Tabea Müller is an OU graduate who studied in Hamburg, Germany. Keen to use her degree in the field, Tabea now works in a development role in Cameroon and writes regularly about her experiences for well-known German weekly newspaper Die Zeit...
More than 10 years ago Tabea Müller completed her BSc (Hons) with the OU. After digging into the theories of gender, development, environmental policy and social psychology she now works with women in Cameroon who hope to make better lives for themselves through education.
“After a hard working day on their farms or in the market, three dozen women aged between 30 and 75 still have an important date. Two to three times a week they go to their literacy course. They try to catch up on what they missed out on when they were younger, when their families had no money for education or it was simply not seen as important that a girl goes to school. The women are participants of the Women’s Economic Empowerment and Literacy Project (WEELP) of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) which we carry out in the north-west of the country, sponsored by Mission 21.
“It’s 8am. My Cameroonian colleague and I find a taxi and squeeze ourselves next to a number of other people into an old car. Muddy roads lead us through amazing landscapes. White morning clouds hang halfway between the clear, green mountains. Waterfalls rush down from the shiny rocks. What a beautiful country! On the roadside, women have already started to prepare their fish rolls and puff-puffs which swim in hot oil over a small fireplace. Our destination today is a small Sunday school house in a village in north-western Cameroon. The group of women greets us with stormy embraces, joyful voices and small dances.” Some hours later we find ourselves in discussions about the best food for pigs, current market prices as well as health issues of the newborn piglets,” says Tabea. “Women share their experiences, ask questions, learn together and try out new ideas. All of them are self employed farmers, small producers or traders who feed their families with their own small farms, animal rising or small market activities. What have they all come for?
“The women want to know: how can I improve my business performance? How can I stop hand-to-mouth living and overcome poverty? How can I gain independence and power over my own life and decisions?
“With WEELP, we use and update the various abilities and experiences women are already equipped with. We counsel and accompany women on their different journeys to make their dreams come true. We work with self employed women of all religious backgrounds and ages who have not be able to get much in the way of education so far.”
Through workshops and training the women gain new knowledge and confidence. The project puts emphasis on sustainable production methods to protect the health of the women and their families, to protect the environment and secure long-term use of natural resources. The women are encouraged to exchange their experiences, to learn from and support each other. And not at least, WEELP offers courses on adult literacy.
“We believe that with economic power, women will also gain more social power and self-esteem which can help to make the world a better place,” says Tabea. “It’s amazing to see how the project has changed women’s lives over the last two years. Little things, small initiatives can and do make a difference. The project is still very small scale and has a low budget. But many raindrops make an ocean. We are close to the people, work together with them, at their speed, according to their needs.”
Tabea has been living in Cameroon for two years now to manage the WEEL Project as well as to conduct training sessions and counsel the staff of the Women’s Work Department of the PCC.
“Beside my work here it’s wonderful to be embedded in this lively Cameroonian community, to be close to the people, to be embraced by their joy and sorrows, songs and dances, celebrations and laughter.”
But what lead Tabea to help improve the lives of women and their families in Cameroon, so far away from her native Germany?
“More than 10 years ago, without even dreaming of it, I laid the foundation stone of this mission when I completed my BSc (Hons) with the OU. After deeply digging into the theories of gender, development, environmental policy and social psychology, I now (sometimes even literally) dig with the women in the African soil and find myself faced with all the various, diverse, contradictory aspects I had studied – but now in the middle of the field!
“Empowering people, enriching lives, learning and discovering new things and improving living conditions are processes which never end and build bridges between different people and cultures. Out of my personal experience, the OU functions as such a bridge builder, together with the various study centres like the one in Hamburg, my former bridge to the OU.”
