SOS Children in Cameroon

Overview of Cameroon

Our Work in Cameroon

Yaoundé

In January 1990 an agreement was signed between SOS Children and the government of Cameroon to construct an SOS Children's Village near the capital, Yaoundé, in the small town of Mbalmayo. Construction started in 1998 and the village finally opened in1997. During this time, SOS Children's Villages established an SOS Nursery and an SOS Primary School on the site in response to the high rate of illiteracy in the area.

SOS Children's Village Mbalmayo is 45 km from Yaoundé in a small village called Ngallan. The Village has ten family houses and is home to 100 children. The SOS Nursery has room for 150 children and over 400 pupils, mostly from the local community, attending the twelve-classroom primary school. There are two sports grounds and a number of training workshops.

Further community aid for the local population is provided by the SOS Medical Centre in the Village which treats over 350 patients a month, offering general medical care and preventative health counselling.

Douala

SOS Children's Village Doula was built on a seven-hectare plot of land that had been made available by the authorities and is situated on the road linking the cities of Douala and Yaoundé. With its twelve family houses with a capacity of 120 children, the Village opened its doors in August 2007. It passed from 50 children in 2008 to 83 children in 2009 including 35 girls and 48 boys aged from 1 to 13 years. There is an SOS Nursery and SOS Primary School on the same site.

Aids Orphans in Cameroon

Aids Orphan Projects in Cameroon, Africa

Life in SOS Villages Cameroon: My first day back at school

Fabrice is nine years old; he lives at SOS Children's Village Mbalmayo in Cameroon. He is in the third year of primary school. He started back at school on 7 September 2009 and told us about his first day.

"I woke up at 5am. The waking up was not difficult, because I was happy to go back to school and meet new friends. I brushed my teeth, took a bath and wore my new school uniform. I had breakfast before going to school. It was bread, butter and pap. I was so happy to go back to school that I packed my school stationeries four days before the classes reopened. Everybody helped me to pack my school bag. My mother, my sisters and my brothers were packing my bag. It was so funny.

I left the house with my brothers around 7:20 am for school. We went by foot, because the school is not far from our house. We entered the classroom at 7:30 am, together with the class teacher. The first lesson was based on school rules. The teacher told us about our duties and our obligations at school. I like this first lesson and I find it interesting. The teacher told us that it is forbidden to come to school with dangerous objects like knives, matches, scissors and many other sharp objects. We went on recreation at 10 am. I had bread and butter for this small break.

The day ended at 2:30 pm. We had a total of three lessons on this first school day. The ambiance at school was quite good, even though one of my classmates cried because she broke her pencil sharpener. We laughed at her, but she did not know that we were laughing. I was very happy to go to school again and meet the teacher whom I already knew and who taught us so many things.

I went directly home after the classes. There was nobody at home. My brothers and sisters were still at school, and our SOS mother was out for some shopping. When our mother came back shortly afterwards, she was happy to meet me again. She hugged me and asked me several questions like how I spent the day? Like if I had new friends? Like if I liked the classes?

I liked the day a lot. I met several children who are not from the village and we are already friends. The most remarkable thing which pleased me is my new school uniform. I thought that only pupils from secondary school wear school uniforms. I did not know that even those from primary school have school uniforms.

I promise to work hard because after my studies, I would like to be a footballer or a policeman."

*name has been changed to protect privacy

Local Contact

SOS Villages d'Enfants Cameroun   

Rue Charles Bindzi (1819)