Since the breakout of the armed conflict between government soldiers and separatists fighters in Cameroon, hundreds of thousands of students at all levels of education as well as teachers have been forced to drop out from school and left stranded as refugees in neighboring countries, living off the streets of towns and villages far away from their homes or simply hiding in the bushes. Many schools have either been burnt down to ashes, transformed into military camps or simply abandoned to deteriorate. The current non-official figure stands at about 500,000 school drop outs and about 300,000 squeezing up for space in over-crowded schools in zones where the conflict has not yet reached.
The conflict which has suffered from little or no coverage from mainstream media has eluded many humanitarian organizations. Nevertheless, some few NGOs like The Association for Training and Rural Development (ATRUD) are ramping up efforts to create awareness and raise funds for victims of the war heading into its 4th year.
The Sponsor-a-Student initiative among others, aims at giving donors the possibility to “adopt” a specific student or group of students, mentor them and support them financially temporarily or on a long term basis so that they can continue schooling where they are or find new safe places in which they can continue their education. Donors interested in this initiative can contact ATRUD for more information on how to proceed.
ATRUD staff both at the head office in Douala – Cameroon and at the branch office in Shanghai – China have compiled details with specific information about cases of children in dire need that have been selected based on the gravity of their situations. Persons interested in this initiative simply have to get in touch and they will be provided details for them to choose an adoptee or adoptees they prefer. Thereafter, ATRUD follows up and coordinates the process to ensure that the money is properly used and the adoptee taken good care of.
The first donor through ATRUD to have embraced this initiative is Mr. Tanyi Victor, resident in the UK who has sponsored Miss Nayoh Emiline, a higher education student of The Angel of Mercy Higher Institute of Business Technology and Biomedical Science.
“Well, I want to thank the donor Mr. Tanyi Victor and ATRUD for helping me. This money will help me pay part of my school fees.” Said the happy recipient as she received the money from ATRUD’s manager at the ATRUD head office in Douala on November 26th 2019.
The management of ATRUD has equally thanked Mr. Tanyi Victor as well as all other donors that have so far helped in the execution of projects that were earmarked for this year. With many upcoming projects in the pipeline, ATRUD will be organizing a fundraising Christmas event later in December during which donors will be expected to show their humanitarian nature while we look forward to an end to the deadly conflict so that children can resume proper schooling like once before.
