Several of the PIME sisters in Cameroon work in Bibemi and Djalingo in the Garoua Diocese. The people of this area do not own any land. Instead they work the land belonging to the large landowners, and when the harvest comes in, the landowners claim the majority, leaving the people with very little. The situation for women here is even more challenging, as they are completely dependent upon their husbands for every need and are viewed as property in light of dowries paid for marriage.
While the Sisters work in education with the local women to help them find equality, changing the system is not always easy. Sr. Lucia Cavallo, MDI-PIME, and her follow PIME sisters have found an opportunity to create a project to help women fight social inequality and gain financial independence. By planting and owning their own peanut crops, these women can gain some financial stability and have a decision in the direction in the lives of their families. The project also has the added benefit of reducing local alcoholism, as instead of devoting time to making a local alcoholic beverage called ‘bil bil’, the women will be harvesting their crops.
Sr. Lucia’s plan requires $6,853 annually to rent a plot of land and a plow and provide the seed for planting peanuts. The women will plant and harvest the peanuts, storing their crops locally and selling them when prices are the highest.
Your support of this project will help provide equality and independence and improve the quality of life of the women and girls in Bibemi and Djalingo.
Leader