Thousands 'displaced' in Anglophone Cameroon

Since 2017, the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon (North-West and South-West) have been plunged into a civil war between the government army and separatists, nicknamed the Ambaboys.

As a result of the four-year conflict, more than 1 million people are now "severely food insecure" and 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

Enabling a family to reintegrate and support itself

It was during their home visits that the Daughters of Charity met a family of "displaced persons" from the English-speaking area: Mr John, his wife and five children. When they were living in their region of origin, Mr John, who was a cripple, worked as a tailor and his wife managed to sell some meals that she would prepare to supplement her husband's resources.

With the arrival of the war, they took refuge initially in Bafoussam. Mr John had managed to find a small place in the central market but the small income from his work was not enough to support the family. The family (with their youngest child of a few months) moved again, to Melap, where they managed to find a house to rent at 10,000 Cfa (15 euros per month). However, the salary from the tailor's business is still not enough... Mr John is forced to sell some bags in travel agencies and his eldest daughter, who was in the first grade, tries to sell meals (beef skin broth) to supplement her father's meagre daily income.

"On Saturdays and Sundays, the whole family goes to the market where they carry parcels to find some money" says Sr Brigitte.

A sewing workshop and restaurant: an income-generating activity for the family

The acquisition of a 20-foot container and its conversion into two separate spaces will allow Mr John to set up and equip a sewing workshop on one side, while his wife will be able to prepare and sell meals in a small canteen on the other.

In addition to the container, Mr John would like to invest in a new TINKO embroidery machine and a Singer sewing machine.

The installation of the kitchen also requires a basic contribution to finance its equipment as well as the purchase of an initial stock of food products to prepare and sell the cooked meals.

With this 4,045€ project presented by Sr Brigitte, a family of 7 people can hope to get out of precariousness and become autonomous again through the fruit of their work. In addition, they will be able to provide for their basic needs in terms of health, education, nutrition and housing

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