SNV closes its doors in Cameroon by 2020 ending until further notice

SNV's mission in Cameroon has finally come to an end. As Megan Ritchie, the SNV Interim CEO aptly puts it in an official correspondence addressed to key line ministries SNV Cameroon has worked with, the 2016-2020 period was marked by dwindling funding of projects. In fact, there are neither physical opportunities for additional and substantial financing by other donors and development banks through the Government of Cameroon (GOC) as of now or even in the nearest future.

Sadly, or unfortunately, SNV is closing its doors and leaving the development scene of Cameroon by the end of December 2020. The long and exciting journey of SNV's success story in Cameroon initiated by Dutch volunteers through the Dutch Volunteers Foundation (SNV) in 1965, which later on matured into a full-fledged Country Office in nutrition & food security, WASH and energy sectors, has halted. The decision to close SNV in Cameroon has been quite a tough one for its local staff and management.

'The SNV management committee has decided to interrupt its presence in Cameroon until further notice from the end of 2020,' Megan Ritchie declared in her official letter.

She goes on to express her profound gratitude to the Cooperation and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for their tireless support to the development of Cameroon since 1965; she is also thankful to the many donors who have accompanied SNV in its action, especially since Dutch Cooperation's core funding stopped at the end of 2015.

'Our hearty thanks go to the Government of Cameroon for assisting SNV. We would also like to express our gratitude to the successive Governments of Cameroon, to its people and to local partners for the cordial working relationship created continuously for our presence and for our action during these fifty-five years,' the SNV Interim CEO speaks out.

Former staff of SNV Cameroon decided to constitute themselves into an association, which has so far been registered and christened MAHOL. Thanks to the well over 50 former Cameroonian and foreign SNVers who have rallied their efforts and potentials to grow MAHOL to a reference development organisation in Cameroon and beyond.

To top it up, Megan Ritchie expresses her heartfelt gratitude to all the men and women of good will who have worked hard for SNV and have contributed to the achievement of its objectives in Cameroon. She extends her love and peace to the Cameroonian population for their unfailing resilience to brave all the odds in face of rising insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon.