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Empowering Girls Through Education in Cameroon

Imagine being a girl in Cameroon, where you face many barriers to education that prevent you from reaching your full potential. You may have to work to support your family instead of going to school. You may have to drop out because you can’t afford tuition fees and school supplies. You may have to miss school when you are menstruating. You may have to study in the dark because you don’t have electricity.

These are some of the challenges that millions of girls in Cameroon face every day.

But what if there was a way to change this? What if there was a way to empower girls through education, which research indicates as a key to breaking the cycle of poverty and improving their lives and communities?

That’s where A2Empowerment comes in. We provide scholarships to girls in Cameroon who have demonstrated academic potential and financial need, covering the necessary expenses for a year of high school, such as tuition, fees, uniforms, and supplies. We also partner with local mentors who provide our students with guidance, support, and encouragement throughout their academic journey. We monitor our students’ progress and performance through site visits and surveys. We also encourage our students to participate in extracurricular activities that enrich their learning and personal development.

We are proud to share the highlights of our 2022/23 scholarship program, which supported 103 girls in the Adamaoua, East, North West, and West Regions of Cameroon. We conducted a survey with our scholarship recipients during our site visits in May 2023, and we are thrilled to report that our program is positively impacting their education and well-being.

High Survey Response Rate

We received a high survey response rate of 84%, which shows that our scholarship recipients are engaged and committed to our program. These results were gathered through site visits facilitated by Grace, our alumnae leader in Cameroon, who took the time to gather feedback from students and teach a seminar on finance. The site visits in themselves were beneficial for scholarship recipients, as highlighted in the chart below.

Outstanding Academic Performance

Our scholarship recipients are performing well in school, despite the challenges they face. According to our survey, 24% of our students are ranked in the top 10%, and 52% are in the top 20%, of their class. These numbers are impressive, considering that many of our students come from rural areas where the quality of education is often low and the resources are scarce. Our survey results highlighted in the chart below also reveal that our students see benefits in many important life skills because of our program. The A2E team is so proud of their achievements and aspirations!

Resilience and Determination

Our students have shown resilience and determination in overcoming various obstacles that affect their academic performance. Our survey revealed that 53% of our students cited their own or family health concerns and/or a death in the family as a contributing factor to their academic performance. Additionally, 34% of our students reported having unreliable access to electricity, which makes it difficult for them to study at night or use electronic devices. Their strength and courage truly inspire us!

Access and Opportunity

Our scholarships provide access and opportunity for girls who would otherwise not be able to attend school. Our survey indicated that 59% of our scholarship recipients would not be in school if it weren’t for our scholarships. Since these results reflect data from previous years, this means that we continue to help hundreds of girls who would otherwise be at risk of dropping out, getting married early, or becoming pregnant.

Extracurricular Activities

Our scholarships not only help our students pay for their education but also allow them to pursue extracurricular activities that enhance their learning and personal growth. According to our survey, 49% of our scholarship recipients are involved in extracurricular activities, such as dance, poetry, drawing, gymnastics, and finance club. Of those involved in extracurricular activities, 35% said it wouldn’t be possible without our scholarships, suggesting that our scholarships free up time for our students by reducing their need to work, or enabling them to work less, to cover their school expenses. Moreover, our scholarships provide them with access to mentors who facilitate their participation in extracurricular activities.

Continuing Support to Graduation

At A2Empowerment, we are committed to supporting our students through graduation and beyond. Our survey showed that 44% of our scholarship recipients continued their studies for more than a year. This indicates that our scholarships are effective in retaining students in school and preventing dropouts. Furthermore, 21 of our students completed high school in 2023, which is a remarkable achievement considering the low secondary completion rates in Cameroon. Congratulations to our students for achieving their academic goals and graduating with flying colors!

Our scholarship recipients inspire us with their achievements and aspirations. They are the driving force behind our mission. We thank our generous donors, supportive partners, dedicated mentors and alumni, and enthusiastic volunteers who make our program possible. By empowering girls through education, we can create a brighter future for them and their communities.

To learn more about our program and support our cause, visit our website at a2empowerment.org. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay updated on our latest events and stories!

A2Empowerment is powered by outstanding volunteers

Narrative written by Ina Lee

Data collated by Ryan Mitchell

A2Empowerment 2021-2022 Scholarship Program Recap

Narrative written by A2Empowerment board member and alumna, Vanelle Takou; Data collection and analysis by A2Empowerment board member, Ryan Mitchell

Girls’ education has been a preoccupation for anybody who believes that educating a girl child is the future of a whole nation. Historically, in many parts of the globe tremendous problems and vulnerabilities surround the environments of girls: systemic poverty, lack of family and community support, limited educational opportunities, lack of voice, early marriage, and adverse social attitudes.

These vulnerabilities can constrain girls and women economically and socially and may result in risky sexual practices that contribute to poor long-term reproductive and health outcomes. Due to these constraints, females may lack motivation, skills, and resources that would otherwise enhance their self-reliance and aspirations for the future.

However, things are changing in recent years.

In Cameroon, A2Empowerment scholarships have contributed to the happiness of many families since 2008. The establishment of A2Empowerment has been the light at the end of the tunnel in the lives of many Cameroonian girls, including 105 scholarship recipients during the 2021-2022 school year.

To improve our work, we conduct surveys every year to assess the academic process, academic problems, and situations of each student related to the scholarship program. In this article, we are going to present the most recent survey results from this past school year. Importantly, our data suggests that 67% of scholarship recipients would not be able to attend school without A2Empowerment scholarships.

It is a difficult task to combine academic and non-academic responsibilities. The scholarship enables students to make more space for studying and extracurricular activities, and avoid overwork, by lessening the financial burden for families so that scholarship recipients can avoid, or reduce, working outside of the home. It allows them to be just a student and a kid.

Our data supports the idea that the scholarship frees up time for students to be more focused on improving their academic status.  Eighty percent of scholarship students are ranked in the top half of their class, including 28% performing in the top twenty percent of their respective classes.  In addition, their involvement in extra activities support this idea.  Over 80% of scholarship recipients have time for extracurricular activities, such as volunteering, science clubs, and sports activities. Along with the mentoring they receive during A2Empowerment monthly meetings, these activities help in building leadership skills and preparing them for professional life. 

Overall, our data support the idea that scholarships reduce financial burdens for students, allowing them to remain in school, concentrate on their schoolwork, and perform well.

A2Empowerment 2020-2021 School Year Recap*

A2Empowerment scholarships can make a decisive difference in the lives and educational experiences of Cameroonian girls. We regularly conduct surveys to better understand each student’s academic progress and situation as a result of the scholarship program, and to get feedback for improving our work. We are delighted to share a summary of the most recent survey results with you, authored by volunteer Ryan Mitchell. Notably, 84% of scholarship recipients reported that they would not be able to attend school without A2E’s scholarships.

The scholarships also relieved students’ non-academic work responsibilities, freeing up time for studying, extracurricular activities, and simply being a kid. Of the students who responded about how the scholarship affected their non-academic workload, 43% were able to stop working entirely and 43% were able to work fewer hours. On top of all students being involved in the A2E club, about 39% of students take part in additional extracurricular activities, which range from civic education and sciences clubs to health and sports clubs that aid further learning and socialization.

The scholarships also help reduce the workloads and financial burdens on the students’ families. For example, one student said that the A2E scholarship “reduced my parents’ responsibilities and permitted me to go to school”. Factors like reducing financial burdens and allowing girls to go to school have been shown to help girls avoid early marriages, and that is reflected in several student survey responses.

Our surveys examine further barriers to education (in addition to the costs we address) to understand and identify how we might further reduce absences. One example is our recent efforts to provide sanitary pads to girls, so they don’t have to miss school when they are menstruating, a common issue in Cameroon and other countries where resources are limited. Unfortunately, other barriers that restrict the girls’ academic progress, such as limited access to electricity, are out of our control.

Mentoring by A2E Cameroonian Partners positively contributed to students’ final grade point averages, with 71% of the survey responses identifying monitoring and support as positive contributing factors to students’ GPAs.

In summary, the positive impact of our program was evident in our survey results, and we obtained information to help us continue to improve. This impact was conveyed in the survey from a student who wrote that her scholarship “has encouraged me to have confidence in me to realize my goal and to work hard always.”

[1] For the direct quotes used in this article, the author intentionally corrected misspellings.

