Our Crowdfunding Groups
We are a Senior Practicum team within the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA working in collaboration with Agriculture for Africa (A4A) to teach sustainable agricultural and entrepreneurial skills to vulnerable prison populations in Cameroon.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased food and job insecurity within the West African country of Cameroon. Without reliable access to sustenance or steady employment, many young Cameroonians resort to committing petty crimes to survive. The impacts of the pandemic have created a concerning trend of high incarceration rates among the population’s youth, whose growth and development become stagnated while in prison. As these youth are released back into a world with limited education and a lack of employment opportunities, they experience high re-incarceration rates and become trapped in the prison system. Action groups like Agriculture for Africa (A4A) are working to address food insecurity and high rates of juvenile incarceration in Cameroon by creating stable sources of food and providing educational opportunities to incarcerated youth.
What is A4A?
A4A has established an agricultural education program at the Nkongsamba prison, where incarcerated youth have the opportunity to gain farming knowledge and become contributing members of society. Completion of the program certifies that participating youth have developed a foundation of technical and interpersonal skills needed to pursue employment within the agricultural sector upon release. We are working with A4A to incorporate sustainable practices into the program curriculum, which will connect incarcerated youth with meaningful work and minimize the environmental impact of the program. Ultimately, our team aims to facilitate A4A’s efforts to reduce rates of repeated imprisonment and provide future employment opportunities to program participants.
The Youth Need You!
In March 2022, our team will travel* to Nkongsamba, Cameroon, to implement sustainable best practices on site. During our trip, we will speak to program participants about their experience, assess the existing agricultural curriculum, and incorporate our environmental research into A4A’s operations. Your generous donations will directly fund the airfare, meals, transportation, and specialized research equipment we need to successfully perform our work. Furthermore, your support will help incarcerated youth develop meaningful skills to help them gain a steady footing when released from prison!
*Travel is contingent upon COVID-19 regulations and, if we are unable to go to Cameroon, the funds we raise will go towards supporting A4A and the youth served by the program.
Our vision is to free Cameroonian youth from the cycle of repeated imprisonment by empowering them with the agricultural knowledge and skills to thrive when they are released from prison. YOU have the opportunity to help this vision become a reality! By donating to our campaign, you are not only financially supporting our trip to Nkongsamba, but you are also helping us break the cycle of re-imprisonment of youth in Nkongsamba and beyond!
CLICK HERE TO READ THE UCLA FOUNDATION'S DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS FOR DONORS.
Every donation counts! To thank you for helping our research team get to Cameroon, Africa, our team will send you a UCLA *8* Clap of gratitude. (Fully Tax Deductible)
As a thank you for donating, our team will send you a virtual thank you card in appreciation for your support. (Fully Tax Deductible)
As a thank you for donating, you will receive exclusive access to behind-the-scenes footage of our team progress on the project! (Fully Tax Deductible)
As a thank you, we will send you a Congo Basin Institute shirt! (Tax deductible donation of $480)
In appreciation for your donation, have the chance to join a live Zoom session with the team to learn more about our trip! (Fully Tax Deductible)
As a token of appreciation, our team will send you a special gift from Cameroon along with a handwritten thank you card! (Tax deductible donation of $2990)