Early marriage, prostitution, and poverty. These are just some of the reasons young women in Cameroon suffer. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antida Thouret are working tirelessly to improve the situation of women. They run training centers in Ngaoundal, in the Adamaoua region, to help the young women who turn to them for help. Many of them have a high chance of being married off by their parents as young as 12 years old or ending up in the prostitution network.

One of the nuns, Sister Claudine Boloum, says,

“But once you have made them independent, it is difficult to trap them.”

That’s why they offer education to these girls. They are taught English and French, cutting, sewing, and accounting. The girls arriving at the centers are usually from Foulbé or Mbororo ethnic backgrounds. In these societies of Muslim herders, women are less valued and at higher risk of ending up in poverty. But with the proper education, they will have better chances to sustain themselves.

The Sisters also run two clinics that provide basic medical care, such as caring for pregnant women, vaccinating children, and treating malaria. The clinics are badly needed in Ngaoundal since the closest hospital is kilometers away, and locals tend to turn to witch doctors for help first. In many cases, it only worsens their state.

The Sisters have been in Cameroon since 1987 and have already improved women’s living conditions; they are working towards obtaining further achievements.

Source: Vatican News