*The original article published on November 18, 2021 was corrected on December 3, 2021 following the receipt of additional data that had previously not been included. The previous version reflected 80% of Cameroonian Partner mentor responses, whereas the new version reflects 100% mentor participation.  The previously missing data had been stored under a different SurveyMonkey heading unbeknownst to the author.

A2Empowerment 2020-2021 Recap: A Snapshot of an International Education Program

Written by: Graham Button (who also leads our monitoring and evaluation work.)

Photo of A2Empowerment students, courtesy of Florence Yousseu.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and the US, A2Empowerment has continued to make a positive impact in the lives of Cameroonian girls. In the 2020-2021 school year, more than 100 Cameroonian girls were given scholarships and mentorship that helped them to continue their education. In fact, approximately 4/5 of the girls who A2Empowerment funded reported that they would not be able to attend school without a scholarship from A2Empowerment. A2Empowerment endeavors to monitor, evaluate and learn from the impact that the scholarship and mentoring has on each of the girls by working with the scholarship coordinators, ensuring that the program is working as intended and enabling A2Empowerment to make adjustments as necessary.

Many of the girls were able to improve their study habits because they received a scholarship from A2Empowerment. While most of the recipients still had expenses that were not covered by the scholarship, such as transportation, uniforms, or textbooks, 92% of scholarship recipients who responded to the question reported that they were able to either stop working or work fewer hours because they received the scholarship. Half of the girls reported that reduced economic responsibilities positively impacted their education. The scholarship recipients had more time to study, and more than 2/3 of scholarship recipients had time to be involved in extracurricular activities at school. A2Empowerment is using the data collected to adjust the scholarship amounts in order to cover more school-related expenses, such as textbooks, in the future.

Financial support was not the only reason for their academic progress this year – A2Empowerment does not just provide scholarships, but mentorship as well. Scholarship recipients are expected to attend monthly meetings where they receive training on life skills and the scholarship coordinators can monitor their academic progress. More than half of the girls reported that this monitoring and support by their scholarship coordinators helped them with their academic progress, and a third said that support from their fellow scholarship recipients made a positive impact.

While A2Empowerment cannot solve all of the challenges that the scholarship recipients have to deal with – for example, approximately 2/3 of recipients do not have access to electricity – the financial support and mentoring provided through the A2Empowerment Scholarship Program has made a tremendous difference in the lives of the scholarship recipients.

If you are interested in girls’ education (either in Cameroon, other parts of Africa, or in general), please do not hesitate to contact us or sign up for our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you.

A2Empowerment’s Impact

Since our founding, A2Empowerment has been monitoring and evaluating the program in various ways to continue to improve and determine our impact.  Monitoring and evaluation is currently led by Graham Button, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and A2Empowerment Board Member.  Graham uses mid- and end-year surveys to capture information from our partners in Cameroon to assess student progress and meeting attendance.  Graham used that data to create the following narrative to recap the direct impact and tangible results A2Empowerment had last year during the 2019-2020 school year.

Scholarship recipients participating in a community project to plant trees, organized by mentor Guillaume Chungong.

A2Empowerment had a successful 2019-2020 school year and was able to help 86 girls throughout Cameroon go to school through scholarships and mentorship. Unfortunately, schools were interrupted partway through the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the girls who received scholarships from A2Empowerment still made incredible progress in their academic development. A2Empowerment endeavors to monitor and evaluate the impact that the scholarship and mentoring has on each of the girls by working with the scholarship coordinators, ensuring that the program is working as intended and allowing A2Empowerment to make adjustments as necessary.

The results of that monitoring and evaluation have demonstrated what a positive impact A2Empowerment has had on the lives of these girls. Almost half of the girls reported that they would not have been able to continue going to school without a scholarship from A2Empowerment, and one girl had even dropped out and went back to school after finding out that she would receive it!
Many of the girls were able to improve their study habits because they received a scholarship from A2Empowerment. While many girls still had expenses that were not covered by the scholarship, such as transportation or textbooks, more than half of scholarship recipients reported that they were able to either stop working or work fewer hours because they received the scholarship. This gave the girls more time to study, and more than 2/3 of scholarship recipients had time to be involved in extracurricular activities at school. A2Empowerment is using the data collected to adjust the scholarship amounts in order to cover more school-related expenses, such as textbooks, in the future.

