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When Crisis Meets Opportunity: Solar-Powered Resilience in Cameroon
FAP New, Cameroon 1
FAP New, Cameroon 2
FAP New, Cameroon 3
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In the North West and West regions of Cameroon, farmers faced a cruel dilemma. Without irrigation, their crops withered and food security hung in the balance. With irrigation powered by diesel pumps, they drained their meager resources while pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere—contributing to the very climate crisis that threatened their harvests. For internally displaced persons fleeing the Anglophone crises, this challenge was even more dire. Forced from their homes, these vulnerable families needed not just shelter, but a pathway back to self-sufficiency. They needed a way to grow food, earn income, and rebuild their lives without destroying the environment or emptying their pockets on fuel.
Turning Sunlight Into Survival
Forest and Agroforestry Promoters (FAP) saw potential where others saw only problems. Their solution was elegantly simple: replace diesel-guzzling pumps with solar-powered irrigation systems. Let the sun—abundant, free, and clean—do the work of bringing water to thirsty fields. But FAP understood that handing out equipment wasn’t enough. Real change requires knowledge, support, and community.
Building Capacity, One Farmer at a Time
The initiative began modestly in 2016 with just 20 smallholder farmers representing 120 individual beneficiaries. Through comprehensive training programs, FAP taught farmers not just how to use solar water pumps, but how to maximize their potential for market gardening and sustainable agriculture. The project spread across four subdivisions hosting internally displaced and vulnerable populations from the Anglophone crisis zones: Santa (73,406 people across 533 square kilometers), Ndop (30,467 people across four villages), Babessi (49,208 people in four villages), and Foumbot in Cameroon’s West Region.
The Power of Zero
Solar water pumps operate with zero carbon footprint. They harness sunshine throughout the day, converting it directly into flowing water for crops—no fuel costs, no emissions, no noise. For farmers who once chose between environmental damage and crop failure, this represented freedom. By the end of 2019, the numbers told a story of exponential growth. More than 600 households had received training on solar water pump technology, benefiting over 3,600 individuals. The initiative didn’t stop at irrigation—it expanded to include smallholder family poultry, giving families both nutrition and income opportunities.
Women Leading the Green Revolution
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of FAP’s work is who’s driving it forward. An impressive 90% of the smallholder family poultry operations and 85% of the market gardens are owned and managed by women. In communities where displacement and crisis threatened opportunity, women found a path to empowerment through sustainable agriculture.
Growing More Than Crops
The concrete achievements are substantial. 90 IDPs and host community members now use solar water pumps across 9.5 hectares of farmland. Another 115 beneficiaries tend 11.5 hectares of market gardens. 60 families have established smallholder family poultry operations, creating both nutrition and income streams. But the impact extends beyond acreage and numbers. The initiative has strengthened food security in vulnerable communities, protected the environment from fossil fuel dependence, alleviated poverty, and fostered collaboration between communities, government technical services, and international donors.
A Model for Crisis Response
What began as a response to displacement has become a model for climate-smart agriculture. FAP has demonstrated that even in crisis zones, sustainable development isn’t just possible—it’s practical. By combining clean technology with community training and a special focus on empowering women, they’ve created a blueprint for resilience. In regions torn by conflict and threatened by climate change, solar panels are catching more than sunlight. They’re capturing hope, growing opportunity, and cultivating a future where communities don’t have to choose between their livelihoods and their planet.
Name: FAP, Forest and Agroforestry Promoters
Country: Cameroon, North West and West Region.
Category Award & Year: Water Finalist 2023