Our plan: To make many villages.
Welcome to Afiri,
our first village in Cameroon.
Afiri: Self-sufficiency by 2027
Afiri will include three neighborhoods, reflecting the diversity of Cameroon. By 2027, there will be 200 residents in 50 free-standing homes, with 50 children growing up here.
Each neighborhood will welcome new residents with familiar cultural, religious, and architectural traditions. Regular gatherings for all will support teamwork and community pride.
This “spirit of Afiri” will be one of the main exports leaders of future villages bring with them to other parts of Cameroon to start new self-sustaining villages.
Three Lively Neighborhoods
Each neighborhood will have 16 homes for both families and single adults, and a community center where they will cook, eat, socialize, and learn. Religious and cultural traditions will be celebrated, open to all.
Education for children, and adult learning programs, will be held in the community centers, as will nightly television, games, and gatherings.
A community bathroom with its own waste-water treatment system completes each neighborhood, reflecting Afiri’s commitment to self-sufficiency and environmental values.
Seasonal workers do not build communities. Families do.
We start with the basics.
The bridge to Afiri is Open to Traffic
The people of Afiri completed their new bridge in the autumn of 2021. It’s built of reinforced concrete, and was constructed completely by hand. The bridge is a source of pride even among people in nearby villages, who share it in their daily lives. It has only begun to make its contributions to the lives of many people.
Afiri has Fresh Water
People need water to survive and thrive, from a source that is close by and dependable. Two deep wells provide that year-round access, a revolutionary change in daily life. Beyond improvements in their health, they now have more time together, enjoy a wider range of good food, and are even more confident in their ability to make their own village.
Construct family housing
Afiri needs permanent homes where they can live together with their children, bring creative ideas for new businesses, and work with neighbors to gain access to health care and education. We are embarking on our plans to build 50 free-standing houses in three neighborhoods where people can share happy lives together.
Connections to Cameroon’s continuing progress
The same bridge that brings construction equipment and takes crops to market also leads to nearby communities with schools and health clinics. These links will be vital parts of the village’s community development – and will allow Afiri to make its own contributions to their country’s development.
Our Growth Strategy.
Afiri is the AECD Foundation’s first village. We are committed to helping it grow from our basic first-year goals to the creation of a self-governing community, and eventually, a model for making other villages based on what we have learned together.
5-year goal,
self-sustaining village
200
Permanent Residents,
Including 50 Children
50
Houses for Families
and Single Adults
5
New Businesses,
100% Employment
$
A Growing
Self-Sustainment Fund
K-8
Education
for All Children
2023 projects
3
Afiri residents who are ready
to make another village
“My partner Nadine and I are happy to see hope in the faces of people as they care for the cacao, build ponds for fish and coops for their chickens. They are proud to build the first homes in their village. We thank you for helping make this dream come true.”
Moussa Ngono Mboussi, Yaoundé, Cameroon