Scholarship recipient monthly meeting, organized by mentor Florence Yousseu.

 

Financial support was not the only reason for their academic progress this year – A2Empowerment does not just provide scholarships, but mentorship as well. Scholarship recipients are expected to attend monthly meetings where they receive training on life skills and the scholarship coordinators can monitor their academic progress. More than half of the girls reported that this monitoring and support by their scholarship coordinators helped them with their academic progress, and a third said that support from their fellow scholarship recipients helped them. 

While A2Empowerment cannot solve all of the challenges that the scholarship recipients have to deal with – for example, approximately half of recipients do not have access to electricity – the financial support and mentoring provided through the A2Empowerment Scholarship Program has made a tremendous difference in the lives of the scholarship recipients.

Meet the Girls: Angèle Beigoll, A2E Alumni

Angèle Beigoll is an A2Empowerment Alumni who was mentored by PCV Leah about 10 years ago. She recently reconnected with us via social media and agreed to be interviewed for our blog! Please read her inspiring interview below.

Hello hello to you! You are doing well, I hope … I am also well by the grace of God.

Here are some answers to the questions you asked me last time:

When did you receive the scholarship and were you mentors for the program?

  • I received the scholarship for the first time during the 2009-2010 school year in 4th grade and Miss Leah my mentor for this program.

What are your fondest memories from that time?

  • I have a lot of memories of this time. For example, the learning sessions in drawing that my mentor offered us, moments of exchange of ideas on our cultures and yours. She even taught us English in outside school hours. There were also these pretty stickers that she liked to stick on our papers according to the grade we obtained. It was really very fun and informative.

What did you receive from the A2Empowerment scholarship program?

  • The A2Empowerment scholarship funded my studies from the 4th to the 12th grade by giving me an annual sum of 30,000 FCFA which allowed me to pay my school fees and buy some supplies, too.

How did it affect your life at the time?

  • This scholarship was really a gift from heaven. I am from a family of 14 children, of which I am the seventh. This scholarship helped my parents a lot and it motivated me enormously to continue studying.

How do you think it affected your life goals?

  • This scholarship allowed me to keep hope, to believe that it was still possible for my family and me to realize my dream. Thanks to you, today I hold a license in Biology of Animal Organisms, obtained in one of the best-known universities here in Cameroon. After the license, there were no longer enough means to continue since I am in a large family and my younger brothers and sisters also had to learn like me.

What are you doing now and where do you want to go in the future?

  • Currently, given the difficulties of life and the fact that I became fatherless in May 2019, I have taken a temporary job as a trainee cashier in a micro-finance establishment called the Regional Savings and Loans HER. In the future, I would very much like to be able to realize my dream to become a doctor in order to help others in my turn.

What would you like to tell us about the A2Empowerment program?

  • What I have to say about this program is that God bless you abundantly for what you do for these thousands of young girls in the world. It is very encouraging and motivating for the families as well as for us the beneficiaries.

Would you like to say something to the A2Empowerment donors?

  • To A2Empowerment donors, continue in this way because, thanks to you, many families in the world today see their children succeed and become capable people in society, thus enabling families to send their children to school. Much courage to you and may the Almighty God bless you in all your businesses and in your families … because it is thanks to God for making you a real instrument of blessing for Africa, in particular, and the world in general.

Do you want to say something to current students?

  • To current students, I will tell them to take full advantage of this opportunity offered to them because many people would like to have this kind of opportunity, but they do not experience it. I would also tell them to work well in school to encourage our donors to continue their support. This is very important.

Do you want to say something to the Peace Corps volunteers who are currently working with us?

  • Peace Corps volunteers do very good volunteer work. It takes a lot of courage. Your perseverance and your love of helping others is very instructive for us beneficiaries, and it reinforces our feelings of altruism.

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

  • Just to add, thanks to you, I got my BEPC [a certificate received after passing a standardized exam] and passed the Probationary Exam a year earlier than expected. Also, at university I was leading in my promotion to license II …. it’s not to brag, but I figured you might want to know. God gave me this ability, and I am grateful to Him every day for putting you in my path.

God bless you abundantly ….
I love you!!

