Story 1.
Beryl, originally from the Northwest Region, fled violence in late 2017 with her two younger siblings. After arriving in Yaoundé, she faced language barriers, uncertain housing, and the loss of her family’s small business.
Through OCHA’s Career Services & Economic Empowerment stream anchored in our commitment to “Education for Change” and “Empowerment” Beryl enrolled in IPIGA’s 12-month Diploma in Accounting. Her Career Development Plan (CDP) included:
- Foundational Finance Modules (bookkeeping, financial reporting)
- Digital Skills Workshops (Excel, QuickBooks)
- Internship Placement with a Yaoundé microfinance firm
Throughout her studies, OCHA-supported coaching sessions reinforced soft skills time management, client communication, mirroring the trauma-informed, human-centered model.
Upon graduation in November 2020, Beryl passed her national accounting certification and secured a junior accountant role at a regional NGO, doubling her pre-training income. Six months later, she led the NGO’s first-ever cloud-based financial reporting roll-out, mentoring two other displaced trainees in bookkeeping best practices.
Story 2.
Beatrice, displaced from Buea in 2018, arrived penniless in Yaoundé. With a passion for trade, she saw customs clearance as a gateway to economic independence.
Leveraging our “Microfinance & Business Training” and “Career Pathways” strategies, Beatrice pursued IPIGA’s 9-month Customs & Tax Administration Certificate, alongside an Entrepreneurship elective. Her CDP laid out:
- Customs Law & Tariff Classification coursework
- Simulated Declarations Workshops using national electronic systems
- Business Planning Clinic to draft her own import-export venture
OCHA’s trauma-informed counseling ensured Beatrice could navigate bureaucratic complexities with confidence a key principle in our holistic career coaching framework.
Certified in August 2020, Beatrice joined a private customs office as a declarations clerk. Six months later, she founded Nkwen Exports, sourcing artisanal crafts from Anglophone communities and handling her own customs clearances, creating jobs for three fellow displaced youth and demonstrating the power of vocational training plus entrepreneurship support.
