The official inauguration ceremony at the Headquarters Groupement des Femmes d’Affaires du Cameroun (GFAC) brought together a host of personalities. Members of the Government, senators, and Parliamentarians, members of the Diplomatic Corps, general managers, administrative, political, traditional and religious authorities enhanced the ceremony with their presence.
In his welcome address, the Mayor of the city congratulated GFAC for this architectural jewel built, thanks to the support of public authorities. The building is, he pointed out, the living symbol of the commitment and dynamism of GFAC members. He also wished that the fruitful collaboration between GFAC and the government should be sustainable.
In his inauguration speech, the Personal Representative of the First Lady, Achille BASSILEKIN III commended the dynamism of the different actors of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, especially the GFAC members. He said, the inauguration of the GFAC headquarters building is the fruit of many years of sacrifices made by these courageous female entrepreneurs who overcame many difficulties so as to better contribute to the creation of jobs and wealth in our Country. “Today, we are celebrating the victory of recklessness in face of constraints such as difficult access to financing from commercial banks, unfair competition due to globalisation, financial fragility resulting from many uncertainties, and socio-cultural burdens that hamper their initiatives,” the Minister stressed.
On behalf of the Group, the National Chairperson of GFAC, Honourable NTUBE, NDODE Agnes thanked the President of the Republic and his wife for the empowerment and development of Cameroonian women entrepreneurs. She expressed her gratitude to the Government for its unfailing support, and especially to the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts. This support has enabled them to achieve their main objectives so far, including helping women traders to migrate from the informal to the formal sector and to ensure their empowerment in their activities; guaranteeing the representation of active women in the administration and in private bodies; ensuring the implementation of the principle of equal rights; promoting the creation by women of income-generating activities and building up existing ones.
This occasion was equally an opportunity to award certificates to learners of the first batch of the special GFAC incubation structure. The training aimed at building the capacities of the young females, initiating them to the realities of the entrepreneurial world with the aim of bypassing obstacles they will face in the entrepreneurial milieu. While awarding certificates, the Personal Representative of the First Lady, Achille BASSILEKIN III, recommended that the young laureates put into practice the skills acquired and be outstanding in developing our country. In order to support the efforts of GFAC, MINPMESSA promised to give an exceptional support amounting to FCFA 50 million for the incubator. The support will enable project holders who are future business managers to sustain their activities.