*translated via Google Translate and edited for clarity by Anne Cheung

A2Empowerment in Nyambaka, Cameroon

Authored by Sidney Jasper, PCV Cameroon & A2Empowerment Mentor
 
With a few exceptions, women’s work in Nyambaka is mainly limited to selling food and other items at the market or tending fields. There is a lack of women role models who have broken out of the traditional gender roles. I believe many girls do not know of other possibilities or opportunities for their futures, which may create a major obstacle to education. This, in addition to what I have observed in the community as well as what I know and have learned about the traditional, agricultural way of life in Nyambaka, has allowed me to form the conclusion that education is not prioritized by many families in this village, and even less so for girls.

 

However, this story is not about how I or a counterpart responded to this issue, but rather how the girls in the A2E group have taken the initiative in responding to this issue in two separate projects. In early 2018, I asked the girls what they wanted to do to celebrate Youth Day, 11 February. They chose to organize a dinner party for the teachers. I sat back and watched in amazement the planning process, as the girls showed up at my house the day of the event with their various contributions, and worked together to prepare a delicious meal. The real amazement, though, came during the dinner. Each girl sat with a different teacher or administrator and while eating, explained A2Empowerment, the topics we had covered thus far, and why they feel strongly about girls’ education. Many teachers said they had not known about the A2E group, but they thanked me for working with the girls and said they support our objectives. As we were walking back to my house to clean up, I even overheard the girls boasting about their conversations with teachers and their impressive responses. 

 

The second A2E success story involves me urging the girls to plan a “community project” with very little direction aside from that. They chose to go to the primary school and give a presentation to the girls of CM2 in order to give them advice about what to expect at the lycée next year, as well as to encourage them to continue their education, as it is common for female students to not continue to secondary school. We practiced the presentation in the weeks leading up to it with each girl being assigned to present on a certain topic in response to the questions: 

 

  1. When you were in primary school, what did you wish you knew about lycée that you know now?
  2. What were you afraid of before coming to lycée?
  3. Why is girls’ education important?
  4. If your parents told you that you could not continue you your education because they cannot afford to pay for your tuition and instead they found a man to marry you, what would you do?
Once again, I was blown away by their informative responses and the way they engaged the large group of girls in the discussion by asking questions. I have seen time and again secondary school students transform into incredible role models when working with younger students. Although I have not yet found a community counterpart who will devote time and energy to working with this group, I was pleased to see the girls themselves take this initiative of promoting girls’ education into their own hands and begin advocating to one sub-group of adults and their younger peers. I think these projects make even more of a lasting impression when it’s the individuals affected by this issue who are speaking out and advocating for themselves. Whether they realize it or not, I know these girls are developing leadership, presentation, and organization skills that will allow them to become influential role models and community leaders. Without taking any ownership of what the girls accomplished this year, I am so very proud of them and excited to continue supporting this important work next year.Primary School Presentation (4)Primary School Presentation (3)Primary School Presentation (2)

Meet the Girls: Grace Sop, A2E Alumni

Grace Sop is an A2Empowerment Alumni from the Adamoua Region of Cameroon who was mentored by RPCVs Claire Kofler, Allison Sanders, Emma Jehle and Danielle Nicolai Freymeyer.  It is a challenge for us to stay connected with alumni, and we have plans to address this issue.  This is why we were absolutely thrilled when Grace contacted us through Instagram last year, and she agreed to be interviewed for our blog!  Please read her inspiring interview below.

A2E: When did you receive the scholarship?

GS: I received my scholarships from A2Empowerment during the school years 2009-2010 (in 6th class) and 2011-2012 (in 4th year class) thanks to my father, who reached out for help because of the difficulties he had affording to send my brothers and me at school.

A2E: What are your fondest memories from your time in the program?

GS: I have many memories that have been really important to me.

I will never forget those few hours we shared every week with Allison and Claire. I remember how eager I was to go to the educational sessions at Allison’s home, because there they taught us many things, and I especially loved it when Allison baked us cupcakes (I’m still dreaming about Allison‘s cupcakes! In my dreams I have walked through the rain and hot sun to have them…it’s funny, but I did it (shame !!)!! Cake + teaching = total happiness

There is another memory that always puts a smile on my face from when I got into the terminal class. We had an evaluation which I had previously performed poorly on, and before this next evaluation I promised my teacher I would achieve a 17/20. If I performed poorly, I would not only have a bad grade but I’d also disappoint my teacher. A few days after the teacher graded the evaluation, I found out, with happiness, that I had the top grade of 16.5 /20! My teacher congratulated me, even though I did not reach the 17!! From that moment, every time I worried about an upcoming evaluation, my comrades teased me because every time my grade was above average. I was so scared to fail!!!!

