Description

UNICEF's Salma Zulfiqar reports on the efforts of mothers in Perma village, northern Cameroon, to help more girls enroll in school.

Transcript

Promoting Girls' Right to Schooling in Northern Cameroon Salma Zulfiqar: These women want to see more girls going to school in Northern Cameroon. So they’ve taken the task in their own hands. RECAMEF, an association of mothers is going into villages to try and convince families and traditional leaders to send girls to school. In some cases, they also provide financial help to pay for school fees. With support from UNICEF and the Ministry of Basic Education, the association has grown over the years. The women all volunteers have created networks across the northern and eastern regions. They now have 250 branches. The first part of call for RECAMEF in all villages is the community leader. They turn up on mass to make sure their message is heard. It’s crucial to get his support in order to meet with parents. Lamido Bouba Hamman: Now the girls who are going to school are able to have jobs and we even have women ministers. Salma Zulfiqar: It’s common here for parents to send just boys to school because they’re seen as the breadwinner. Girls are traditionally married off at an early age so parents are reluctant to invest in their education. In some parts of the north, only one in five students is a girl. But here in the village of Perma, girls’ attendance has risen almost 50% over the last two years. When 12-year old Hawa was forced to dropout of school two years ago, she was devastated. Her days were spent at home doing domestic choirs. Her parents couldn’t afford the fees and decided that her brother should go to school instead. Thanks to RECAMEF, Hawa is now going back to school and has the opportunity to pursue her dream. Hawa Mamoudou: I love school. I want to study for a long time so that I can become a doctor. Salma Zulfiqar: RECAMEF’s Aissatou Abdullah says it’s a tough job changing attitudes but very satisfying. Aissatou Abdullah: I feel very happy when I see them going to school. And I feel happy when I see them studying in class. Salma Zulfiqar: UNICEF is supporting 150 primary schools in the north and east by providing teacher training, books and education kits which encourage girls to start and continue going to school. Vijitha Eyango: RECAMEF is making in roads enough due the fact that it’s the mothers of girls who is going out to the community identifying the problems and reaching out one by one to families and ensuring those girls have no excuse not to be in school. With support from the government and UNICEF, RECAMEF plans to build on it’s successes in Perma and reach out to another three districts next year, giving girls across Cameroon a brighter future. This is Salma Zulfiqar reporting for UNICEF Television. Unite for children.