Cameroon partners with UN to expand markets for refugee artisans
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The Cameroon Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA) is helping over 135 Central African refugees access commercial markets following vocational training in the East Region.
The ministry works with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) through a partnership running from 2024 to 2026. This program provides refugees with skills in areas such as tailoring, soap making, and cassava processing.
The initiative uses the Bertoua Regional Craft Village (VARB) to organize production and help participants sell their goods. Ten refugees currently use a permanent outlet to market their products every day. The project aims to move beyond basic training by helping artisans organize by trade to increase their production capacity. Coordinator Alexis Carole Ngassomo Emama Miasse proposed adding e-commerce and digital training to the program to help artisans fulfill larger orders.
One refugee craftswoman already won a national Art and Decoration award at the 2026 Cameroon International Handicrafts Exhibition (SIARC) as a result of these efforts.
