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Education in Emergency

BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

Since 2017, the Non-State Armed Groups (NSAG) had demanded the closure of schools. They threatened or burnt down establishments that have remained opened. As a consequence, as of December 2022, 54% (3518 out of 6,515) (Ref: Cameroon Education Strategy 2023-2025)  schools are closed, putting 92.517% (955700 out of estimated 1,033,000) children out of schools and 73% (21,128 out of 28,866) teachers not reporting to work owing to the life-taking threat posted on them and children as well as attacks on education facilities.
Schools have been shut down in most of the difficult and hard to reach villages in the Anglophone Regions for the past Six years. Parents who had means displaced their children from these villages to attend schools in urban areas in the English speaking Regions where schools were ongoing while others moved to French Speaking Regions. The very vulnerable parents and children who lacked the means to seek education out of the very difficult and hard to reach crisis zones have been out of schools for seven  academic years, this has led to child recruitment into arm groups, early marriages, early and unwanted pregnancies, drug abuse and high level of juvenile delinquency. An estimated 1,033,000 school aged children have been affected by the crisis (Cameroon education strategy 2023-2025). 

 INTERVENTION STRATEGY.

To address these issues and achieve the objective of universal education for all, SHUMAS undertakes the following initiatives:

  • Creation of remedial learning centers.
  •  Creation of modern science laboratories to accommodate students in schools without one.
  • Provision of salary assistance to the teachers
  • Provision of didactic materials to schools and children/students
  • Economic empowerment of vulnerable IDP women so as to pay the tuition fee of their children and to provide school needs.
  • Payment of tuition fee of vulnerable students and pupils 

MAIN OBJECTIVE

Provide equal learning opportunities; improve literacy level and livelihood of children in the North-West and South-West  Regions of Cameroon, through the creation of remedial learning centers, creation/equipping of public science laboratories and the payment of tuition fee.

ACHIEVEMENTS.

  •  SHUMAS has created and supported more than 24-remedial learning centers that have benefitted about 9,312 children so as to improve access to education for all in the affected Regions.
  •  SHUMAS has paid the tuition fee of more than 302 Internally Displaced Pupils/students  whom without which would have dropped out of school.
  • Provided didactic materials to about 2,751 pupils/students to improve access to  inclusive quality and equitable education.
  • To improve access to science education, SHUMAS  has Created and equipped 3 public science laboratories through which 3122 students from schools without one are carrying out their science practical’s. 

CHALLENGES 

The following challenges are faced in the quest to improve access to education for all:

  • Limited resource.
  • Very bad roads to some project sites and hence high transport cost.
  • Poor mobile and internet network conditions due to poor infrastructure.
  • Insecurity.

 

TESTIMONIES

  1. NJA VINCENT FROM NGUN.

"I am Mr. Nja Vincent Ngum, a community leader in Ngun, in Fungom Sub-Division. The Socio – political crisis plaguing the two  English speaking regions of Cameroon has impacted the lives of the youths and population at large negatively, as in Ngun community in Fungom Sub-Division. Learning spaces have not been functional in this community for five years. This has caused many youths to indulge in criminal activities thereby leading to high crime wave. In Ngun community, some children experience child labour, early marriages, forced marriages and some have even joined the NSAGs as a result of idleness. Worst of all, many youths are now pregnant and some forcefully married from the ages of 12 and above. Parents can no longer control their children as they lack the means to carter for them. Children here do not have access to education and cannot read and write even at maturity. This certainly will cause more havoc to the community and the country at large in the nearest future. Many marriages have dissolved leaving some of the children in the streets striving to survive by all means.

SHUMAS Cameroon and Building Schools for Africa within the past months have been intervening in Abar and Filleeh communities of the Fungom Sub-Division ensuring that the children  have access to education. The community upon seeing the good gestures of these humanitarian actors  in the  Abar and Filleeh communities taught it wise to apply to SHUMAS-Cameroon to provide learning spaces in the nine communities in Fungom Sub-Division amongst which Ngun community is part. 

SHUMAS through her intervention did the following in Ngun community: -

  • Trained four facilitators,
  •  Provided blackboards,
  •  Books for the children,
  •  Chalk.
  •  Hand washing and drinking buckets,
  • Pencils and pens to the children,
  • Toilets slaps.
  • Sports attires  and balls.

