Activities to mark the 2012 Day of the African Child are on in Douala.
Several children across Douala are at the centre of focus this week. Ahead of the Day of the African Child on June 16, placed under the theme “Rights of disabled children”, government through the Ministry of Social Affairs and civil society organizations are holding a series of activities to the favour of street, disabled, orphaned and vulnerable children.
Some 55 street children listened to educative talks, dubbed “Rights of the child and vulnerable children”, organized by the Collective of Women for the Protection of the Child and Environment (COFEPRE) in Bonanjo. The objective was to create awareness about children’s rights, involve them in the defence of their rights, spur parents to protect the rights of children and encourage the society to respect the rights of children.
As a social problem, it is difficult to estimate the size of the phenomenon because of its sporadic/mobile distribution, it is mostly urban. Poverty, the major underlying factor, more widespread in rural milieu, has a stronger negative impact in Douala like in other cities of the country and the changing family conditions, breakup of the family as a result of the absence of a parent, especially father, as a result of divorce, abandonment, imprisonment or death. Unemployment and the absence of step-parents in the household caused Benjamin Emi Ngamen, 20, to become a street child. For 5 years, he picks and recycles used bottles, occasionally sleeping under rain on empty stomach finding no one to help transport him back to Garoua, his hometown, lacks advise and stability.
The impact of orphanhood in the society is evidenced on the growing number of children living in the streets, exposed to various abuses. With the burden of poverty, families and communities cannot cope with the increasing number of these children. Local street children association, Cercle des Enfants Authentiques de la Rue (CEAR) disclosed that it faces the challenge of paying for medical services, providing activities like sewing, carpentry and hygienic care. “We need residential help for rehabilitation.” says Epee John, 23.
