When Poverty Becomes a Sentence

The law is supposed to protect vulnerable people. Yet in Cameroon, being born into poverty can be a sentence in itself where children are born without rights and face further marginalisation. Whether detained for street vending, denied education because they lack legal documentation, or displaced by conflict, many children are penalised for circumstances beyond their control. Much like crime, poverty becomes something they are punished for. The idea, known as the criminalisation of poverty, describes the phenomenon in which the symptoms of deprivation become treated as an offence rather than social issues requiring support. 

This blog explores how child poverty in Cameroon limits access to education and human rights, and how the by-products of poverty are met with sanctions rather than solutions, thus pushing children deeper into marginalisation. 

Poverty in Cameroon

In Cameroon, 44.2% of children live below the poverty line, with the North and North-West regions experiencing significantly higher rates of poverty. The extreme levels of poverty mean many children in these regions face greater deprivation related to health, food, housing and education. This inevitably stunts the growth and development of these children. There is a clear divide between rural and urban communities: 27.3% of children from the rural northern regions are categorised as suffering from severe deprivation compared to only 3% in urban areas.  

Poverty in Cameroon is rarely the result of individual choices, but much deeper structural and circumstantial barriers such as regional disparities, under employment, high cost of living and multiple humanitarian crises. 

Poverty as a Result of Circumstance not Choice

It is essential to look beyond the individuals and examine the systems around them that allow poverty to persist in Cameroon. Poverty in the Cameroonian context has been shaped and sustained by several structural circumstances: 

• Complications with national debt

In the past few years, Cameroon’s public debt has continued to rise. In 2024 the estimated debt was CFA 13,070 billion (around $21.61 billion or £16.5 billion). This means a lot of Cameroon's budget goes into repaying debt, with less resources going towards infrastructure, employment and training opportunities, health and education. 

• Corruption and Economic Mismanagement 

There have been many reports of corruption in Cameroon, including issues relating to bribery, nepotism, and corruption. These governmental issues can hinder the growth and development of public sectors and the economy as a whole. 

• Conflicts 

In recent years, Cameroon has faced multiple major conflicts which have had significant impacts on the country. These conflicts have caused huge humanitarian issues from displacement to acute malnutrition. They are currently two major ongoing crises: 

• The Anglophone Crisis: began in 2016 after peaceful demonstrations by Anglophone lawyers and teachers regarding the placement of French speaking lawyers and teachers in English speaking regions. This has led to thousands of deaths, displacement and human rights abuses.  

The crisis also had a profound impact on the education sector. Schools in some affected regions remained closed for several years, disrupting learning for around 700,000 children. Even today, periodic instability continues to affect access to consistent and safe education. Many of the children we work with at ‘Children of Cameroon’ have been impacted by this crisis, leaving them facing long-term academic and social challenges.

• Boko Haram Insurgency: this refers to over 100 attacks from the extremist group in the Northern regions dating back to 2009. 

These conflicts have disrupted education, led to displacement, food insecurity and acute malnutrition.

• Limited access to employment opportunities

43% of the population have little to no formal education, and around 67% of the working age population have received no training in developing job sectors.

These examples only scratch the surface of the reasons behind poverty in Cameroon. It is important to not only know the causes but the real ways they impact the people.

How Poverty Limits Rights 

Poverty infiltrates many aspects of a person's life, it can create huge barriers that impact an individual's rights. In Cameroon, a child born into poverty may mean losing access to fundamental rights.  1 in 3 children lack legal identity, around 2 million children in Cameroon today have no legal existence, denying them protection and making them vulnerable to exploitation by criminal gangs. This denies them access to school, the ability to sit exams and general rights relating to health and social protection. Common factors for lacking legal documentation include families being unable to afford birth registration or children being separated from their parents during times of displacement.  The Criminalisation of Poverty and the impact on education

Although poverty itself is not a crime in Cameroon, oftentimes the effects of poverty or the need to survive are criminalised. A blatant example of this can be seen in Vagrancy Laws. Vagrancy in Cameroon is criminalised under section 247 of the Penal code, which criminalises the act of being “found in a public place being of no fixed abode”. These types of laws directly target underprivileged communities. The age of criminal responsibility in Cameroon begins at age 10, however those between the ages of 10-14 may face court imposed special measures, while those between 14-18 may receive punishment but less harsh than an adult. Unfortunately, there are records of children being detained or moved to other areas away from their families. 

Begging offences also risk criminalising children. Enforcement round ups in public spaces involve rounding up and detaining street children, homeless people and street vendors trying to earn a living. There are reportedly 27,000 street children in major cities across Cameroon, with many of them being forced to rely on drug use, sex work and begging to survive. Many of these children may be detained, and can face longer police detention if their family members are unable to pay the fines imposed on them, isolating them and keeping them out of school for long periods of time.  Poverty can push children away from education and into a life of survival, these children can often find themselves being punished rather than supported. Their inability to attend school not only stunts their development but isolates them further, leaving them at risk of further marginalisation, criminalisation and victimisation. 

Educational Barriers in Conflict Regions 

In the North-West & South-West regions of Cameroon, an estimated 600,000 children are out of school with many children being out of school for years due to recent conflicts. Poorer families are also in a very difficult financial situation. To survive many children have to work to contribute to the household:

• 43.7% of children aged 5-14 are in work, 

• 42.4% of children between the ages 7-14 are working while attending school.

Families face the impossible choice between sending their children to school and ensuring their survival.

Many children in Cameroon seem to face continuous punishment for factors outside of their control. Whether it is barriers to education, persistent vagrancy laws or lack of legal rights and protection, these children are continuously pushed towards deprivation. These overlapping barriers show that poverty cannot be reduced to individual failures but is down to complex yet interconnected systemic failures. In knowing this, an important question arises, What difference can we make?

Conclusion: Hope for the Future?

The government of Cameroon is taking steps towards creating an inclusive and more effective legal identity system. In February 2025, President Paul Biya, outlined the guidelines for new inclusive legal identity documents for those who have been displaced by conflict. This aims to ensure that displaced people will be recognised by the state and have access to essential services such as education and health. Another initiative aims to provide birth certificates for children in primary education, with over 48,000 pupils finally receiving their legal identity documentation. 

However, despite this progress millions of children remain unregistered and out of school. Although the push towards providing a legal identity for children is a positive step forward, this is just one of the many hurdles children in Cameroon have to face. With ongoing humanitarian crises, displacement, and financial insecurity still being ever-present, there is a lot that needs to be done to give children in Cameroon the life they deserve. 

No child's path should be determined by the circumstances at birth. Children in Cameroon deserve to thrive, not just survive.

Across the globe, numerous organisations and charities work to improve  the lives of these children. Supporting a Charity such as ‘Children of Cameroon’ can change the lives of children today. We provide sponsorships for children in these situations giving them the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty, receive an education and empower their community. This could be the difference between life on the streets and a life of opportunity. 

Learn more about the children we support and how you can help.