At only 19-year-old, Ndao Rachel is already a young mother. Giving birth to seven-month-old Prisca while struggling to gain education was a challenging situation for her, especially when she had no one to stand by her. With no father, a seriously sick mother, siblings who are no where to be found and above all a child’s father who abandoned her when she was 5 months pregnant, life has since become unbearable. She could only seek refuge at her Aunty’s place in Batouri where, despite attending a training at the Women’s Empowerment center at Batouri, meeting her daily needs is a fierce battle. She is oblaged to sell boiled eggs to be able to survive. Her dreams have drifted from being a doctor to a tailor. All she wishes now is to own a sewing machine and other tailoring equipment to ensure a bright future for herself and her daughter.

Souma Claudine is also one of such victims. She became a mother at the age of 18, bringing forth little Michel of 1year two months old. Her story is not so different from that of Rachel. After conceiving of her boy child while in Form three at Lycée Classique, she was driven away from home by her parents who, barely surviving, could not take care of an extra person. Asked to go to the house of her child’s father, Claudine, though benefiting from the comfort of a family unlike Rachel says it is not a bed of roses living with the in-law. In a compound of about 15 persons, she has become a slave, a mirror of herself. She makes sure the house chores are done and depends on her 24-year-old boyfriend who is hustling. From a family of 7, the young mother’s dream is to equally be a great stylist.

Rachel and Claudine are just few of many adolescent girls who go through difficult moments in Cameroon. They aired their various worries and challenges to the association of female Journalists known as JAFEC who were in the East region as part of the Advocacy field trip on the community based approach adopted by Plan International Cameroon to improve community welfare.

The phenomenon, where the girl child, who has barely reach passed the adolescent stage, becoming a parent at an early age is a major concern which the world is fighting against. In Cameroon, the fight is real with visible impacts as everyone, be it the government, civil society organizations – CSO’s or Non-Governmental Organizations – NGO’, feels concerned. A portion of their yearly budget allocated towards helping this vulnerable class of persons.

The presence of professional training centers for the promotion of Women and the Family known by the French acronym CPFF nationwide has turned to an important part of their growth.  Set by the Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family as government’s way of contributing to the empowerment of the young girls and Women, these centers receive partnership from CSO’s and NGO’s for the execution of their mission. An example is Plan International Cameroon who has, through its community based approach, impacted lots of these centers nationwide.

In the East region, precisely in Batouri, this Center has since its establishment received a good number of victims of this phenomenon. Rachel and Claudine are two of the many.  They are bound to source for various means by which they can survive in the midst of adversity.

Management of the Center

For the past five years, the Batouri women Empowerment center has being under the leadership of Tchamanou Yaka Michoue Richelle. The director disclosed that the number of girls with children in the center account for 40% of the total population.  Reason being that most of them do not declare their real status of young mothers upon registration. It is only after thorough investigations that truth is known.

The center ensures the holding of the course on sexuality, twice a week, where more light is thrown on the aspect and advice dished out to all the Young girls and boys of the center.

A good number of issues hinder the smooth functioning of the center. Amongst these challenges, the most important are the lack of basic training equipment, late payment of fees which stands at FCFA 30,000 and the lack of collaboration from the side of the parents. Another important challenge which the center faces is the social insertion of these young girls. In order to tackle this issue at their own level, with the support from Plan Cameroon, the center is able to organize training sessions and workshops aimed at empowering them on the manufacturing of liquor, liquid soap and other products which they can sell and make money for themselves.

Associations, civil society organizations and entrepreneurs are equally invited to come meet are discuss with the girls.