{"id":242,"date":"2026-10-13T05:30:04","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T04:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/?p=242"},"modified":"2026-10-13T05:30:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T04:30:04","slug":"mbalmayo-when-integrated-agriculture-restores-a-vision-for-the-future-to-visually-impaired-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/2026\/10\/13\/mbalmayo-when-integrated-agriculture-restores-a-vision-for-the-future-to-visually-impaired-people\/","title":{"rendered":"MBALMAYO: WHEN INTEGRATED AGRICULTURE RESTORES A VISION FOR THE FUTURE TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mbalmayo, October 6-7, 2026 – ANAC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty visually impaired young people, elementary and high school students, set aside their white canes and Braille slates to put their hands in the dirt. Over two days in Mbalmayo, they discovered a simple truth: waste does not exist; everything is transformed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE CONTEXT: DECENTRALIZING INCLUSION<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The National Association of the Blind of Cameroon (ANAC), with financial support from the African Union of the Blind (AFUB), organized this practical workshop on integrated agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rationale: After two workshops held in Yaound\u00e9 during the first half of 2026 on Braille mathematical symbols and on mobility, orientation, and locomotion, it became urgent to break the concentration of activities in the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“This activity in Mbalmayo is a flower offered to visually impaired people in remote towns,” explained Etienne Didier Onana, Director of Training, Press, and Publishing at ANAC, in his opening remarks. “It is about developing simple, less expensive skills and techniques to produce more in a reduced space. Zero useless waste.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The choice of Mbalmayo is not insignificant. In rural areas, a blind youth is doubly vulnerable: excluded by disability and by remoteness. Giving them agricultural skills means giving them immediate autonomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE WORKSHOP: FROM THEORY TO COMPOST<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The training combined theory and intensive practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leopold Assiene laid the theoretical foundation: the principles of integrated agriculture, that closed-loop system where livestock farming feeds the field and the field feeds the livestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the duo Fran\u00e7ois and Lionel Nguille moved on to the practical demonstration:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • How to safely collect and use poultry droppings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • How to make rich compost from sorted household waste<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • How to combine market gardening, small animal husbandry, and organic fertilizer production in a 50m\u00b2 space<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    In a spirit of reverse inclusion, four non-disabled people also took part in the workshop, learning alongside the visually impaired participants. Togetherness is learned by working side by side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    RESULTS ACHIEVED: HANDS BLACK WITH SOIL, HEADS FULL OF IDEAS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The results are visible and measurable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On an educational level, the 20 participants now know how to identify compostable waste, build a compost pile, measure droppings, and plan a small integrated plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On a human level, the transformation is complete:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    “Household waste is not entirely useless; it gets recycled,” recalled a 16-year-old participant, her hands still black with soil.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    “The methods we learned will allow us to save money. A bag of chemical fertilizer is expensive; now I can make it myself,” added another student, already doing the math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    IMPACT: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Environmental Impact:<\/strong> It is zero-waste, 100% ecological farming. By turning household waste and droppings into fertilizer, we reduce pollution, avoid chemical fertilizers, and restore soil fertility. It is a local response to climate change.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Economic and Social Impact:<\/strong> For a blind youth, growing their own vegetables, eggs, and fertilizer on a small surface opens the door to self-employment, family food security, and dignity. They shift from receiving aid to becoming producers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. The Hope Generated:<\/strong> The Mbalmayo workshop sparked a flame. Participants left not only with a certificate, but with a project. The hope of replicating this model at home, on their land, or at their school.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Next step announced by ANAC: replicating the initiative in other remote towns across Cameroon so that no visually impaired person is left at the edge of the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Etienne Didier ONANA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Director of Training, Press, and Publishing – ANAC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Photo credit: FE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Mbalmayo, October 6-7, 2026 – ANAC Twenty visually impaired young people, elementary and high school students, set aside their white canes and Braille slates to put their hands in the dirt. Over two days in Mbalmayo, they discovered a simple truth: waste does not exist; everything is transformed. THE CONTEXT: DECENTRALIZING INCLUSION The National Association […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":247,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242\/revisions\/247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anac-nabc.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}