A2E: What did you receive from A2Empowerment?

GS: The A2Empowerment Scholarship offered me books (English, French, Mathematics, SVT); literary works on the program; notebooks; pens, in short any supplies including my uniform. This scholarship also paid for registration and exam fees. We were also entitled to educational events, and small beauty accessories that Anne sent us. I could not say exactly what I received because it was a big gift bag full of delights.

A2E: How did it affect your life at the time?

GS: This scholarship  revived my desire to succeed because I did not attend for myself alone, but for many people who wanted me to succeed in my studies. I got up every morning saying that everything depended solely on me, my desire to get to the top of the hills or stay in the valley.

A2E: What are you doing now and where do you want to go in the future? 

GS: Now I am a student at the University of Ngaoundere where I am studying for a license in animal biology.  After obtaining my license, I would like to enter a medical training school to realize my dream of beinging a pediatrician.

A2E:  Is there anything you would like to say to A2Empowerment donors?

GS: To all those people who believe in the girl, who think that an educated girl is a plus for the welfare of society and who supports development and development of the girl, I would like to tell them deeply thank you because through your various gifts, you revive the hope and the joy of many girls. For me, this scholarship has been of immeasurable importance because the simple fact of knowing that there are people who want me to succeed in my studies motivated to work harder. Please continue to perfume our lives with hope, love, and tenderness. Thank you so much!!!!!!

A2E: Is there anything you want to say to current students?

GS: I would like to tell the current students to believe in themselves and in their dreams, and to fight to realize their dreams. We could give you the advice and all the gold of the world but if you do not trust in yourself, if you do not believe in your abilities, this will be of no use. This scholarship allows you to take a step towards your various dreams so make good use of it and remember that hundreds of people believe in you and in your abilities. Give the best of yourself as a mountaineer, push your limits and have faith.

A2E: Is there anything you would like to say to the Peace Corps Volunteers who are currently working with A2Empowerment?

GS: I wish to say thank you to Peace Corps Volunteers who worked with us and new volunteers, because it is they who feed us with courage and advice when we need it. I have a lot of admiration for them because they leave their culture and families to integrate with love for our culture in order to see the girl educated and fulfilled. I am thankful to you, you are unique!!

A2E: Is there anything else you would like to mention?

GS: In areas where girls’ education is not valued, we should meet with traditional chiefs of villages and parents to help them understand  that an educated girl is a benefit to the family and community.

We congratulate Grace, and we are so proud of her for all she has accomplished!

*translated via Google Translate and edited for clarity by Anne Cheung

Meet the Girls: Fatima Abdullahi

The following profile comes courtesy of Dicko Sulle, the interim head of English Language and Literature of English Expression at GSS Upkwa.

Fatima Abdullahi Photo courtesy of Dicko Sulle

Meet Fatima Abdullahi, an orphan who never saw her real father. Her father was shot dead by thieves when she was just 2 years old. Fatima and her younger sister, Maryam Abdullahi lived with their maternal grandmother after their mother remarried another man. Fatima is currently in form five while her sister, Maryam is in form three in GSS Upkwa. Fatima is a fourth time recipient of the A2Empowerment scholarship and one of the brightest and focused on achieving her goals in life. She plans to becoming a nurse and is assiduous, punctual in class with strong interest in extra-curricular activities. Fatima is engaged and open-minded which allows her interact freely more than many others. This quality makes many to see her as role model who can trigger positive mentality change in the Aku community regarding girls’ education.

The Aku is a community with rigid traditional patterns that relegate women to the background. They believe the best place for women is the kitchen and girls are married off as early as twelve years. They believe that sending girls to school is exposing them to taboo behaviors like premarital sex and early pregnancy which families regard as abomination. To have a child out of wedlock is considered a public disgrace and the safest way to avoid it is marrying off girls early enough. Note that the Aku community number about 40,000 inhabitants and there are only two girls who have ever reached high school. Due to cultural prejudice, none of the two went any significant way in achieving their life goals, one of them ended up marrying a stark illiterate husband as a third wife while the other one is trying a living as a nurse with a private health unit.

