Cameroon Association for Business and Management Development
Country: Cameroon
Organization: CABMADEV
2) Sector of activity: Technology Business/Management
3) Description of your products or services: Training, setting up books of record, audit and advice
4) Description of the operational model: We provide short courses, seminars, workshops to change perceptions, manner of doing things, and help them think for themselves, and do things for themselves. We act as advisors and conterparts in solving technical problems for free. We are rather asking for sympathisers to sponsor us. We do not have sponsors for over 4 years now since we entered into operations.
5) Description of the financial model: We have over 100 members who contribute yearly membership fees. We also solicit for sponsors. We have not yet had any sponsors - and so, we are struggling to do it ourselves. We are sometimes forced to charge small fees to cover cost of travel, lectures, and/or seminars/workshops. Ours is simply to sustain our operations and not make profits. We hope we will get sponsors someday.
Client fees represent this approximate percentage of operational budget: 10%
6) Key operational partnership: None as yet
7) Current outreach:
We are at the Mature stage. We have already matured in our operations - except that we are lacking finances to provide our services in far-off towns in Cameroon. We would like to reach out onto other African nations within Central Africa including Nigeria if we had the means.
How many clients have benefited from your product/service in total? Over the last year? 1000. We were able to treat 250 cases last year.
What percentage of your clients is below the poverty line ($2 per day)? 90% Many small business enterprises in Cameroon are owned by
people to venture into business because they have no choice
but to create and manage their own lives through business.
These people have little or no education prior to entering
into business. Worse of all, they lack accounting skills,
financial skills, marketing skills, and managerial skills.
This makes it difficult for them to know profit margins and
to manage appropriately. Infact, prior to our coming,
they counted more on luck.
What is the order of magnitude of the potential demand for your products or services? Which
other low-income groups, countries or regions could benefit from it? Try to quantify (number
of clients, market size in currency):
Over 5 million Cameroonians are in need of our services. This is a country where unemployment abounds. Farmers, small scale business operations are seen as an immediate solution to unemployment. It could be a farm, a store, a restaurant, a shop, a phone booth, etc. In many cases, Cameroonians have learned to hawk. These people need business skills. We are trying to do just that to keep them alive and of-course boost the economy. We also observe that Cameroonians do not see business as a favoured vocation. Rather, they envy civil jobs, and jobs offered by private companies. We think Cameroonians need to understand more about capitalism. There is need for the people here to understand that their lives are in their own hands, and that they must strive to succeed by themselves. Of course, one of the means to survive is through business. Surely, other Africans will need this.
8) Scale-up strategy:
How many low-income individuals do you plan to benefit in three years from now? How are you planning to scale up or replicate your solution? What are the major constraints to scale up?
We intend to treat another 1000 cases within the next three years. We plan to carry out short courses, seminars/workshops, and consultations in all the major cities in Cameroon within this period. Our finances are not good enough. This could put us off tract in due course.,
Which specific areas - and why - in your field would benefit most from investment by corporations, foundations, and other investors:
First of all, small or low income business people will benefit skills that will be transferred through our efforts. Because they will become skillful, they will then be able to sustain themselves. Further, will create economic growth by providing goods and services to our nation. They will also employ themselves and of courses fend for themselves and their families.
9) The organization: How does the initiative fit with your overall organization's strategic goals and priorities? How did the initiative start?
CABMADEV as it called, fits well into my dreams that I started nursing when studying in Boston, USA between 1980 and 1987. It all started when I rallied a number of friends and relatives and we talked about the plight of small business persons in Cameroon. I my opinion, I would like to see more independent Cameroonians than dependent Cameroonians in the future. Our business sector is yet to gain grounds. In fact, Western type of business education is too advanced for the kind of low income earners I am dealing with. I have had to come right down to address the situation. I have already written a book for the sake of helping these people. Unfortunately, my book is still not published because I lack funds to do so.
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10) On the mosaic diagram, which of these factors is the primary focus of your work?
- Factor: Poor understanding of the human and social capital
- Principle: Design products and services that tap into the wea
- Other: Make poor people conscious of what to do by themselves to sustain their lives
Contact Information:
Name: Richard Agbortoko - Director
Organization: CABMADEV
Mailing address: P O Box 271 Tiko
Country: Cameroon
Email: medcab_cam@yahoo.com
Tel: 237 783 24 35
Fax: none
Website: none
Organization's legal status: Association
Number of Employees: 3
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