EDUCATION SACRIFICED, SURVIVAL ENFORCED: The Plight of Children in Eastern Cameroon

In the remote villages of Eastern Cameroon, hope is not just an emotion; it is a vital force that fuels daily life. It is this spark that drives a child to walk thirty-six kilometers every morning to reach school, that compels a mother who never had the chance to attend school to go hungry so she can buy her child a notebook, and that enables an entire community to keep believing in better days despite adversity. This hope endures and persists, transforming the energy of despair into fuel for change.

The Map of Emergency: Each Territory, a Challenge, a Story

Eastern Cameroon is a land of deep contrasts, where every landscape tells a different story.

In Bertoua (urban zone): Financial hardship forces difficult choices. The school fees for just one child could mean larger food portions for the family. Hearts are heavy, but empty stomachs speak louder.

In Batouri: The gold-rich soil feeds both dreams and early graves. Children, lured by the promise of quick money, abandon school to work in the mines. Yet, not all hope is lost. With SONAMINE and local authorities, commendable initiatives such as “Zero Child in the Mines During School Hours” aim to keep children in classrooms and prevent their exploitation in mining activities.

In Garoua-Boulaï: It is heartbreaking to see that access to education is largely hindered by devastating economic realities. The lack of clean water, electricity, proper latrines, and basic facilities directly affects the hygiene of young girls and inevitably leads to school absenteeism during their menstrual periods.

Beyond this crucial issue, there is an alarming shortage of health centers. The few that exist are often located more than fifteen kilometers from villages, making healthcare difficult to access and leading to preventable disabilities.

Even more shocking, in Garoua-Boulaï North and South, particularly in the villages of Illa, Mbonga 1 & 2, Damdon, Tiala, and Mboussa, 90% of children have no birth certificates. They breathe, they move, yet legally they do not exist. To the Cameroonian state, they are invisible.

In the forests of Atok, at Souombou (Atok): Physical and administrative access is a daily ordeal. Students must walk over thirty kilometers on foot to reach the Atok Secondary School (CES). Furthermore, nearly 20% of children have no birth certificates—documents that, far from being mere formalities, are true passports to advanced educational opportunities, opening the way to higher studies.

Every Village, a Story of Pain and Resilience

Each village carries its own tragedy and its own light, weaving a human mosaic where distress and dignity meet. The majestic nature of this region hides heart-wrenching stories where every child embodies both a dream and a struggle. The challenges are numerous, but the hope for a better tomorrow remains constant.

Beyond the Numbers: Signs of Distress

Behind the numbers—68% overall school enrollment, 45% of children dropping out before completing primary school, and 80% without birth certificates, are the faces, voices, and life stories that reveal the human tragedy behind this educational crisis.

Fadimatou, 17: “I dream of becoming a doctor, but given the poverty my family lives in, like many children in my neighborhood, I’ll probably have to give up my dream for something more realistic.”
André, 16, miner: “At school, they promised me a future—but here, I see money right away.”
Tekan, gold digger: “Once they (the children) get a taste of money at such a young age, school starts to seem useless to them.”
Elisabeth, 20, still in primary school: “School doesn’t seem to lead anywhere.”
A child of the mine: “What can school give me that the mine can’t? Thanks to the mine, I survive.”
A disabled grandmother: “We live off farming. I take care of nine orphaned children alone. With no money, I can’t afford their school expenses.”

These voices reveal a cruel reality: education has become a luxury, sacrificed on the altar of daily survival.

Another Future Is Possible: The Bet on Education

Hope is not dead. Another future is possible, as shown by countless acts of resilience and faith:

95% of Baka children attend school despite extreme isolation.
Illiterate and disabled parents still see education as their children’s only chance at a different fate.
Entire communities continue to invest in schooling, even when survival itself is a daily battle.

These collective bets on the future, made in such precarious circumstances, are the seeds of a Cameroon where birthplace will no longer determine destiny. Through the project “1 Cameroon, 10 Regions: HOPE – Rising Sun Edition” by the RAISE-UP CAMEROON association, citizens, civil society organizations, international human rights defenders, NGOs specializing in education, and local authorities are urged to join forces. It is our shared duty to support these initiatives because together, we can ensure that every sunrise becomes a promise of a brighter future for these children.