After training, the women will obtain subsidised loans from local banks to boost their businesses. Some 14 women entrepreneurs based in Fako Division have received financial management training in Limbe aimed at addressing their management and capacity building needs in business. The certificates obtained will open doors to local banking institutions for loans to boost their businesses. The number takes to over 300 business women trained under the aegis of the African Women in Business (AWIB) initiative. It targets Growth Oriented Women Entrepreneurs (GOWE) with partially guaranteed loan facilities by the African Development Bank (ADB) in collaboration with some local banks in Cameroon.

In the two years of the programme in Cameroon, “CFA 650 Million in only 10 loan-portfolios have been benefited by business women through local banks with ADB guaranteeing up to 50 percent in case of difficulties in repayment”, Yvonne Angouand, GOWE Coordinator for Cameroon, explained at the Limbe workshop. The amount is still dissatisfactory as many women are encouraged to enrol for the training to qualify for loans to finance their businesses. The Limbe training was facilitated by Bibiana Taku, a finance expert of the Diversity Management Consultancy (DMC) who drilled women on a three-module management method in ” Book-keeping”, “Working with Budgets”, and “Cost Control”. In spite of the varied educational levels of the participants, Bibiana Taku watered down the lessons to the understanding of all. The session ended with certificates for participants who expressed sincere appreciation for learning such valuable techniques to improve on their businesses.

The trainer, Bibiana Taku explained to the press that for four days the women were drilled in financial tools to take banking decisions and avert pitfalls, reduce cost, optimise benefit and cause businesses to grow. Because HIV/AIDS remains a permanent threat in our society, the business woman not left out, we incorporated the prevention of its spread in the programme so that the women are aware and stay healthier for their businesses to be less affected. The training has been very successful in places like Kumba, Buea and now in Limbe. “After the training the women constitute themselves into business groups where business plans are built on the field with my assistance. My advice is that women should show themselves up and get training in order to benefit close to the 20 Million Euros earmarked for loan guarantees by ADB,” Bibiana Taku underscored.