Physical Health Cameroon Project #65456

Help children with sickle cell syndrome

by Effective Help Association

Project Report | Jan 23, 2025
Report from local partner

By Community Association for Vulnerable Persons | Annual Report

Quinniva and Joy

Thank you for your generous donation, so far we have 6 online and more than 20 donors offline that have supported this project for more than a year now.

Forwarding report from the local partner Community Association for Vulnerable Persons, the organization that started the project and implements it.

Until the next report or until 600$ are raised, we are matching any donation received:

1. Make a donation

2. Share it on any social media

3. send a screenshot to effectivehelp@efhelp.org

4. An anonymous donor has committed to doubling any donation received.

Now the report:

Introduction

CAVP is a woman with disability-led organization created in 2015 and legalized in 2016. Our head office is in Bamenda Mezam, North West region of Cameroon. We are focus on promoting the rights of women with disabilities and women living with HIV AIDS. Our mission is “improving the lives of women/girls with disabilities, adolescent and young women living with HIV AIDS and survivors of gender based-violence in the North West Region, through economic empowerment, awareness, education, prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence, facilitate access to medical services in collaboration with services and groups that raises their standards of living” Our Vision is “We believe women have the right to experience life free from poverty, violence and discrimination; so we visualize a world without poverty in which the rights of vulnerable women are respected, they are empowered and the right to equal partnerships in society”

Our project titled: “Medical Assistance to Sickle Cell Anemia children in Mezam Division” has been running since 2022 to present. We started this project with our personal funds due to the degree of vulnerability of the beneficiaries and their household.

When we identified this family, we conducted a needs assessment, and prioritized the most pressing need which was monthly routine medical assistance for 2 girls with sickle cell anemia aged 12 and 14 years. These children given their health condition are in need of several basic needs and not just medical assistance. They are also in need of food security, education, livelihood, nutrition and protection. CAVP choose to offer assistance in health because they stand the risk of dying if they do not adhere to their monthly routine medication for sickle cell anemia.

Based on the story of this family, CAVP developed a digital story. To portray facts about the situation and continue to seek more support for this family and with their consent share the story to educate and raise awareness on issues of gender based violence, other forms of violence and incidents of child abused face by women and girls in communities and are unable to speak out, seek support and justice.

These children since October 2022 until present are free from frequent sickle cell attacks and crisis
because they can now have monthly routine medication. They now have improved access to monthly
health service provision and medication. As a results of their improved health they can stay in school and have improved performance in their education

CAVP upgraded the amount given to them from 25,000 FCFA to 30,000 FCFA from July 2023 and as the best overall awardee of Effective Help 2023 awards, CAVP signed a grant agreement with Effective Help to support these children from January 2024 to December 2026 with monthly routine medication. So far they have received assistance from January to December 2024.
Overview of assistance for 2024

Monthly financial assistance
From the funds given by Effective Help Organization, this family received a monthly financial assistance of 30,000 FCFA as support for routine medication for the 2 girls with sickle cell anemia for 12 months (January – December 2024).

Methodology
The mother of the children submits a signed photocopy of her National Identity Card to CAVP monthly
and an MTN Momo transfer done and a screenshot of the transaction shared with Effective Help. This has been done from January to December 2024.

Outcomes

Increased access to medical services and medication: These children now have better access to
medical services and monthly routine medication.
Improved health: these children have showed significant improvement in their health, with
reduced pain episodes, anemia, and infections.
Improved performance in school: these children have been able to stay longer in school and
perform better
The children are now able to participate more in community activities and CAVP’s activities with
other partners.
Recommendations
Sustainable funding: Establish a sustainable funding mechanism to ensure continuous medical
assistance to sickle cell children in North West Region and Cameroon in general.
Increase education and awareness: Scale up education and awareness in grass root communities
to reach more caregivers and families.

Future Plans

We hope to continue identify more families having children with sickle cell anemia and increase
medical assistance.
Support the families with livelihood activities to enable them have the necessary capacity to continue
taking care of the children at the end of the assistance from Effective Help organization

Appreciation Message

CAVP appreciates the partnership with Effective Help for it has given them visibility and improve on their
capacity to access other partnership. The family express their gratitude for this assistance for it has help
the children to stay health had regular in school with better performances.

Bonus:

Remember:

1. Make a donation

2. Share it on any social media

3. send a screenshot to effectivehelp@efhelp.org

Your donation will be doubled until matching funds are exhausted.

in CAVP's office - selfcare therapy

medical examination

Links:

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Oct 25, 2024
interview with mother and children

By Marc Serna | Effective Help

Joy

Dear donors,

Thank you for your help. Find below a transcript from the last chat we had with Shu and her daughters.

Before this assistance, it was bad. My children would go to the hospital only sometimes, we did not have money to pay for drugs. They suffered and were not stable. As we started getting this stable assistance, we have been able to keep treatment. Before and now there is a lot of change concerning their health. We afford all drugs and supplements that boost their immune system. Now it is better, there’s a lot of change. I buy them every end of the month and they take them for 26 days.

The cash received goes only for drugs right now, I take care of the feeding by buying firewood and selling it. I need other sources of income. If they have a different health issue or a crisis, I need more money for treatment. If that happens it comes from my income or I have to beg. The regular treatment has improved because the doctor has introduced Pen-V, which costs about half of the cash transfer.

Queeneva: I’m 15 years old and I like fashion design. That’s what I would like to do when I grow up. I’ve been having the dream to build an orphanage for children. I also like dancing and hairdressing.

Joy: I dream to be a doctor. I like ballet dancing and modern dancing. I always play Tabala on my phone. Sometimes teachers don’t believe I am sick, they call me a liar. My mother taught me to be strong and forget about them. I’ve learned to not cry and not show my weakness. To have the heart and the courage. I believe with God with time we will be healed and be well.

Shu:

Joy also loves baking, anything she sees that someone is baking she wants to copy and try it herself. She also loves to prepare yogurt.

My plan to overcome this situation is to create something that can give me a monthly income. Settle down with a good business. Have something that can sustain the family. I am thinking of buying dry fish in bulk and selling it here. Currently to survive we have the firewood business, this grant, and some friends who occasionally send me money. I usually call them whenever we have a crisis.

We thank you and we hope God can help you give more so you can help other children, there are many others like my children in this neighborhood. Most organizations don’t focus on children with sickle cell, I don’t know of any other organization supporting them. Now that my children are teenagers their situation is becoming more critical. There are good drugs and supplements in the hospital, but most families can’t access. If they don’t eat well, they fall into crises. We need a balanced diet for these children. They don’t play too much, they don’t do sports, they can’t interact like other children. Once the teacher beat Queeneva (physical punishment) without knowing her condition, they called me because it devolved into a medical crisis, and I had to take her to the hospital. I had to restrain myself. The child was telling her she was not fine, and the teacher was just saying she is lying.

Note, after feedback from other contributors and conducting this interview, we have raised the planned monthly support to 91$ a month, from the previous 50.
We thank the Cameroon Association for Vulnerable People, the association implementing this project in the field. https://cavp-cameroon.org/programs

Queeneva

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