The Ministry of social affairs has withdrawn about 82 children from the streets of the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde.  

The move is part of a pilot operation launched on April 1, 2020 and aimed at relocating the children to the Listening and Transit Center of Yaounde, where they would enjoy a minimum daily care and support package.

In the course of this voluntary withdrawal, the children are being screened on the spot before been transported. On the various relocation sites, medical care are offered by teams mobilized by the ministry of public health.

During her tour of the transit centers in Yaounde, Social affairs’ Minister, Pauline Irène Nguene took time to interact with the children that have been relocated to the facilities this morning. She came in as a mother to grant them more advice, support and show them the good sides of their resettlement in a more conducive and appropriate site.

For a track record and smooth run of this operation, Minister Pauline Irène Nguene, equally paid a working visit to the video surveillance unit of the police in Yaounde.

According to information gotten from the ministry of social affairs, these children will be inserted in many social and recreational programmes. They will have to take active part in educational talks, individual or group interviews. They will be able to eat, refresh themselves, and receive care and moreover there will be follow-ups with regards to their detoxification as most are drugs addicts.

Planned for a 3 month period in the various centers of Yaounde I, II, IV and V, these activities will unfold gradually and according to the evolution of children’s behaviour.

The children will be taken off the streets and will be re-socialized through four possibilities being: a return to the family, placement in a workshop initiation to trade, educational placement for those who meet the conditions and placement in a rehabilitation center for minors.

This activity will initially be extended to the cities of Douala and Bafoussam in the days ahead.

In view of the complex and transversal nature of the fight against the phenomenon of street children, the operation benefits from the support of institutional partners such as the ministry of public health, national employment fund, local councils and most especially the Delegation for national surety.

Bracing up the challenges at this moment of COVID-19 is one of the major preoccupations of the ministry of social affairs who intends to pursue government’s fight against this pandemic disease in its own way.

Elise Kenimbeni