Posted October 2000
Two presentations were made in relation to the "Farm and Household Resource Management (Home Economics) for Rural Family Development Project" (GPC/INT/662/FIN), a project implemented by the FAO in Cameroon and Poland. The project aims to strengthen the skills, knowledge and abilities of teachers, extension workers and development agents working with rural families in the field of home economics. The project consists of three components; i) a study on the socio-economic conditions of rural households in each country; ii) a revision of the FAO manual on Household Resources Management; and iii) the testing of the revised manual and training tools.
Ms Nwafo Wandji and Ms Pentang shared their experiences on the re-orientation of Home Economics in Cameroon; Ms Sawicka did the same for Poland. Both presentations highlighted the fact that current Home Economics training and extension programmes are often not in line with the needs, demands and potentials of rural families. These factors have changed over time whereas Home Economics training and extension programmes have often remained the same. The study in Poland, for example, revealed that the demand for assistance in the fields of small business development, group formation and agricultural counselling is increasing. In Cameroon, Home Economics training programmes often focus on marriage preparation instead of addressing the demand for information on the development of income-generating activities. Trainers, extension workers and development agents should be trained to identify the needs, demands and potentials of their target groups through participatory approaches which include socio-economic and gender analysis techniques. Furthermore, they should be offered opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills in accordance with the changed demands and needs of the target groups. Finally, increased funds should be set aside for activities in the field of Home Economics.
Ms Nwafo Wandji and Ms Pentang shared some of the outcomes of the socio-economic study conducted in three of the five agro-ecological zones in Cameroon. One remarkable observation was the fact that the access to information on home economics is larger in the English speaking areas of the country as compared to the French speaking areas. Ms Sawicka presented three manuals developed in Poland under the project; a) the first one on how to set up and manage small enterprises, b) a second on how to manage rural household resources and c) the last on how to solve rural family problems Furthermore, she stressed the importance of SEAGA as an approach to understand how development policies and programmes can affect the economic activities and social relations of different groups of people in local communities. All extension workers should be made aware of this approach and its content.
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