Women and girls in Cameroon are victims of various forms of physical and sexual violence which go a long way to tarnish their image and destroy their future.

January 11, 2023 is a significant date in the life of Kos Belamo Bibiche. At only 19-year-old, She is navigating a life she never imagined: one spent on crutches and protease, relearning how to move after losing her left leg in an unfortunate situation. Exactly Two years ago, the young student’s life was shattered by a horrific act of sexual violence followed by a hit-and-run accident that led to an amputation.

The unfortunate incident happened on January 11, 2023, when she was returning to Bertoua, 100km road from Paki, her parent’s village, where she attended a meeting with personnel of Plan International Cameroon organized for all the sponsored children in the locality. It was at around 6pm that day when Bibiche, on returning back to Bertoua, with the help of her father boarded a truck that was heading her direction. Little did she know that her helpers would become her predators along the way. After a brief stop at Dimako, they continued the journey. It was after somen kilometers that the truck driver pulled over an isolated area where he said to Bibiche that he didn’t carry her for her money but for something else. He then began brutalizing her, pushing the 17-year-old at the time under the vehicle where she was raped by the truck driver and his assistant, “motorboy”.

While trying to escape from the people that approached the scene, the perpetrators rolled over the young girl who was under the truck as they took off. She was rushed to the Dimako Catholic Hospital by well wishers. She lost consciousness and woke up three days later to the devastating reality that her crushed left limb had been cut off to save her life. A bitter pill to swallow. A reality which she had never bargained for.

Her recovery was made possible through the comprehensive support of her sponsors, who covered the costs of her emergency evacuation and surgery at the Bertoua Regional Hospital. Despite this immense trauma, Bibiche remained resilient, thanks to the emotional support from her parents and 5 siblings. This support has made her cultivate a strong spirit which permits her move forward. Despite the odds, she is determined to follow her dreams of becoming a successful businesswoman, declaring, “I have not lost hope.”

Beyond the initial medical intervention, Bibiche has equally received psychological and social counseling aimed at helping her process the trauma. However, the physical challenges are still there; two years later, she still experiences pain and finds her current prosthesis uncomfortable and ill-fitting. She is being stigmatized by society especially in the school milieu. Her driving force has been Her Father, Belamo Justin who is a farmer, her mother – a house wife, siblings and friends who have become her support system making sure she feels comforted and loved in every way possible.

Her journey after the unfortunate incident was supported by Plan International Cameroon, an organization that has sponsored her for several years due to the family’s humble background. As the only child in her family to benefit from the program, she was a dedicated student with a bright future.

Today, Bibiche is back in school, studying Social and Family Economy (ESF) at the Technical High School of Bertoua. As nature plays its own part, Her perpetrators were apprehended three days later by the her relatives at the same spot where they committed the act. They were conducted to the Gendarmerie Brigade of Dimako and later to Abong-Mbang where after one year four months of audiences, they were sentenced to a firm 4 years imprisonment with a collective fine of 4 million FCFA to pay.

The young girl has chosen to share her story, not for the purpose of pity, but to serve as a beacon of strength for other young girls who find themselves in this similar situation. By speaking out, she hopes to encourage victims of any form of violence to overcome societal judgment, continue to pursue their dreams, and find the courage to keep moving forward. Her story is a testament to the power of community support and the unyielding strength of the human spirit.

The ongoing need for medical follow-up highlights the long-term commitment required for survivors of such severe physical and emotional violence.

Gender-Based Violence

These are a series of violence that are perpetuated on women and girls by family members, spouses and other ill intentioned people in the society. These violence are either physical, like in Bibiche’s case, or emotional which go a long way to affect the state of being and mindset of the victim. In Cameroon, GBV is a widespread human rights crisis. Key issues include high rates of intimate partner violence (34% physical, 13% sexual), forced marriage, and conflict-related sexual violence, particularly in the North West and South West regions. These vulnerable group of people are obliged to succumb to the wimps and caprices of the ‘strong ones’.

According to the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, roughly 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Over 50% of married women report experiencing violence from partners and in the crisis areas, there’s an increase risk of sexual violence which is used as a tool of war. Forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remain significant issues.

GBV leads to serious physical, psychological, and reproductive health consequences. Victims of these acts rarely seek formal services, often relying on family for support due to stigma.

With the help of the program put in place by Plan International Cameroon, these victims are able to speak out and benefit from assistance from NGO’s. They are also able to seek legal assistance from the Cameroonian government who is putting everything in place to fight against this violence.