All these has impacted the community in the following ways:

  •  Children are now able to read and write unlike before.
  •  Hope about the future in restored on the children as there now have better aspirations.
  • The hand washing buckets and drinking buckets have protected the children from deadly diseases like cholera, covid-19, malaria and many others.
  • Children are no longer defecating anyhow as before as SHUMAS and Building Schools for Africa have provided four toilets that will not only benefit the learning space but the community at large.
  • Our children are now very submissive unlike before. This is because of the lessons they receive in school, most especially moral education.
  • The sports attires and the balls provided to the children have relieved them from trauma thereby prompting rational thinking.

The community of Ngun shall forever remain indebted to SHUMAS and Building School for Africa for influencing the community positively at a time everything was almost out of hand. We plead on the almighty God to bless your sources of income, protect you and enable you extend this hand of fellowship to other areas".

 

2. KOLO PETER FROM ABAR VILLAGE.

I am Kolo Peter, the community development chairman for Abar. Most of the inhabitants of this community fled from Buu community. In april 2020, the Fulani invaded Buu village, burnt many houses and  killed some people. As a result of insecurity and fear of subsequent attacks, the inhabitants of Buu village in Fungom Sub-Division migrated to Abar for security. That notwithstanding, this year in March 2022, there was a confrontation between the SSFs and NSAGs in Buu village and many more houses were burnt. This has increased the number of IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) in the community of Abar. For the past five years, the elements of this community have not known about education. This has made many, especially children to be involved in all sort of crimes leading to a rise in teenage pregnancies, prostitution, child labour, forced marriage, and fighting all over the community. Children have become more aggressive and do not take  instructions from their elders and parents. This may affect the community in the near future as many of the children are unable to  read and write nor express themselves in the English Language.

SHUMAS – Cameroon partnering with Building schools for Africa saw the need to enable the children and everyone in the community have access to learning materials that would boost their reading/ writing faculties. 

They did the folowing in the Aber community;

  • Trained four facilitators. These facilitators teach the children from Tuesdays to Saturdays and are being paid by SHUMAS on monthly basis.
  •  Provided blackboards,
  • Books for the children,
  • Cartones of Chalks.
  • Hand washing and drinking buckets,
  •  Pencils and pens for the children,
  •  Toilet slaps.
  • Sports attires and balls.

This intervention by SHUMAS and BSFA has impacted the community of Abar in the following ways: -

  •  The children are very obedient and participate in house duties unlike before.
  • It has strengthened family ties and the love amongst family members and the community at large. 
  •  The children can now read and write unlike before.
  • The provision of four toilets has put an end to the frequent defecating around the community and in the bushes.
  • The sports attires and balls have been used as mediums to boost socialization among children, thereby reliefing them of traumatic experiences.

We wish that SHUMAS and building schools for Africa  never relent their efforts in putting smiles on the faces of the underprivileged as they have done  in Abar."

  

3. Longkfe Tina.

 My name is Longkfe Tina from class three in Abar community. For the past five years, we have not been to school. This is as a result of the ongoing socio-political crisis that has been plaguing the NW and SW Regions of Cameroon. SHUMAS-BSFA came at the right time and have provided us with school needs such as blackboards, chalk, pens, pencils, four toilets, and  four trained teachers. I am very happy with SHUMAS and promise to study hard to help my community and the country at large in the near future. 

 

4. Mr. Patrick.

I am a facilitator from Kung community in Fungom Sub-Division. I am very happy with the help that SHUMAS has offered to my community. For the Past five years, my people have not known anything about education. This is as a result of the ongoing socio-political crisis that is ravaging many youths in the NW and SW Regions of Cameroon. SHUMAS in partnership with BSFA have provided us with  black boards, trained facilitators,  books, pens, pencils, sports attires, balls,  and slaps for the toilets. We are very happy and grateful for  this offer because our children will now be able to read and write, interact with others and learn good morals. Thank you very much SHUMAS and BSFA. 

  GALLERY

 

 

 

 

 

 


 
 

 

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