180 children in Bafut receive educational aid.
In August 2022, educational assistance was provided to Less Privileged Children for the Academic Year 2022/2023 within the framework of our Back to School program.
Due to the socio economic and political crises that has rocked the Anglophone regions of Cameroon for close to six years now, many children have dropped out of school and in the nearest future may become problematic to their communities and the nation. This isn't an idle speculation given the fact that crime rates are on the rise in IDP communities. Many young internally displaced girls have resorted to prostitution, leading to an increase in the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and more. With this background knowledge, COEDEM is helping to combat the above problems by giving assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children.
With the current limited resources of the organization, this phase of the project earmarked especially Community of Niko in the Bafut –sub division of the North West region of Cameroon and serves as aid to prepare and encourage them as schools partially resume operation in September (partially, beacause many schools have still not been able to open their doors due to persistent insecurity).
In preparation towards this year's project, a series of activities were organized to ensure success, as follows;
Activities
The following activities were planned and carried out in the scope of the project:
- Organized meeting with community leaders
- Sensitization on the importance of resumption of education
- Identification and registration of OVCs
- Purchase of school Items for distribution
- Distribution proper
Extent of realization
A meeting was organized by COEDEM with the community leaders. The aim of the meeting was to gain access into the community and also to make known the activities of COEDEM to the leaders and also to explain to them the reason of Niko as first choice. The leaders expressed gratitude and applauded the initiative of COEDEM. They also express a worry on how the children will resume school in the existing community school since the government policy did not warrant the existence of community schools. COEDEM encouraged them not to lose hope and said the Lord mayor will look into that. The parents also complained of the high fees since the crises have affected their main activity which is farming for this was what was helping generate income to take care of the children’s needs like fees, health and nutrition.
Sensitization:
A sensitization meeting was organized in the community. This was very important because due to the socio-political crisis in the North and the south west regions of Cameroon schools mostly in the rural areas have been shut down for over six years. The parents and guardians of children were schooled on the importance of education for the children.
Campaign messages on banners and posters included:
- I am a child I have the right to education.
- No child should be left behind
- I want to be educated so as to live a better life in future
- No education leads to high crime rates in the community
The sensitization ended with most of the parents promising to send their children to school during the September back to school.
Identification and registration of the OVCs:
A total number of 300 OVC were identified and registered in this community but due to the lack of enough resources, only 180 children received the assistance (117 boys and 63 girls, ranging from primary one to six, and form (secondary) one to three).
