The ongoing civil crisis in the North and South West Regions of Cameroon has afflicted thousands of families and communities. Many youths have become delinquent and are used for more social violence. Some youths have adopted deviant behaviours as a result of the crisis.
Children from the ages of 10 – 15 years shared with us the trauma they are currently facing after losing their parents or family members. Many have witnessed their homes and loved ones assaulted to death and property destroyed. Many have lost hope and there is need to rebuild hope in them through psychosocial support. This is to enable them embrace these challenging moments with faith, that all isn’t lost yet.
In a bid to foster an inclusive protective environment for these kids and to guarantee a self-reliant environment for the kids, we identified 60 children from the affected communities who undertook learning in the different trades (sewing, craft, knitting etc). Most of these children are from disadvantaged backgrounds and seriously affected by the crises. Some of these children are already carrying out elementary learning in identified community rehabilitation Centers. As a result of the Anglophone crisis, schools went into an impasse. Many children who previously were in schools were home and others taken as child soldiers to join the separatists.
The project therefore had as goal, to minimize the effects of the crisis on the kids through psychosocial support. As an add-on activity, skill-giving to the children was ensured to enable a holistic environment for support to the children most affected by the current crisis. This was done with the aim to ensure the children are self-reliant and contribute to the economic well-being of the families and respective communities, as a post crisis measure.
We carried out psychosocial support/counselling activities with 105 children gravely affected by the current crisis. Out of this number, rehabilitation activities, through skill giving, were sustained with 65 kids and 40 continued with learning in the regular school. The activities were conducted in two phases.
The following results have been attained:
- Counselling was a major tool to minimize the effects of the crisis on the children. They have been able to restore hope in the children by changing their mind sets to be able to embrace the situation positively.
- A rehabilitative and an accommodative environment is ensured for children affected by the current crisis. The children have accepted the current predicaments, interact with peers and take up livelihood activities and learning. The 65 children currently undertake livelihood activities and 40 continuing with learning.
- The socio-economic risk associated to the vulnerabilities of 105 crisis affected children is countered through psychosocial and skill giving programs.
- Mental trauma experienced by the kids as a consequence of the ongoing civil strife is minimized through organized counselling sessions. Life orientations have been developed with the children.
Project additional effects
- 5 children of ages 11 – 13 years who previously were seen as child soldiers, voluntarily joined their peers under the current project activities. They have under gone counselling and have taken up on learning as a complementary activity to the project.
