A survey is underway in the seven subdivisions of the capital city to assess citizen’s rights to free basic education, water, healthcare and peace.
The National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF) on Thursday, January 15, 2015, launched a survey in the seven subdivisions that make up the capital city, Yaounde. Speaking during a press conference same day in Yaounde, NCHRF’s Secretary General, Eva Etongue Mayer, said the aim of the three-week activity is to collect concrete facts on access by Yaounde inhabitants to basic services such as free basic education, potable water supply, healthcare and how protected they are from noise pollution. Over 40 persons have been deployed to all parts of the city for the exercise that is in its pilot form and implemented only in the Mfoundi Division for now.
Right to Free Education
To justify free basic education, NCHRF leans not only on Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, but also the Conference on Education For All that held in Dakar, Senegal in 2000. It was therein adopted that education for all had to become reality by 2015. Thus, States were urged to ensure not only obligatory basic education but also that it had to be free. Cameroon’s Head of State, President Paul Biya, that same year announced free basic education which went effective during the 2000/2001 academic year. However, 14 years later, NCHRF notes that despite all the measures taken, reality is different from practice. Using questionnaires, NCHRF’s teams of four will thus be sampling opinions of parents, teachers as well as pupils of Class Six in eight target pilot primary schools in the seven subdivisions to measure the extent to which the right to free education is respected.
Potable Water
In spite of several potable water projects undertaken by water utility companies, government and communities, access to potable water remains a challenge. For NCHRF, access to potable water is a fundamental human right. The survey will be undertaken on samples of 15 persons per neighbourhood in the areas most touched by water scarcity. In that regard, the neighbourhoods of Biyem-Assi, Ngousso, Melen, Damase, Simbock, Emana, Olembe, Nsam as well as offices in the administrative centre of the city will be visited.
Healthcare
Judging by challenges faced by citizens in obtaining healthcare, NCHRF’s survey is aimed at sampling opinion on access to healthcare by the target users of public health services as well as situations of medico-sanitary and administrative personnel in public hospitals.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution has become a major source of discomfort in the capital city, embarrassing neighbours and affecting the environment. This comes mainly from vehicles; use of industrial machines and music played using sound amplifying equipment in several public places especially on roadsides, off-licences, churches, mosques and public celebrations. NCHRF survey teams will work with samples of 25 persons per neighbourhood.
Eva Etongue said findings from the survey will be published in the 2014 report on the situation of Human Rights in Cameroon.
