Africa
For the second year, COSIFE has partnered with the Torchbearer Foundation, a missions organization dedicated to creating change in Cameroon, Africa. Ten COSIFE students and three sponsors traveled to Belo, Fundong, Ndu, and Nkambe to provide business and computer training for potential and established entrepreneurs.
Team members equipped 500 citizens of Cameroon to revitalize their villages by organizing workshops in marketing, business communications, computers, venture capital, and accounting. After computer and accounting training, Jenny, the owner of a local fish market, recorded a year of financial data. Jenny can now imagine a future for her family because her business is sustainable and financially secure.
Another potential entrepreneur, Notah, imagined a profitable theatre company where he could write and produce his own plays. Notah developed his skills and achieved his dream by attending COSIFE’s workshops. Within six weeks of COSIFE’s departure, Notah produced and presented three plays to the village of Belo. Including Notah’s startup, COSIFE examined and advised a total of ten other small shops.
Demonstrating COSIFE’s strong administrative support, College of the Ozarks President, Jerry C. Davis, donated the funds to continue the economic developments in Cameroon. With additional planning, COSIFE secured further financial support through a fundraising event that garnered over $50,000. We also set a goal to raise funding for computer technology and are excited to say that we presented nine new laptops to the National Director of the Torchbearer Foundation before leaving Africa.