You may be wondering why I began by associating Fatima’s story with her sister’s, Maryam. It is not out of mere coincidence. Both girls have been under stiff pressure to marry. Last year, their uncles attempted to marry Fatima off to his son. After strong resistance, Fatima and I rallied her maternal uncles to isolate the uncle and stop the marriage. After conceding defeat, this uncle never completely withdrew his bid. This time around, he has succeeded to gain Fatima’s paternal grandfather’s support to push the deal again and two of them are making considerable advances. Grandparents’ opinions are usually treated with much respect in the Aku community and Fatima’s marital life is now hanging in a balance. They have already succeeded to marry off Fatima’s younger sister Maryam who is only 13 and the spotlight is now entirely focused on Fatima.

Fatima is now only 17 and the Cameroon legal system requires in its section 356 (2), that anyone who forces a girl under 18 years old into marriage is liable to imprisonment of up to two years whatever the mitigating circumstances. Fatima is poised to defend her right to education and marry only at the appropriate time but her family pressure is already showing visible signs of psychological wear down. Her school attendance rate has dropped, she has been regularly sick and she fears that her end of course official examination in June 2018, will be negatively affected. Fatima’s story is not an isolated case of girls being married off against their will. But her story has already sparked hard conversations on the phenomenon because of her interest in attending school and asserting her voice regarding her marital life.

I am confident Fatima will win the battle and pave the way for many more girls to assert their voices. My role in Fatima’s story is not to entirely stand against a long term tradition of early marriages, but to give education preference in the lives of girls. Standing against this tradition will only antagonize me with the community and hinder my ability to continue talking about girls’ education. My view is to seek alternative ways how this phenomenon does not stop girls’ access to education by encouraging community members to accept married women can go to school. To speak about this with authority and provide a palpable example, I have sent my own wife to school from her marital home. Rashida, whose story started in a similar way like Fatima, is in form three in GHS Wum and my goal is to empower her to join her voice to mine in advocating girls’ education in the future.

Bra Project, Take 2

by Anne Cheung

In the fall of 2016, I got an email from a friend at work asking if she was still collecting bras for disbursement through her A2Empowerment network in Cameroon.  Why not?  After all, the original project had been successful and a few bras had rolled in here and there since the first collection in 2012.  I thought I’d just stuff a couple more into the closet until the next big donation drive…well, that drive happened sooner than I thought because by replying yes to that email I had inadvertently agreed to the next big bra donation drive!  Next thing I knew, I was copied on an email distribution list to the women’s network at the company where I work!  I didn’t want to deny those in the A2Empowerment a chance to donate, so I put out an email. Hundreds of new or nearly new bras were donated last fall.  Longtime A2Empowerment supporter and dear friend, Mia Rushe, along with her daughter Maeve, volunteered to take over.  They sorted through all of the bras, packaged and repackaged them to find the most efficient means of shipment, and paid hundreds of dollars to ship them to Peace Corps Volunteer, Gina Dettmer, in Cameroon.

Gina and local women in her community held a bra sale in late Feburary.  As relayed by Gina in March,

The bras arrived last week.  Oh, have they been a hit.  We are selling them at 200F each (about 30 cents) to various women’s groups:  our A2 girls, our Widows Empowerment Project members, and local farmers.  All proceeds go to our widows’ group.  I wish you were here to hear the comments.  “This breast wear is STRONG.  Beautiful!  Beautiful!” Makes me so happy.

Thank you for making me so happy.  For making my counterpart (the one in the green dress) so happy, and all the women and girls who are benefiting.  Rock on!

What’s better than sending 200+ bras to Cameroon to literally support women, improving their confidence and self-esteem? Sending 200+ more!  We have hundreds of additional bras, many collected in Western New York by Anne Rapin’s mom and aunt, waiting to send and still sorted in the Rushe basement. This fall the Women’s Internal Network (WIN) at Biogen plans to hold a fundraiser to collect funding to ship the remaining bras to Cameroon.  Stay tuned for Bra Project, Take 3…

A special thank you to the Rushe family, Gina Dettmer, Gloria LaSota, Lynne Rapin, Parika Petaipimol, all volunteers and everyone who made a donation!