Our Work

Local Economic Development (Decentralisation)

IDF has undertaken a number of local economic development (LED) projects including empowering local councils in LED  approaches and coordinating larger LED projects on behalf of organizations such as the Groupe de Recherche et d’Echanges Technologiques (GRET). In addition IDF has been supporting three quarters in Bamenda undertake a  LED project ensuring quarter involvement and participation.

Click to download the IDF’s Local Economic Development Booklet

Community Health (HIV/AIDS) 

IDF has been active for over a decade working towards improving the quality of life of those living with HIV/AIDS, reducing the stigma associated with the disease, and sensitizing the population about positive living and preventative measures.  IDF was among the first organizations in Cameroon to develop a program focused on providing home-based care to people living with HIV and AIDS through home visits and using community volunteers.  Through its community health programs, IDF has supported more than 1500 orphans and vulnerable children at various education levels; provided support and training to infected women through a partnership with savings and loans cooperatives and the International Labor Organization; and provided HIV and AIDS education campaigns in  over 36 communities, 89 villages and 60 secondary schools.

Click to download the IDF’s Community Health Booklet

Women empowerment

After becoming aware than many young girls wanted to become house girls and secretaries but did not have the means to obtain formal training in these areas, IDF developed a vocational training program for single adolescent mothers.  IDF has trained 47 women to date providing them with skills for healthy living along with vocation training.  IDF has also worked in the area of women’s empowerment through capacity building of saving and loans cooperatives and providing women living with HIV/AIDS with business knowledge in partnership with the International Labor Organization.

Human and Child rights 

With over 785,000 children in the north west region, many of IDF’s beneficiaries are children.  IDF has been active in the fight for Children’s Rights for over a decade.  IDF has carried out research and written reports on these issues to raise awareness and to develop projects which will have significant impacts.  After carrying out research on the causes and impacts of children not having birth certificates in the region, IDF developed a project which  helped obtain 750 late birth certificates to primary school children and 45 single adolescent mothers. IDF is also active in the fight against child trafficking and labor.

Click to download IDF’s Child Rights booklet

Capacity Building with Grassroots Organizations

IDF is not only a recipient of capacity building from organizations like VSO, but it also provides capacity building services to other organizations.  IDF possess a number of transferable skills that can help other organizations grow and learn.

 

Our Strategy 

IDF uses a strategy of participative action research coupled with a systematic approach to determine the needs of an area or target group before developing projects.  This strategy enables IDF to develop projects from the bottom up involving beneficiaries as key actors.