Foumban in the West Region of Cameroon is known as an important centre for traditional African art and is home to generations of artisans. In 2015, Alima Pemboura, a nurse from Foumban, had an idea for a business- she would produce soap using local clay. Her prototype combined traditional methods of using clay as a cleaning agent

Testing showed that the soap had good anti-bacterial properties and was gentle on the skin. To keep costs down, she relied on locally sourced clay. Her prototype inspired several partners to join her and together, they registered a company, YMCA.

What began as an experiment had become a business startup. However, the budding enterprise faced challenges, not knowing how to market and grow its business beyond Foumban. Then, YMCA was selected to take part in business incubation training by the University of Dschang, supported by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme. This training proved invaluable to Alima and her co-workers at YMCA. They learned how to organize and run their enterprise better and how to market their products. YMCA also received a small grant, which allowed the company to buy tools and supplies and expand its production from 70 to 145 cakes of soap per day.

The knowledge gained during the incubation training helped the company expand into new markets and to produce soap that appeals to different segments of Cameroon’s population. Beyond Foumban, YMCA now supplies soap to shops in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital; Douala, its commercial centre; and Ebolowa, the capital of the southern region. Revenues have nearly doubled from 1,000,000 FCFA to 1,900,000 FCFA monthly (or about $1500 to $2900 per month). YMCA now employs 12 people and several freelance sales agents.

“This business has engaged many women along the value chain from clay miners to sellers of the product in the markets,” said Ms. Pemboura. “The support from the Development Minerals Programme has helped us to increase our sales. We have also seen our income levels going up. These are good times for us.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, YMCA received personal protective equipment (PPEs) from the Development Minerals Programme, which helped keep the business running and allowed employees to work in a safe and healthy environment. In turn, the enterprise also helped communities to protect against COVID-19 by making good quality, affordable soap. The next step for YMCA is to increase production so that the soap can be sold in all major cities of Cameroon and outside the country.