Every day these children greet each other with laughter, then head into class. But for these students in Eloumden, Cameroon, education is not a guarantee.
Cameroon lies at the juncture of western and central Africa, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in western Africa. Eloumden is about 50 miles outside the capital of Yaounde It is a rural area, and many families have little or no money.
They can’t afford to send their children to school; this center is the one place kids can get an education and life skills. The classrooms are sparse. The textbooks are few. There are no computers. But children learn to read, write along with skills to ensure they are trained for future work.
“The school is a very good school. But we have a lot of challenges. We have the challenge of space. We have the challenge of maybe some equipment. And our environment is really still small. “
-Madam Geneviette
48 students are enrolled in the school They learn life skills such as cooking, broom making and baking. They make their own meals.
Today they are learning to cook on a three-stone fire and making Ndole, a traditional meal of spinach, bitter leaves and peanut sauce. They do not have ovens or stoves to cook on. Using wood and charcoal for fuel, the children are exposed to heavy smoke and carbon monoxide. At a young age the children have to manage their exposure.
Madam Wamba knows what the kids are going through. She grew up in the same situation; poor access to education, little or no resources. She developed a homeschooling plan for her own kids, and that expanded when neighbors asked her to teach their children.
Despite the hard times, children find joy in learning and playing – even with toys others discard.
Thanks to small donations, the women can provide meals to the kids – for some children, the only food they will eat all day. Viridiane’s Hope for Children’s Health and Education is working to help these children, but we need you too.
Even the smallest donation can make a big difference to a child a world away.