Back to the newsUCEC is a small savings and credit initiative for farmers run by the diocese of Maroua in northern Cameroon. This cooperative groups together five small cooperatives established in rural areas with difficult access. UCEC is in the process of institutional transformation in order to receive the official authorizations necessary for the deployment of its activities.
For the past 10 years, northern Cameroon has been the scene of a confrontation between the army and groups linked to Boko Haram, who have established their rear bases in the rural areas around Maroua, generating insecurity and poverty. It is extremely risky to travel to this region with its Sahelian climate, where only the diocese has the infrastructure (network of parishes) to provide a presence and support for the local population.
UCEC is the only microfinance institution offering savings and credit services to farmers in the region. The other institutions have retreated to the town of Maroua because of the insecurity. UCEC works closely with the agricultural development programmes run by the diocese’s NGO (CDD, which is also a long-standing partner of CCFD-Terre Solidaire).
