Build a future for children in a conflict zone

OBJECTIVE:

To improve educational levels of conflict-affected children in the South West Region. Reach Out Cameroon has since 2018 been supporting both Mah DI’s orphanage and Hope Alive Foundation.

Both orphanages in Kumba and Tiko respectively have since then been receiving support in form of monthly stipends to their teachers.

The outset of the 2022-2023 academic year was marred by ghost towns, causing a delay in the resumption of schools within these two community schools. However, academic enrolment has seen a significant improvement from the 2021-2022 academic year. Mah Di’s has a total number of 193 children (104 boys,89 girls). The school has an enrolment of 21.12% of pupils living within the orphanage, 42.28% of IDPS and 36.6% host population. While Hope Alive Foundation has an enrolment of 127 children (66 boys and 61 girls with 31% of the pupils being IDPs and 69% being children from the host community. Two teachers {all female} from each have since September 2022 received a monthly stipend as a form of support from Reach Out Cameroon.

                         A Testimony from one of our Beneficiaries I am an IDP from Ekombe.

I am 30 years and a single mother of two, leaving with three other children. I left Ekombe in the South West Region in Kumba Subdivision in 2018 when the Anglophone crisis was at its peak ( the gunshots were so unbearable, I became tired of running everyday with my children into the bush). While in the village our house was burnt with everything inside, I became so frustrated. A friend called me to come live in Kumba when I got there, I noticed it was safer for us. Life in kumba is safe and secured I no longer leave in fear of the unknown and I can sleep and get up with no fear of running in and out of the bush as it was the case in 2018 in Ekombe. I was lucky to secure a job as a teacher in Mah Di’s Christian Bilingual Nursery and Primary School Kang Barombi. I have been teaching in the school for 6 years. I am being welcome in this area I am happy the school always pays my monthly salary. Each month, I can get a steady pay and this is what I use to support my children and myself. We can now afford two meals a day unlike when we just got to Kumba. This is possible with support from, Reach Out NGO and GlobalGiving donors. Thank you!

                                                                     Challenges

Both schools need didactic materials as these are often acquired in limited quantities.

There is need to teach the children other skills which may not directly be linked to the school curriculum but are livelihood skills. We hope that if both schools can double function with a vocational training centre, this will greatly contribute to life-changing skills for children within these orphanages.

Medical assistance for pupils of the school and orphanage still remains a huge challenge and we do not have enough funds to provide adequate medical assistance for sick children.

• GG_report_2023_January.docx (DOCX)