Full Speed Ahead

Interior work on the ground floor of the women’s shelter in Cameroon began recently. Tiles are being laid, walls plastered, and windows and doors installed. The final step will be furnishing the rooms with beds and closets.

Why a Women’s Shelter in Cameroon?

The shelter is primarily for women with children who have been cast out by their families (for example after a divorce, after rape, or because of a disability), for victims of domestic and sexual violence, and for women displaced from conflict zones.

»Domestic violence is widespread in Cameroon,« the AVC project leaders explain. There are hardly any support systems for victims, and younger women suffer the most: »Young women and teenagers get pregnant early because they haven’t received adequate sex education.

Many fathers disown their daughters when they come home pregnant and send them back to their abusive partners. If they don’t want to stay there, they end up on the street or, if they have no education or training, often in prostitution.«

Opening in Sight

This is where we want to offer those affected help and an alternative. During a stay of several months at our shelter, women can recover, receive psychosocial counseling, and learn practical skills such as hairdressing so they can become financially independent.

The first floor will have six bedrooms for women and children. With a temporary roof in place, the first women are expected to move in around the turn of the year.

A second floor is planned for a later stage and will allow the shelter to operate at full capacity. A small guardhouse is also needed, where a security guard can be stationed to keep the property safe. It will also include a small office.