Connecting Rural Communities to Resources through Computer Training

Goodness and Mercy Missions has been helping the rural poor and providing tools and means to the underprivileged for a sustainable livelihood since 2007. Projects carried out have been women economic empowerment through Women cooperatives, hands on business training and Table Chairs. Equally, underprivileged children have been given access to a hassle free education through child sponsorship and scholarships provision. In 2010, the Goodness and Mercy Missions computer and ICT program was launched. This program provided computer training to communities in Boyos Division and was also engaged in creating computer laps in schools around Boyo. Of late, Goodness and Mercy Missions has been providing computer and IT services to many of its beneficiaries connecting them directly to resources they can individually pursue for their good. People learn computer skills and and aware of the available opportunities they could avail themselves of. Students through the IT program are cognizant of the different opportunities, apply for jobs, scholarships or interns online.

This approach has helped thousands of underprivileged women break free from generational cycles of poverty to have independence and leadership in their own destinies. Hundreds of underprivileged children have had access to a hassle free education. The computer training and IT program have helped people in the communities to be directly linked to resources that would benefit them. The unique thing about this approach is that instead of getting resources elsewhere to meet the needs of beneficiaries, you connect the said beneficiaries directly to those resources.

Connecting people in rural communities directly to resources through computer training and IT programs. Formerly, Goodness and Mercy Missions had been raising funds and helping rural women come out of generational cycles of poverty. It has also tried securing Sponsorship for underprivileged children. From 2010 GMM has been working through Internet resources and other IT programs to connect beneficiaries to resources directly. Women are trained to be knowledgeable of the various opportunities they can pursue in order to meet their needs. Underprivileged are aware of the various opportunities they can reach out to, rather than depend on a third party to talk on their behalf. They apply for jobs, internships, scholarships and other benefits by themselves.

Rural Women and underprivileged children are trained to connect directly to resources for their benefit. They do not only remain as dependents but get connected to resources and individuals who are able to guide them along. This has been through computer training, connections through Whatsapp, Skype and other online media.

The director of Goodness and Mercy Missions Teh Francis Yai founded the movement because he wanted children not to encounter the very challenges he underwent while growing up. His father led a polygamous lifestyle, had many children but with only meagre income from his small coffee farm. This affected his education adversely. It was only later in life that he caught up with formal education. His mother would have helped but in those days women were made to depend on men for any major financial decisions. Goodness and Mercy Missions was founded so that rural women are empowered to make independent financial decisions and have the means to support their children in school, also that underprivileged children have access to a hassle free education. The director is working full time to see that this is done and even invests his resources into the social venture. He is a Kanthari Graduate in India, Grand Prize Winner with Stiftung Entrepreneurship Germany, and Courage Award Winner with The Africa Change Makers Initiative Initiative Award 2021.

He works with a dedicated team of passionate individuals some of whom had been beneficiaries of Goodness and Mercy Missions projects in the past and want to give back to the community.

Our programs are well established in Boyo Division and other parts of Cameroon. Thousands of rural women and children have been empowered, computer training centres constructed in Belo and Fundong Sub Divisions, and the construction of three primary schools.

SOLVE should help us integrate very well to cause our target beneficiaries to use technology to reach out to resources by themselves. We realized that meeting the needs of beneficiaries is not as helping our beneficiaries do things by themselves.

Helping our women and children beneficiaries to be able to reach out to resources by themselves through technology, rather than depending on us all the time. They are thought computer knowledge, how to use the Internet and the various social media platforms that can avail of for their progress.

We envisage a position where women and children reach out to opportunities to better their situation by themselves. They do not wait on anyone to find their way. They find their way by themselves, they initiate change for themselves.

We measure our impact by the number of people who have become independent of us, are initiating change for themselves and inspiring others. For example, when we sponsor a child, we also give it computer skills, then internet skills and direction on how to independently apply for Scholarships to be able to move to the next level in the academic pursuits.

Acquiring knowledge in computer software applications and learning the use of Internet for good.

4 full time, 7 part time 

16 years

We operate on the basis of need, not background or religious affiliation. Our team is composed of people from different backgrounds, men, women, Catholics, Baptist, Muslims and people who do not identify with a religious group.

We are a non profit making organization. We provide training, hands on training, and sometimes relief assistance.

We partner with Informatik Fur Afrika Switzerland, the Kanthari Foundation Switzerland, JACKABEL Clothing England, Children of Cameroon UK and other individual donors around the world. We also raise funds locally through printing and photocopy, and by sale of books.