Over the last quarter, the BERUDA Mobile Eye Clinic has seen, diagnosed and treated over 120 individuals from remote communities, across the North West Region. These are mostly older women and widows who benefit from having health services visit them in their own homes, but who don't normally receive even basic health services due to their remote locations.

BERUDA is fortunate to have on staff its own trained eye specialist, Mr. Nkain Isaac, who provides the eye screenings, corrective lenses, and a range of treatments for these patients. There are, unfortunately, many patients who also require eye surgeries that are beyond our current capabilities, and available resources, but despite this, we do the best we can to offer essential screenings and treatments in the hope of preventing further vision loss.

"The work of our Mobile Eye Clinic is especially vital in these challenging times, as many of our patients face barriers such as limited access to healthcare, transportation challenges, and the ongoing socio-political unrest. We are extremely grateful for the donations that enable this service to role out this vital work, and we see the extraordinary difference saving and restoring sight makes to the capabilities and self resilience of the people of the North West Region everyday. "
- Director of BERUDA, Ngwainmbi Simon.

This year, we plan to extend our outreach to Mentang, Anyajua, Wum, and Njinikom, as part of our ongoing mission to promote healthy vision and improve the quality of life for rural populations.

“Yesterday, I was in the field in Belo with the PROMIC Coordinator from BERUDA to support four women’s groups through our ongoing microcredit initiative. PROMIC, which stands for Promoting Micro Enterprises, is a BERUDA project sponsored by Swisshand, aimed at empowering economically disadvantaged local women.

Through this program, women receive business training in entrepreneurship, followed by access to micro loans to either launch or boost their small businesses. We also provide continuous follow-up to ensure they apply best practices for business growth and sustainability.

Last month we focused on equipping participants with the necessary skills through training. This month, we are moving into the loan disbursement phase to help them put those skills into action and grow their businesses.

What has been great is that we've been able to address some of the problems the women were encountering in paying back loans and we've made some changes such as longer loan terms and scheduling post-harvest re-payments dates. This along with the refresher training on the terms and conditions of the loans has given the women a much more positive outlook on the program and they're energized about their businesses."

- Blessing Shelle is the assistant to the Director of BERUDA.

At the Agricultural Centre in Njinikijem, our commitment to organic agriculture continues to grow. Recently, we completed the replanting of cucumbers, we also planted turmeric, ginger, and watermelon as part of our crop rotation strategy. Monthly vegetable harvesting is ongoing, and we began harvesting green beans yesterday.

These efforts are part of our mission to promote sustainable, organic farming practices that protect both the environment and community health. We are preparing to launch training sessions for local community members, focusing on organic techniques and land preservation.

Looking ahead, we also plan to welcome students from across the region for hands-on training in agriculture and micro-enterprise development—offering practical skills and knowledge to support future agri-preneurs.

Warm greetings from the Belo Rural Development Association (BERUDA)! As we look back on the first quarter of 2025, we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made in the first few months of the year in empowering vulnerable communities. It’s been a busy and meaningful time, full of programs that are making a real difference in communities across the Boyo Division and beyond.
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, volunteers, and partners, BERUDA has been able to touch the lives of countless individuals, particularly children, women, and marginalized communities.
Your support makes all of this possible. Thank you for helping us build stronger, healthier communities where people can live with dignity, independence, and hope.
We welcome and encourage you to please read on to learn more about the work we are passionate about.

The first quarter of 2025 has been a rewarding period for BERUDA’s apiculture efforts. In January, we were honored to receive a prestigious award from the Cameroon Climate Journalism Network (CCJN) in recognition of our long-standing commitment to sustainable beekeeping practices. Our Director, Ngwainmbi Chia Simon, proudly received the award on behalf of the organization—an inspiring milestone that reflects decades of grassroots impact and innovation.

As we move forward, BERUDA is preparing to host regional training sessions with beekeepers across the North West Region. These sessions will focus on modern techniques, hive management, and sustainable practices, equipping local farmers with the skills to improve productivity and resilience in the face of climate and socio-political challenges. Informal trainings in areas like Mbueni, Mbingo, Wum, and Bamenda have empowered farmers with practical skills, boosting household income and food security.

This quarter, we celebrated the graduation of 10 young people from vocational programs in tailoring, ICT, graphic design, hairdressing, and more—giving them valuable skills for a brighter future. Others are excelling in secondary school and university, propelled by their own hard work and the continued sponsorship and guidance of many.
We continued our home and school visits over this period to provide counselling, educational support, and basic needs—especially for children living in remote or high-risk areas.
This is a programme that can always benefit from sponsors for the children so please be in touch if you'd like to contribute to this programme.

As we continue with weekly education sessions with our widows groups in the local areas, we have focused on topics such as maintaining good health through healthy eating habits and through the use of natural medicines that are abundantly available in the local environment. The meetings also provide a support forum where the widows come together to encourage one another as they navigate their common challenges.
Additionally, the widows are engaged in a “Tontine” arrangement where they save small amounts of money throughout the year, which they can later collect to purchase essential items like salt and cooking oil.
These weekly sessions not only focus on physical health but also provide mental health support, helping the widows cope with the trauma and emotional challenges they face due to the socio-political crisis. These education sessions teach coping strategies, stress management, and provide a supportive environment where the widows can share their experiences and feel empowered.

We are excited to announce the launch of BERUDA’s first Mental Health Project, a timely and impactful initiative aimed at building capacity in clinical psychology and counselling across Cameroon. This project is made possible through our valued partnership with Global Support Link (GSL) and Ana Pinto, a highly respected psychology lecturer and supervisor at Cambridge University and director of the Cambridge eLearning Institute.
Ana brings a wealth of experience, having contributed to similar mental health initiatives in India and The Gambia. Ana will lead two exclusive “Train the Trainer” online courses: one for medical professionals, nurses, and academics, and the second for community leaders and influencers. Each course will host 20 participants, who will receive certification upon completion. These trainees will later share their knowledge within their communities, creating a ripple effect of mental health awareness and support.
The executive director, Ngwainmbi Chia Simon and Blessing Shelle, who is currently coordinating the project, has already met with Ana and John of GSL via Zoom. Together, they are actively preparing for the first round of training. The selection process is underway, and candidates will be chosen based on a questionnaire and a written commitment to complete the course.
We are grateful to GSL and Ana for their commitment and look forward to the positive impact this project will bring.

As we look toward 2025, our resolve remains strong. With your continued support, we are confident in our ability to expand our outreach, strengthen our agricultural and empowerment programs, and continue creating opportunities for women, children, and marginalized communities to thrive.
Thank you for standing with us. You are an essential part of the BERUDA family, and together, we are transforming lives and building a more sustainable and just future