SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMMES
SHUMAS assists with training and support for basic education of the most deprived and disadvantaged persons in our society, such as orphans, children of handicapped parents and handicapped persons themselves.
HELPING THE DISABLED TO SELF RELIANCE & INDEPENDENCE:
Handicapped people are often marginalized and deprived in our
communities, regarded as outcasts and neglected even by their
families. They are often just abandoned, and resort to begging in our
towns and villages...
Current SHUMAS Schemes:
-
Resettlement:
Assisting physically handicapped people to receive training compatible with their disability and to become involved in self-supporting activities.
This
enables them to gain self-esteem, self-employment and
independence.
In implementing our strategy, SHUMAS also helps disabled people individually.
Later, at their request, they suggested SHUMAS help train them to work as a group. During their meetings, they discuss freely, share experiences and support one another. Presently five disabled groups are active throughout the national territory. -
Sponsorships:
We help train some deprived children (e.g. AIDS orphans in communities) in regular education programmes and vocational training centres. This increases their knowledge and skills, allowing them to fit more comfortably into their communities. -
Scholarships:
Benefit those of school age by providing them with basic school necessities such as bags, school fees, books, etc. Our volunteers now support many of these disabled youngsters.
Current SHUMAS Disabled Groups
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Bamenda: (BADIGUS)
SHUMAS formed this group in 2006 and has provided a small shop in Nkwen district of Bamenda to market products made by local physically disabled people. Members are helped to self reliance and independence by producing and selling handicrafts and popular cane furniture. The shop, known as the Badigus Shop, is sponsored by Anne Dance and Canadian friends.
BADIGUS, after some SHUMAS training, now operates a small farm of pigs, goats and poultry and grows its own vegetables. -
-
3 more Groups at Kumbo (KUDIGUS), Wum (WUDIGUS),
Binka:
These groups receive ongoing training in craft work, basic book keeping and integrated farming methods for small animal husbandry and vegetable production.
Up to 75 disabled people could currently benefit from these schemes though some challenges around local co-operation and commitment require continuous dedicated SHUMAS input. -
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New Rehabilitation Centre for Bamenda
Sponsored by Anne Dance and Canadian friends, a new model Training and Resource Centre began construction in 2007 on land purchased by SHUMAS near Bamenda under the professional supervision of independent AidCamps volunteer Adam Williamson.
Up to 30 youngsters with physical disabilities will be sponsored annually and trained in different profitable income-producing life and trade skills.
Although highly aid dependant in the initial years, so as to institute some financial sustainability, a sales shop, complete with an exhibition area and restaurant, is being incorporated in the complex.
Outgoing sponsored beneficiaries, after training, will be encouraged and expected to serve disabled people on return to their communities or settlements. By supporting these youngsters our aim, long term, is to steer mind and reasoning away from the "aid syndrome" towards self sustainability.
The Rotary Club of Guelph Canada together with other Canadian Rotary groups has kindly committed to provide equipment for this centre. -
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Nkambe and Bamenda Organic Farms:
These farms, worked by disabled people, have been doing well and have expanded during 2007 producing more vegetables to market and rearing animals for sale.
TRAINING & EQUIPMENT TO LEPER GROUPS IN NORTHERN CAMEROON
The lepers in the north, like the women and girls, are highly
marginalized. Often isolated in their communities and even from their
families, they have to fend for themselves despite their physical
disabilities.
Many of them have lost more than one
limb, but they still have to work on the farm to provide food for
their families. This is a very difficult exercise because of their
disabilities.
At their request for a solution to their key problem on how to
increase their farm production 
and transportation of food items to
their houses, SHUMAS, in collaboration with Susan Gray, and Dr. Berry
Beaumont, both AidCamps International volunteers, has provided them
with animal traction and carriage carts to help them plough their
farms and transport produce.
DOUALA CENTRE FOR REHABILITATION OF MENTALLY DISABLED PEOPLE
This project began, with support from SHUMAS, by the Benito Mennis organisation some years ago. The main activity of the project was to provide social welfare facilities to mentally disabled persons in a tiny rented structure as well as sensitize the general public of the need to change attitudes towards, and treatment of, people with mental disabilities.
SHUMAS' objective is to improve and enhance the mental, social and economic life of mentally handicapped persons through the provision medical care, shelter, food, clothing and vocational skills.
We seek to help mentally disabled by:
- Rehabilitation programmes to improve self esteem and assist with employment where possible.
- Reduce high mortality rates, around 80%.
- Providing clothing, food, and shelter where needed.
- Empowering by vocational, social, and life skill schemes and projects.
- Reducing the burden on families and relatives.
- Reducing the rate of social ills in Douala caused by mental illness.
With help from the SHUMAS UK team, headed by Janet Clark, Phase II of this project began in September 2006 consisting of:
- Re-enforcement of the project staff, orientation and co-ordination.
- Renting a symbolic small house in the BONABERI neighbourhood to serve as a re-habilitation centre.
- Arranging partial services of a psychiatric nurse and mental health expert
- Arranging the services of an urban agricultural technician. An urban garden is being created, worked by the beneficiaries, which will help provide some food items for the centre.
- Constructing a piggery which will serve a similar purpose.
A small pro-pharmacy and a health unit are being constructed and incorporated into the project which will deal with health problems but it will also serve people in the neigbourhood thus generating income to sustain the centre.
- Long term, services will be provided at two levels:
- Day Services:
- For those capable of day-visits to the centre and not needing residential care: full services will be provided.
- Residential Services:
- After registration, patients will be given personal health care, clothing where necessary and lodging facilities. Treatment commences immediately. Currently we have 4 in-house patients and are giving help and medication to many more. To help provide occupational therapy and generate some income, a poultry farm was added to the centre in 2007.
A mobile team of local volunteers contacts and monitors mentally
disabled persons found wandering on the streets. 
The team provides advice and help to try and
return them to their families wherever possible.
We hope the centre will undertake:
- Training in basic hygiene, domestic care, cooking and sports.
- Basic medical services. Immediate attention will be given to those who have injuries, skin diseases and other transmissible diseases.
- Phase III will involve training for vocational skills. Patients
will receive training in gardening, marketing, tailoring, hair
dressing, knitting and weaving, etc.
Products and services will be sold to the general public in order to generate income, enabling them to be economically independent and re-integrated into society.
Janet Clark and her team continue to fund raise and make regular visits to the centre.
