Skills Acquisition: Plan Cameroon Trains, Supports 50 Vulnerable Girls

Material and funds were offered to the girls in Yaounde on December 15, 2016, to enable them practise their new trades.

Some 50 young girls from Yaounde II Subdivision in Mfoundi Division of the Centre Region on Thursday, December 15, 2016, received testimonials to conclude a skills acquisition training organised by the charity, Plan International Cameroon. The training, which began last July, was carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family and the “Association des femmes Haoussa pour le développement,” AFHADEV.

The four-month training and material support worth about 16 million FCFA was in areas such as sewing, decoration, dyeing, hairdressing, cookery and processing of products. In order to enable the new crafts girls begin work, Plan Cameroon offered them sewing machines, hairdressing masks, beauty products, decoration material, cloth for sewing and dyeing, etc.

Speaking at the event, the Country Representative of Plan International Cameroon, Bell’Aube Houinato, said his organisation seeks a just world that promotes the rights of the child and equality for girls. He noted that at the international level, factors such as socio-cultural taboos, poverty and the low level of education of some parents contribute to keeping millions of girls out of school.

Instead, they are obliged to carry out household tasks, income-generating activities to fend for their families or simply married off early. Houinato noted that the situation was not very different in Yaounde II Subdivision with many vulnerable girls out school, while others have never received any education at all. Still others are married off early, thereby exposing the girl mothers to divorce and rejection since they were never prepared for marriage.

“Hindrances to the progress of young girls concern all of us. In order to support government’...