SOS Children in Cameroon
Cameroon is in west central Africa, on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea. The modern state was created in 1961 following the unification of two former colonies, one British and one French, beginning its independence with a bloody insurrection which was suppressed only with the help of French forces. Poverty is widespread, with over 50 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, particularly women and children. An estimated 56 per cent of the population is under 20 years old and infant and under-five mortality rates are on the increase. Debt servicing is a significant drain on government resources which, together with growing defence expenditure and widespread corruption, impacts considerably on the provision of basic services such as education and health.
In January 1990 an agreement was signed between the charity and the government of Cameroon to construct an SOS Children's community near the capital, Yaoundé, in the small town of Mbalmayo. Construction started in 1998 and the village finally opened in1997. During this time, SOS Children's Villages established a kindergarten and a primary school on the site in response to the high rate of illiteracy in the area.
SOS Children Mbalmayo is 45 km from Yaoundé in a small village called Ngallan. The charity has built ten family houses and is home to 100 children. The kindergarten has room for 150 children and over 400 pupils, mostly from the local community, attend the twelve-classroom primary school. There are two sports grounds and a number of training workshops.
Further community aid for the local population is provided by the SOS medical centre in the village which treats over 350 patients a month, offering general medical care and preventative health counselling.
See Also:
Aids Orphan Projects in Cameroon, Africa
Local Contacts
SOS Children Charity in Cameroon
Villages d’Enfants SOS du Cameroun, 103, rue no 1862 Derrière Usine Bastos, BP 12196, Yaoundé
Tel: 00237/221 27 26
Fax: 00237/221 27 24
e-mail: vesoscam@camnet.cm
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