In a context where access to food and portable water is a major challenge for certain municipalities in the East Region, inhabitants of the Doumaintang municipality can boast of having access to these basic amenities and being able to fend for themselves, thanks to the community-based approach adopted by Plan International Cameroon to help communities in need. After 30 years of advocacy, protection of children’s right and the improvement of their wellbeing as well as that of women and girls, Plan Cameroon’s impact in the East region is being felt.

As it is often said “Water is life”, the people of Doumaintang possess ‘life’ thanks to the various projects implemented in the municipality with the support of Plan Cameroon. Major projects such as ameliorated sources of portable water, a fish pond and community farms amongst other projects, whose management are being ensured by appointed community leaders, are well appreciated by the community as they serve as a solution to their problems as well as a means of subsistence.

Dop Me Ndongo Anicet, President of the Management Committee at the local level has been at the head of the committee since its creation in 2025. Husband to two and father of 8, the 41-year-old says the 1 hectar piece of land allocated to them by Plan on which they can cultivate doesn’t only permit them to feed their family, but equally to make ends meet through sales. The community which is vested in the cultivation of crops like cassava, bean and sweat potatoes make sure they work in shifts, totaling five days in a week.

The challenges faced are the devastating effects of climate change on the crops and the inaccessible nature of the road which makes transportation of products from the farm to the market very difficult and sometime costly. As a temporal solution, a ware house is being put at the disposal of the community where the crops and work tools such as spades, buckets, rakes and hoes are being kept. The building equally serves as a source of revenue for the community as it is given out for rentage for those in need.

Asides farming and agriculture, the inhabitants equally practice side hustles like mechanics, hunting and pisciculture which permits them to ameliorate their livelihood as a means of subsistence.

From a well to a reliable source of portable water, the area equally provides space where the commoners can do their laundry, dry the cloths and fetch clean and portable water which they will use for cooking, drinking and doing other house chores. The ameliorated water source, located some few kilometers from the Doumaintang council goes a long way to serve, not only the people of Doumaintang but equally its environs. A gesture which is hailed by the community. Zoul Therese, house wife and cultivator, who is a beneficiary of the portable water source could not help but express recognition for the gesture which facilitates her daily activities.

The Mayor of Doumaintang KOUME Honore, while expressing gratitude towards the civil society organization for the support received in terms of education, health and other aspects, assured them of their determination towards preserving and maintaining the projects that have been realized in the community by organizing workshops and training sessions aimed at sensitizing the youths.

It is worth noting that the impact of the Non-Governmental Organization in the health sector cannot go unnoticed, especially when it comes to the girl child as swell as mother and child care. With the phenomenon of young mother taking on a rise in the area, certain measures are taken to ensure safety for the mother and the unborn baby as well as other young girls. They receive free consultation and benefit from advice given during their prenatal consultations.

In the education sector, one of the most important aspects of development of a community, Plan Cameroon has inscribed its footprints. Inhabited by about 12,500 people, over 100 children in the area are currently receiving sponsorship. This permits them have access to education at a reduced price, thus ensuring a brighter future for them. Classrooms are being provided alongside donation of basic school kits – books, pens and bags and scholarships. Parents of these children equally benefit from this scholarship as their burden is being reduced. Their significant revenues gotten from other sources of income are diverted to the payment of school fees.

To ensure that these students are able to read their books and master their lessons, provision of solar lamps for both the students and their parents were made. For the internally displaced persons living in the community, a bilingual primary school was created to make sur no one is left behind when it comes to education.

With a budget that stands at an estimate of 12 million FCFA for the current year, a double of the 2025 budget, a certain number of projects have been projected by the Mayor of Doumaintang and his community with the main focus being that of support to pregnant women, provision of minimum school kits for children and the establishment of another portable water source in the neighbouring Koabang.