Safe Center for Vulnerable Children in Douala

ACADEMIC RESULTS ACADEMIC YEAR 2021/2022

Last school year ended with a global satisfaction at AGAPE Center: 8 students took the official exams and 6 passed.
Details are as it follows:
- 1/1 GCE “A” Level
-1/2 Probatoire exam
-2/3 GCE “O” Level
-2/2 first school leaving certificate

For intermediate classes, the results were mitigated: 2 out of 6 students passed to the next class.
At the beginning of the academic year 2021/2022, we presented 17 children in the list, among these children one who had obtained his GCE "A" Level the year before did not go to school, another child was still under observation because of lack of collaboration with the center’s rule and the last one’s placement did not happen as initially planned.
For this reason, we are presenting results for 14 children instead of 17.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE START OF THE 2022/2023 ACADEMIC YEAR

Preparations for the start of the 2022/2023 school year are underway. We are compiling information on the potential schools new children, evaluating the material and financial needs and approaching potential donors to solicit their support. Your support is more than welcome. Please find below the summary table of all these needs.

LIFTING OF CUSTODY OF YOUNG PEOPLE OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE AT THE AGAPE CENTER

Center AGAPE works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs of Cameroon. The latter does not encourage a child over 18 years old to be taken in charge within an institution of which is his guardian. AGAPE abide to this policy that allows the children to become independent citizen and responsible individuals.
Thus, since last July, we have proceeded to return some of the young people who have reached the age limit to the home where they have relatives. We trust that they are now mature and grounded enough to stay off the streets and move on responsibly with their lives. We still continue to help them at the beginning of each school year, paying at least part or all their school or training fees. We encourage them earning a living while getting trained or studying and of course support them with advices to help them sound make decisions for their future.
Together we took most of them out of the street. Thank you for your support. We could not have made it without you!

WELCOMING NEW RESIDENTS TO THE CENTER

After the departure of the above-mentioned youngsters, we also proceeded to welcome 6 other children in distress whose ages vary between 5 and 12 years. We the AGAPE Center presently support
-14 children as externs
- 8 children as interns
It is with your support that we can and will succeed in giving them all a bright future.

ARRIVAL OF THE ASSOCIATION SOLENCA, PARTNER OF THE ASSOCIATION AGAPE

The main partner of the Association AGAPE has been in Cameroon for some days. Their stays are always an enriching moment for the children, staff and themselves. We work hand in hand with SOLENCA since 2014 years . The members brought to the young people school bags, shoes, sheets and towels. They are preparing with the young people an open day at the AGAPE Center which will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2022 during which, the children of the Center will present small scenes. YOU ARE INVITED AND WELCOME! Please share the word.

Manuel worship to help the youth who have left the center to earn money while studying

The idea behind this creativity is to encourage these AGAPE children who have left the center to become independent financially while studying. These boys they have reached majority or these girls stay in difficult family situations. We were led to provide them with beads which they used to make jewellery. This project will eventually be extended to the manufacture of other substances such as soap, etc.

First aid

We have integrated a first aid activity into the AGAPE Centre. This activity allows everyone to give the right gesture either to themselves or to another person in case of a problem. With the young people, we studied the behaviour to adopt in case of a snake bite. Afterwards we simulated the use of Aspi-venom. We also demonstrated what to do in case of a fractured upper or lower limb before immobilising it.

Thank you for your support during the Little By Little Campaign

AGPE took part in the Little By Little campaign launched by GlobalGiving between 4 and 8 April 2022. These 5 days of campaigning allowed to solicit the heartbeat of any donor. You responded and we can but thank each of you who contributed and spend the work. Here the important thing is not the quantity, but any donation made in this period of time was multiplied by 50% before being transferred to AGAPE.

Presentation of the results of term 2.

The young people received the report cards for term 2 on 8 April 2022. The results were not up to our expectations for all the children. We understand that a more intensive supervision is needed in this school and area of Japoma. However, we note a slight improvement overall.

Securing the Centre in Japoma.

The continuation of the work at the Japoma Centre continues with the securing of the whole building. Grilles have been installed on almost all the windows in the upper block. Only the basement of the house was secured until now. Metal doors have also been installed in the upper block. The ceiling is installed on about 65% of the house area.

Tutoring

Félicité, a young Cameroonian with a degree in the Anglo-Saxon system, is volunteering at the Centre. She gives English lessons to the young people. She helps them with their homework, with the correction of old tests for those who are in exam classes.

Donations and fundraising

The visit of the Cadets of Mary Immaculate has enabled them to donate some resources to the centre, the UCB company regularly donates juice and flour. The visit of the president of the SOLENCA Association, our partner, last February enabled us to contact local businesses which we are now following up.