Manyu Development: The Diaspora can help ⁰

Manyu is gradually emerging from the damage of the socio-political crisis which has been running for almost eight years, but the tell-tale signs of the adverse impacts of the conflict are still on the faces of our people.

Many of our people are slowly returning to their native Manyu but starting all over is a Herculean task. Many have lost almost everything. Some had to spend years in the jungle just to hide from Amba fighters and Cameroon government soldiers.

Many of our people are desperate. Though cocoa prices have brought some hope, it must be pointed out that many of those farms had been neglected when the fighting was at its apex. It takes years for a cocoa plantation to be productive and it takes lots of maintenance for a plantation to deliver the “golden seeds” and without money our people are not earning as much as they should.

Though some of the farmers are celebrating, it should be noted that not everyone in Manyu Division is a cocoa farmer. Despite increased cocoa production in the past two years, Manyu farmers are not making a kill as they should because their poor mastery of the global cocoa market is robbing them of lots of money.

There are no structured marketing channels which can guarantee our people long term money for their labour and since they have no control over the cocoa supply chain, most of our farmers are obliged to accept whatever prices are offered to them.

The socio-political crisis has hit Manyu Division like a ton of bricks. The situation has been compounded by escalating cost of living, leaving many young Manyu men and women in dire financial straits.

Even young Manyu businesspersons are struggling. The business environment is not enabling. Access to loans is almost non-existent and the entire Manyu Division has no bank to cater to the needs of our people.

Moreover, the mentality out there is hurting our people in a big and bad way. Anybody who starts making some baby steps forward has the obligation of taking care of an entire family, a situation which has caused many budding businesses to collapse even before they could send down their roots.

Furthermore, any businessperson who makes giant strides forward is always erroneously thought to be involved in a cult. Many Manyu people have never really known wealth and many do not understand that speculation, determination and persistence can deliver tons of money.

Once someone makes huge amounts of money, the entire village starts accusing them of things which only exist in fairytales. There is no witchcraft when it comes to making money. The people of Manyu Division need a mentality purge. A new mindset needs to be engineered to enable the people to accept that a neighbor could be wealthy in a short time due to their clear and long-term vision as well as their persistence and determination.

The Diaspora, indeed the open-minded, informed and selfless Diaspora, has a role to play, not only in the engineering of a new mindset for Manyu, but in the creation of self-help programs which will give the Division a shot in the arm.

A once booming economic hub, Mamfe, the Division’s capital, is spotting a miserable and helpless figure. The town’s infrastructure is crumbling, the environment is deteriorating at lightning speed, power failure remains a tough challenge to businesses and the Division’s best and brightest are leaving to seek little opportunities in other towns of the Southwest Region.

Mamfe has lost its attraction. Even the schools which used to attract people to the Division have become shadows of their former selves. Manyu and Mamfe need a massive injection of cash which can help small businesses to stabilize and grow. The absence of financial institutions in the Division has robbed struggling businesspeople of the access they need to where they can have investment resources.

The Diaspora has a great role to play in the revitalization of the once vibrant Division. The Diaspora has been supportive albeit on individual basis. Manyu needs more than individual efforts. Manyu’s development requires the collective efforts of its sons and daughters, both at home and abroad.

Manyu does not have its own microfinance institutions. Manyu does not have its own cooperatives. Manyu is bereft of basic financial and financing institutions which can give the Division’s population access to much-needed financing.

The Diaspora, in particular, can help restore Manyu’s past glory through collective efforts. Organizations such as EYUMEMA and MOHWA are making some strides but their efforts need to be shored up, especially with the creation of sound project implementation mechanisms which can ensure that they get real value for any dollar they invest in the Division.

Manyu sons and daughters abroad should know that they have a role to play in Manyu’s economic and cultural renaissance. The Diaspora can reverse certain things in Manyu through generous contributions and participation in development projects. Indifference will only lead to the Division heading down the abyss of depression and chaos. The Diaspora should mobilize itself to give Manyu a fighting chance.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey