Cameroon is aspiring and working resolutely to be a middle-income economy by 2035. This entails embracing sustainable development which Francis Nfor Kimeng in his two recent publications describes as the ability to use resources (natural, financial and human) in the sense of satisfying present needs without depriving future generations of the same resources. The books, “Making a Difference in Sustainable Development” and “Patterns for Sustainable Development” were launched in Yaounde recently.
Notion of Sustainable Dev’t
In “Making a Difference in Sustainable Development,” the author packages his more than 25-year experience in development, working around the world and with various development international organisations. The 15-chapter, 278-page book streamlines how the wide gap between industrialised and developing nations could be bridged and handles poverty, basic concepts and indicators for measuring development, participatory and paternalistic approaches to development and how to approach and work with rural people. It also outlines how to manage conflicts in the development process as well as the importance of international charities and organisations. The author recommends a user-friendly approach to development workers, institutions and nations engaged in sustainable development, which approach ensures that projects are sustainable and transformational.
What Patterns to Follow?
The book, “Patterns for Sustainable Development,” is a hands-on-deck handbook on how to plan and implement successful programmes and projects. In the 14-chapter, 188-page book, Mr Kimeng outlines how to assist community people design a village development plan, types of resources and their appropriateness for development, strategies and principles on how to mobilise resources on a sustainable basis for development and key grants-writing techniques for raising funds for group and community projects. It also clarifies how to design and plan development projects and programmes, implement successful development projects and programmes, effectively monitor their implementation as well as how to build and maintain partnerships for sustainable development.
In a chat with Cameroon Tribune during the launch of these books, the author said, the increasing gap between the industrialised and developing countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, drew his attention when he worked for international organisations. “I sought through these books to empower junior development professionals in the art of development work. It also shows how people can take full ownership of all development processes which is the greatest weakness in development practice now. Our development since independence has been needs-based. These books have come to fill the information gap in rights-based approach in line with the Millennium Development Goals so that people are empowered to do things themselves and ensure sustainability in every aspect of holistic development,” Mr Kimeng said. The launch was attended by scores of development activists who took turns to hail the gesture as timely given the development agenda of the country wherein everybody and everything that is needed to hit the desired target of emergence by 2035 is welcome.
