The Centre for Rural Action (CEFORA) was established on November 23, 2009, as a non-denominational, apolitical, and non-profit organization by Hansel Ekwa ITUE, who serves as the team leader, along with a group of professionals from diverse backgrounds, including educators, researchers, and community leaders. Their shared goal is to combat rural poverty, hunger, and inadequate infrastructure, particularly for youth.

CEFORA is guided by core values of transparency, equality, and respect for human dignity. Its vision is to create a society free from poverty and hunger, as well as discrimination against women, girls, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. The organization’s mission is to empower communities and enhance livelihoods.

Our Main Objectives

The main objectives of the Centre for Rural Action (CEFORA), as outlined in the attached legal documents and constitution, include:

• Empowering the most vulnerable in society, particularly women and youth, while promoting gender education, democracy, patriotic citizenship, and fundamental human rights.
• Introducing measures that enhance the health and well-being of rural populations.
• Promoting sustainable agricultural practices and supporting viable economic activities such as small-scale trading and craftsmanship to improve livelihoods in rural communities.
• Advocating for climate change awareness, forest and wetland conservation, and the sustainable use of aquatic resources.

In 2012, CEFORA comprised six members (2 women, 2 youth, and 2 men), ranging in age from 21 to 42. By June 2024, the organization had grown to a team of 27, including 14 regular staff, 9 volunteers, and 4 students on internship.

Goals and Initiatives

CEFORA aligns its initiatives with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 1, 2, 5, 8, and 13. The organization works closely with smallholder farmers and women’s groups, introducing SMART agricultural techniques to enhance productivity and profitability, thereby boosting household incomes. Since 2016, CEFORA has expanded into full-scale humanitarian work, using agricultural production as a tool to improve livelihoods in crisis-affected communities, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), host communities, and returnees. This work primarily focuses on the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, following the escalation of crises in those areas.

CEFORA’s activities include capacity development in diverse areas such as group dynamics, social cohesion, conflict resolution, and leadership training, particularly for IDPs, returnees, and host community members.