ABOUT US.....
Our Aim
SHUMAS is a non-profit making developmental Non Government
Organisation seeking to make an indelible mark in the struggle against
poverty by participating, conceiving and implemeting programmes and/or
projects which are life-improving and empowering with and for poor
rural and urban under-privileged communities.
We strive to enable each and everyone to meet their fullest potential, irrespective of gender or social
status, without exerting too much
pressure on our environment.
Our Vision:
- Alleviate poverty
- Empower rural people
- Break down social barriers
- Build capacities regardless of social status or gender
Our Philosophy:
- participatory, sustainable and integrated schemes
- providing a 'push' rather than imposing a solution, helping communities to identify their own solutions to their own needs
- avoiding dependency approaches, so often used in the past, and offering the means through training and other schemes for communities to achieve their own goals
Our Strategy:
Responding to appeals from target communities with a participatory approach alongside situational analysis which permits a thorough understanding of the problems and their manifestations. Such have given birth to SHUMAS' various interventions geared towards:
- enhancing rural basic education through provision of learning structures, didactic and recreational facilities, and assistance to the local community for the acquisition of teachers,
- promoting sustainable and profitable farming practices through the extension of organic and integrated farming with agri-silvo-pastoral system, farming techniques for irrigation and off-season farming techniques, farm produce marketing strategies and micro schemes for rural women, facilitate the formation and management of self-help groups, women's farming co-operatives and village development organisations,
- instituting sustainable environmental management in rural communities through the protection of village water catchments, planting indigenous trees, replacing non-friendly species that are heavy feeders, such as Eucalyptus,
- enhancing social welfare through support to the physically and mentally handicapped persons, supporting and mainstreaming of adult literacy projects in target groups,
- supporting and mainstreaming adult literacy projects to enhance target groups, identify their needs and begin seeking solutions,
- facilitating the formation and management of self-help groups, women's farming co-operatives, and village development organisations as viable partners in the SHUMAS integrated rural development strategy,
- health and sanitation programmes,
- supporting village water projects,
- supporting poor village health clinics.
Our target groups are....
Rural and urban shanty communites in Cameroon. We focus on peasants with special attention on women, youth and disadvantaged people.
Our Own Need for Capacity Building
Most of our 35 staff, though very committed, have
never had a chance to receive any formal training. 
We
still need to do more in the area of staff development and training in
order to enable them to deliver appropriate, effective and
efficient support to our needy communities. Staff are indeed very aware
of duty and only a little training to improve their capabilities will
go a long way towards the achievement of our desired goals and
objectives.
