Safe Our Children

The situation in Cameroon right now is just crazy. From the Ongoing Crisis in the English Speaking Regions of Cameroon, The covid_19 pandemic, increase in rape and now, moral decadence in our schools. How do we cope, knowing that our children are in great danger. Thry are into hard drugs and porn in schools, the outcome is violence. Gross violence!

Growing up, we were raised by the entire community. A woman old enoough to be our mother, had every right to scold at us and even punish us if we did anything that was not appropriate. She did not need an authorisation to do so and we were very careful as we knew that we could be humiliated at any time. In our days, we did not have the exposure and freedom our children have today. We did not have internet, not to talk of access to it or gadgets. We did not know about human rights and freedom to do and not to do things our way. I am not saying that we did not get into trouble, we got into trouble but not as it is nowadays. We were involved in drugs but it was rare. We were involved in premature sex but not as it is today. We seldom disrespected our parents. We got the right training, what is stopping us from passing that unto our children?

Our daughters have menstruation, rape, abortion and all sorts of evil to deal with. How are we heping them out? We have the crisis and pandemic to deal with, do we just watch our children go astray? There is a rise in immorality in our schools. We see videos of our children taking drugs, having sex parties, fighting and killing themselves and their teachers in schools, and yet nothing is done. Hope for Vulnerables and Orphans (HOVO), is joining forces with other organisations to bring solutions to these issues.

We will have to create safe spaces where in we shall have to meet with parents, teachers, students, government and community leaders. In this safe space, we would host children who lack a place to stay. We will host a psychosocial unit to offer counseling and tyreatment to children who are suffering from trauma. We will cause government to take strict measures on existing laws on the protection of children in school milieux, goverment shall reinforce the law on the ban of contrabands, government and parents shall ensure  censorship from service providers like telecommunication and other internet providers on the safety of children online. We shall organise a lot media campaigns and intergenerational dialogues so that we have a balanced community.

We need to safe our children  and we must take action now. We have started online campaigns and we will take other actions through if you can give us more practical suggestions. We do not want an unhealthy environment after the pandemic for our children.