The reception of the rehabilitated Centre for Children in Distress took place on Thursday.

The premises of the Centre for Children in Distress in Yaounde were exceptionally busy on Thursday November 1, 2012. The event was the reception of the newly rehabilitated centre by the Turkish Embassy in Cameroon.

Speaking at the occasion, the Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon, Ömer Faruk Dogan, said the donation was fruit of cooperation between Cameroon and Turkey. He said the two countries share several similarities in policy, especially in the importance given to children in the family. He said the aim of the gift was to give children in distress the same chances as those in society.

On her part, the Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbock, said the gesture would help improve the living conditions of children in the centre. She encouraged parents not to abandon their children because keeping them ensures a good beginning in life. Catherine Bakang Mbock expressed the wish that the example by the Turkish Embassy would be a stimulant for other partners.

The centre which has been rehabilitated by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, (TIKA) has a capacity of 40 children. It currently hosts 26 children. This, according to the Minister, was proof of the favourable evolution of the children as some of them have been adopted. The Turkish Embassy also donated toys to the children as a way of comforting them.