By Marc Serna | Humanitarian Aid Coordinator
Dear donors,
Shortly after we wrote this Project, we could support Susan with the first grant of 50,000 francs. This is roughly 100$.
Susan was being hosted in Tole, a community nearby Buea, the capital of the South-West Region. Although when we met Susan and wrote this project this was a safe community, the tension was escalating.
By August 2018 Tole was the scenario of numerous confrontations between the military and the non-state armed groups. This tension has only climbed further and presently only about 20% of the original population of Tole is still there. Everybody has left. Susan, like many other internally displaced persons, has limited communication means. We have been trying to reach to her on the two phone numbers she gave us, but neither of them is working. Because of this, we could not assess what was the impact of the grant on her and her family. If we follow observations from other beneficiary families, we can say she must have likely set aside some portion to do business, kept some to pay rents wherever she is and definitely improved on her feeding and that of her family.
We are sorry to not be able to track her, but I hope you can understand that we are working in a very volatile environment. Because we can’t keep working with her, we chose to close this project (by reducing the funding goal to the minimum) and will use the remaining funds to support other displaced families in similar situations. I want to share with you 3 of their stories, so you can get to know the kind of people your donation will go on to help, and what they have gone through.
“My home was attacked by unknown men. That, coupled with the numerous gunshots in my area… we had to flee into the forest. We stayed in the forest for 2 months and life was very difficult, there was no farm to work, rain fell on us. We had no food to eat and no shelter, we had just a mat to cover us. We slept on the ground. We lived on fruits. Mangoes, banana, and guava, and the days we don’t see fruits we sleep on an empty stomach. Some of our friends and relatives died in the forest due to malaria bites and lack of medication. Presently there are still some in the forest because they have no family relatives to run to. I am presently being hosted by my mother-in-law. I have six children and some of them are not with me because we got separated in the course of running to seek for refuge. I used to work with a farming company, but for five months now I have not received payment. Life has become unbearable. I am not able to neither feed my children nor take care of their needs. The crisis has paralyzed me and I don’t know what the future has in store for me.
(Anthony)
I had to run into the forest because of gunshots in my area. I was surprised, so I carried no extra dress. My elder brother was murdered in Mamfe. We have lived in the forest for one month, but we were able to reach Ekona. Since then we have been on the run. [Ekona was also attacked shortly after and became a conflict zone]. We have no food to eat, no family to run to. I now live with my partner and our two children with other relatives in one room in Muea. Presently I sell water-fufu in the market in order to make a living and at the end of the month, I make a profit of 5000 [10$]. My husband is working pushing a wheelbarrow in the market. We barely have food to eat. Thanks so much for this assistance, it will help a lot.
(Mary)
I ran because of gunshots. I and my family slept in the forest for two months. I am a father with four children. While in the forest, we had no drinking water, no food and my children became sick due to the poor conditions. My wife was pregnant with our fourth child. We struggled and left the forest, and my wife went into labor. We were lucky to give birth in a clinic, she had complications and had to be operated. I am not able to pay the bills in the hospital. I’ve paid 150,000 [300$]. To this day, my wife has been forced to stay in the hospital, because I am not able to pay the bills. My children are not with me because we have been scattered all over. Some of them are in Douala and others in Limbe doing odd jobs in order to survive. We are practically homeless depending on others to survive. I built a house with 6 rooms in Mbonge for my family, I had farms. I’m now being hosted in a friend’s house, begging for food. I keep thinking if I am able to have capital, I could start a poultry business to generate income and take care of my children.
(Mr. K)
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