More than 80% of the children working
in Cameroon’s three leading cities, Yaounde, Douala and Bamenda, are victims of
child trafficking (UNICEF report). Additionally, UNICEF and other independent
NGOs report that the North West Region of Cameroon is the leading recruitment
region in central Africa. This is
where we are located.
Multiple stakeholders are engaged in
awareness creation, which has helped give victims of child trafficking the
courage to speak out and oppose exploitation. Unfortunately, this awareness has not
been properly followed by an alternative to the ‘pull factor’. The ‘pull factor’ is the desire of many
children to acquire marketable skills, such as a trade or an education. Traffickers often deceive children by
promising them work, training, or study
opportunities in secondary schools.
Eventually as victims grow older and break off from their
masters, many are forced to become survival sex workers.
GLOWA wants to address this problem by
creating a survivors support center.
The center will provide these children with counseling, mentoring, vocational
training, and job support services. We are looking for passionate people to
join us on this journey!
WHAT WE NEED
The survivor support center is still
in its start-up phase. However, space
is available in our current offices where vocational rehabilitation can take
place. We also have an instructor and many rescued victims of child trafficking
waiting to begin training. We risk losing them through secondary trafficking if
we do not address the pull factor as soon as possible. It is worth noting here that these
youths are easily targeted by traffickers when they are lost and unoccupied.
The initial goal of this campaign is
to acquire two manual sewing machines to kick-start vocational training. This will create a sustainable alternative
to the pull factor for children rescued from trafficking.
THE IMPACT
Vulnerable children often fall for
the recruitment scams of traffickers, who usually promise an opportunity to
learn a trade or go to secondary school. These children are disconnected from
the greater community without friends.
Counter trafficking organizations are
doing a great job to break the silence and raise community awareness, but this
budding group of informed survivors cannot compete in the rough labour market of
Cameroon, especially without marketable skills. As such, many engage in
survival sex work, especially those who become pregnant.
These groups of suffering survivors
(breakups) send bad signals to those still trapped in exploitation and play to
the advantage of traffickers. Victims prefer to cling to their exploiters rather
than embrace freedom because they can’t support themselves.
Your donation will help us address
the problem in a sustainable way. Working
as a group, the voices of survivors will amplify to eradicate this tragedy.
HOW THE CENTER WILL SCALE UP
The center hopes to scale up by adding
more vocational training options, such as hairdressing and shoe making. The center will also be open to the
public, who can help support these children by paying for the services they provide. A “MADE BY SURVIVOR” brand is expected to be put into
the Cameroonian market that will help fund the running of the center.
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
•
Donate a used sewing machine or any
other equipment that can be used in the rehabilitation center.
•
Use the Indiegogo share tools to
promote the project on your web sites and social networks. Invite your family
and friends to support the project.
•
Connect us with any foundation that
gives in-kind support to charities in Cameroon
•
Discuss the project with your friends
and meeting groups