Care and Capacity Building for Women, elderly and Children
Women in Cameroon from impoverished families often live in precarious situations. If they lose their husbands, they may be driven from the family home, and left to care for children with no income. If they weren’t taught skills or learnt to read and write, they can be forced into poorly paid work in vulnerable conditions, and even prostitution. Crossroads is sending a shipment to a project which has a number of programmes reaching out to vulnerable women and children. They offer care and support to widows, orphans, elderly people and children in difficult family situations. They have a micro-finance project, a library for youth and social and financial support for HIV-positive pregnant women and children.
Potential impact:
- Clothing & household equipment for hundreds of widows and orphans
- Equipment for youth programme for 1000 young people
- Equipment for vocational training programmes for 500 families.
Shipment includes:
- Books, stationery and basic school supplies
- Toys and sports equipment
- Computers for vocational training and administration
- Clothing and household goods for vulnerable families.
Mama Elizabeth lost her husband in 2002, and was left with 8 children to raise and no job. Our partner organisation, gave her training – not only to make baskets, but also to establish a micro-enterprise to market and sell them. She has her dignity, and her children are fed and can attend school.
Our shipment will provide materials to help in vocational training to help more people like Mama Elizabeth.
Mbale, who is reaching out to these street children in a unique way: through music! By taking children from the streets into their centre and teaching them how to play music, it gives them something which is beyond price: confidence and a positive self-image. Since starting less than 10 years ago, they have seen hundreds of children pass through their programmes, many going on to reunite with their families, and some even securing jobs as music teachers around the country. The band makes some money from performances, which allows the children to afford a basic living away from the street.
