Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in agriculture and one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years’ professional work experience

Desired Skills

Cameroon strongly prefers its Volunteers have one or more of the following criteria:

• Experience or expressed interest in vegetable gardening, nursery work and management, tree planting and care, nutrition, small scale poultry farming and/or beekeeping.

• Professional work experience in forestry, farming management, or staple crop and/or rice production.

• College level course work or knowledge related to natural resource management, food security, household nutrition education, and income generating activities.

• A desire to work with diverse rural community groups and with small holder farmers to learn about their traditional agricultural practices as well as techniques for improving yields and nutrition.

• A keen interest in working as part of a multicultural team, largely in outdoor settings.

• The ability to demonstrate flexibility, learning on the fly, and a sense of humor.

• A strong willingness to learn a local language of Cameroon and a basic level of French.

The most competitive candidates will have one or more of the following:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Science, Botany, Biology, Zoology, Nutrition, Chemistry or other Life Science related fields or an Associate degree in Agronomy, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Horticulture, or other related Biological Sciences.

• At least three years of full-time farm experience.

Required Language Skills

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.

While there is no French language requirement for Cameroon, it is recommended that Invitees engage in intensive study of French in the U.S. before departing for Cameroon. Peace Corps will provide suggestions for online learning options and offer limited virtual French tutoring prior to arrival.

While many people in Cameroon speak English, in the regions where Peace Corps operates, French is the predominate language and necessary to travel safely and interact effectively with colleagues, neighbors and others. Volunteers will receive between 115-130 hours of French language training and all Volunteers will be required to attain a functional French level (“Intermediate-Mid ”) by the end of Pre-Service Training (PST). Volunteers posted in the Adamawa Region will also be expected to learn some Fulfulde during PST, as soon as they are informed about their post. No benchmark is set for Fulfulde, but Volunteers are encouraged to leave training with at least survival communication skills.

Indigenous languages in Cameroon are quite localized. For easy integration and a successful service, Volunteers will be expected to learn basic communication skills in the local language of their site during the first year of service and will be provided with resources to do so. Volunteers are provided with additional learning opportunities to continue improving their French skills and after they go to their site.