Bridgers Coordinator Madam Azah Jackline Chey on behalf of Bridgers Association won the 2022 World of Difference Award (WODA), awarded by the International Alliance for Women based in Washington DC. This award comes in recognition of our work in the area of Economic Empowerment of Women in Cameroon under the non-profit category.

Bridgers introduced the cultivation of vegetables within the marginalized indigenous pygmy community of Kwoamb – leper village, East Region of Cameroon. This project was first of its kind to improve on the livelihoods of the indigenous women and at the same time curbing malnutrition in their households and providing tuition for their children’s education. Indigenes of neighbouring communities are now straying in to purchase vegetables from the kwoamb community. This project is a landmark in our organization’s efforts in emancipating indigenous women through economic empowerment.

Bridgers has successfully established a resource farm dobbed: The Bridgers Farms stretching over 5 acres of land. This farm is not only our organization’s sustainability plan but equally serves as an agricultural training ground and seed bank for vulnerable women within the farming community of Ntui, – Mbam and Kim Division, Center Region of Cameroon. We are growing both cash and food crops including plantain; bananas; pineapples; yams; cocoyams; casava and a host of economic trees. Our farming model is permaculture; we mimic the natural forest to enhance ecosystems and biodiversity preservation. This approach is our baseline tool to catalyze the fight against extreme poverty; hunger; malnutrition and rebuild food security for current and future generations.

Bridgers rehabilitated a natural spring well which serves as a lone drinking water source for a community of over 2000 inhabitants. This community has continually consumed bad quality water as a result of the fact that the said well was completely opened and exposed to infiltrations such as dry leaves; dead animals and rain water causing them to suffer from water borne diseases including cholera; dysentery; diarrhea and typhoid. The Bridgers constructed a super structure over this spring well as a cover, refurbished all leakages; and provided wash education involving basic water treatment procedures. Thanks to our intervention; there has been a drop in water borne disease incidences amongst the inhabitants; water level has risen and these population continuously fetch water from this well even in the heart of the dry season unlike before during which they would have to trek deep in to the forest in search of drinking water. The rise in water levels has attracted even populations from neighboring communities and the center City of Ntui who fetch water from this well for commercial purposes.

Bridgers Association has over the years since the beginning of the Anglophone crisis in 2016 empowered hundreds of Internally Displaced women and children. We provide these women with short/long term vocational training and equally provide startup materials and financial capital for each beneficiary to enable them live a befitting life despite the fact that they have flee their homes. We also provide these war victims with psychosocial support to heal them from trauma as well as offer scholarships for their children to continue school.

Bridgers in collaboration with international partners introduced Menstrual Cups; Menstrual Panties and Reusable Pads in Cameroon as a sustainable and cheaper means of managing menstruation for school girls and girls/young women in rural communities. Our project on Menstrual Cups and Menstrual Panties has been the first of its kind in Cameroon and has proven to cost effective/healthy in curbing menstrual poverty amongst the most vulnerable women such as internally displaced single mothers/women/girls and girls who are victims of GBV. A menstrual cup/panties donated to a woman/girl will last from 5 to 10 years if well managed. We have successfully donated close to a thousand of these products across the country accompanied by menstrual hygiene education to all beneficiaries.