Reports: Frequency and format of reports to funders, including case studies and testimonials
The English version is the original version.
