Help for particularly vulnerable people in Cameroon

Background information

Many children and young people in Cameroon lack the care and attention they need. One reason for this is the violent political conflict in the Anglophone regions, which claims many lives; other reasons are diseases such as the HI virus. Orphans and children who cannot live with their families because of a disability are offered protection and a perspective for the future by the project. The number of vulnerable people has increased due to the Anglophone crisis. Widows are also included in the project. At Emmanuel Sisters, people live in centers that offer social and psychological support in addition to education and medical care. The women of AI-ChrisWoV are involved with people in the Bamenda area who are affected by HIV and with widows and unaccompanied youth who have lost family members due to HIV. Orphans are cared for in family structures in two orphanages of the former Stucki Foundation, which were taken over by Mission 21. About 1.2 million orphans live in Cameroon. The basic idea of the project work is that no one should be left behind by society. The project activities enable the most vulnerable people to integrate socially and support them in shaping their lives.

Project goals

• Vulnerable people are given access to training and income-generating measures and thus achieve financial independence.
• Provide basic services to vulnerable individuals.
• Access to rights information for vulnerable people.
• Further training/capacity development for project managers.

Target group

Vulnerable groups of people such as widows and orphans, people with disabilities or with chronic diseases such as HIV.

Activities

• Almost 50 orphans and unsupervised young people live in a family environment in the orphanages of the former Stucki Foundation in Kumba and the surrounding area. There they receive schooling and vocational training.
• The women of AI-ChrisWoV in Bamenda take care of medical treatment as well as rights of people living with HIV. Widows are supported through income generation activities such as continuing education. Over 100 unattended youth and orphans receive schooling and medical care.
• The Emmanuel Sisters care for 50 people with disabilities, especially epilepsy, in Foumbot (West Region) and in the vicinity of Bamenda, who are as self-sufficient as possible thanks to targeted support measures.

Project progress

The women of Aid International - Christian Women of Vision have been working since 2006 with Mission 21 and, in addition to regular project participants, are caring for an increasing number of internally displaced persons due to the Anglophone crisis. These are integrated into the project activities. The evangelical sisterhood Emmanuel Sisters had been supporting the project through the PCC (Presbyterian Church in Cameroon), from which it emerged, already had a long-standing relationship with Mission 21. However, they are now in this project since 2019 a standalone partner organization for Mission 21. The orphanages for unsupervised children and adolescents are being after takeover from the Stucki Foundation in 2019 continued. The need for this support is remains high due to the current crisis in Cameroon.