As a year draws to a close, it’s natural to reflect on the past 12 months. 2020 has been a whirlwind of a year and for many, it hasn’t been all too positive. We’ve all had to battle a global pandemic and meanwhile, Cameroon is in the middle of a conflict and poverty is still rife in many parts of Africa. Cameroon, in particular, was hit hard by the pandemic with many struggling to access basic hygiene facilities and healthcare the virus spread rapidly, generating even more risk to the people of Cameroon who are already contending with so much.
However, we didn’t want to dwell on the negatives that this year has brought. We wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate some of the happier moments of this year; the times which have really put a smile on both our faces and our children’s, to hopefully bring a smile to you.
Our children returned to school
Before 2020, the anglophone crisis meant that schools in Cameroon were high-risk places, not safe for children. Violent attacks on schools became the norm and children were living in fear. This meant many schools had to shut down and children’s education was put on the line. After over 3 years of school closures, the children in the North-West region of Cameroon could finally return to school in January of this year. They were able to continue their education in safe and secure environments once again which was certainly something to celebrate.
Mangeline was given the gift of an education
One of our children, Mangeline, received two generous donations in September. This money meant that she could go to school for a whole year and continue her education. Mangeline is now doing really well in school and excelling in her subjects. fBeing given the gift of another year of schooling and education is invaluable to her; it provides the chance to learn more and expand her mind but also the longer she remains at school, the more opportunity she has to progress into a career.
We launched a newsletter
This year we launched our first email newsletter. We wanted to provide a way to keep our sponsors, followers and supporters up to date with the great work our team are doing as well as how our children are doing. It meant that you can all get updates directly into your inbox and keep track of how our sponsors and volunteers are making a difference in these children’s lives. We still get excited every time a newsletter is ready to send as it means we can spread more good news and celebrate our small achievements, however, it also means we can update you on the important and less happy elements of growing up in Cameroon. If you’d like to subscribe to our newsletter click here.
Marie came one step closer to becoming a lawyer
In October, another of our children, Marie was lucky enough to find a sponsor. Marie is 19 and currently lives with her mother who recently lost her job and was unable to continue sending her to school. Finding a sponsor meant that Marie could continue to study. It’s Marie’s ambition to become a lawyer, and being able to continue her education means that she is one step closer to achieving her dreams. For an older child like Marie, finding a sponsor to allow her to study can be completely life-changing as she’s even closer to achieving her goals. She claims that the sponsor has changed her life and brought back her dreams of going to school.
Ryan found a sponsor
In the run-up to Christmas, we were thrilled to hear that another of our children, Ryan, was also lucky enough to find a sponsor. During the season of giving, someone gave Ryan the ultimate gift. A sponsor was able to give him the gift of a life in which he can access basic healthcare, food and most importantly an education. This sponsor has allowed Ryan to break out of the poverty cycle; so that he can achieve his dreams and help to support his family, giving them all a better quality of life.
Nayah got the early Christmas gift of sponsorship
At the start of December, we received the amazing news that Nayah had found a sponsor. Four-year-old Nayah lives with her brother and elderly grandmother, and having found a sponsor can give her a great start in life as well as ensure the pressure is removed from the family. Nayah can now attend school and truly benefit from an education, which will open up a world of opportunities for her. We can’t wait to see how having a sponsor impact her life for the better. Christmas certainly came early for Nayah.
Tamsin Clover launched a Christmas dresses fundraiser
This year, Tamsin Clover launched a Go Fund Me fundraising page to help raise money for Children of Cameroon, so that our disadvantaged children can be given Christmas dresses this year.
Christmas dresses are an important tradition for children in Cameroon, but more significantly can be some of the only clothes that many children receive each year. In the run-up to Christmas Tamsin walked 5km every day for a week, as this is the average distance a child in Cameroon has to walk to school each day. She raised over £100, which is enough money to provide four girls with a Christmas dress each! Any extra money raised will go towards an extra dress, Christmas shoes and a special festive meal for each of our children looking for sponsorship. What a great way to end an incredible and emotional year and ensure that all of our children have a Christmas to remember.
So while 2020 has been a rocky year, to say the least, especially in Cameroon, our children have had plenty to celebrate. Here’s to finding more sponsors for our children in 2021 to ensure they can go to school and be closer to achieving their dreams. Every sponsor our children receive is a step closer to helping to fight poverty in Cameroon and can change a life.
Feeling inspired to change a life in the new year? There are lots of ways you can help us in our mission to bring education to vulnerable children in Cameroon. You can donate, volunteer or sponsor a child with us. Any form of help can make a difference in a child’s life.
If you’d like to learn more about the Christmas dress fundraiser, you can visit the GoFundMe page or read our blog about it.
If you have any questions about our work or how you can help, leave a comment below!