Mr. Joseph Mbah Tenjoh

Work

Mr. Joseph Mbah Tenjoh has lived in a small, rural village for most of his life. Raised on a farm, he is inspired by his love of God to help others raise themselves out of need.  His region suffers from poor soil quality and insufficient transportation to the market, two factors that keep this area impoverished. As a project manager with BERDSCO, Mr. Tenjoh provides training to improve the soil fertility, and teaches local farmers how to diversify cultivation and develop small business opportunities.

Additionally, Mr. Tenjoh works to improve health conditions for his people. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has greatly impacted his region, and diseases such as malaria and typhoid continue to threaten the population. In 2005 the United Nations estimated that over 500,000 people in Cameroon were infected with the HIV virus. In a community where many are illiterate and uneducated, BERDSCO helps teach basic health care, HIV prevention and sanitation to help reduce serious health hazards.

Sending

Organization

BERDSCO opened its doors in 1990 with a mission to help those in need not through donations but by empowering them through training sessions that help develop sustainable technical skills. Nearly half of BERDSCO’s projects are related to agriculture or animal husbandry, as most of the region relies upon farming for their sole source of income. In addition to technical training, BERDSCO engages the community in micro-financing by providing support for projects that would not receive sponsorship through a bank. Agriculture accounts for 34% of their microfinance programs and animal husbandry makes up 10% of the borrowing groups. They hope to add fish culture to their training capabilities after Mr. Tenjoh’s participation at ARI and further develop their animal husbandry curriculum.