Against all odds: Giving hope to 1000 Sahel women

Every woman has dreams of a brighter future. Every woman must be given an opportunity to make it in life regardless her age, socioeconomic, geographical or ethnic background. Never dull the light of a woman because when her time to shine comes, no one can stop it. Women should not only be partners in development but actors in the game.

Last year, I was opportune to visit the Northern part of Cameroon precisely in the Extreme North region. It was my first time visiting that part of the country though I had heard a lot about the rich cultural heritage of the Sahel people. As I embarked on this journey, I was full of joy because I was about to discover new realities, meet new people and know more about the culture and tradition of the Far North region.

Leaving Yaounde, I was very enthusiastic and didn't mind the distance I was going to cover. As we entered the northern part of the country, I was mesmerised by the beautiful scenery and vegetation. At one point we took a short break for people to ease themselves and freshen up. That was when I discovered the reality. Children as young as 5 were hawking and women were sitting at home. I asked myself why will children as young as these be hawking? Where are their parents? What are their mothers doing? The puzzle filled in my mind till I arrived my destination.

Once in Maroua, I decided to visit some women around to know more about their reality and some challenges women in this part of the country face. Sahel women face a lot of challenges due to cultural limitations. I was told they are supposed to stay at home while their husbands go out and fend for the family. With the difficult economy and high cost of living, it becomes very hard for the man alone to fit the bills so they are really suffering, they lack the most basic necessities (sanitary pads, food, cloths etc). When they want to go out to sell like other women, they have problems with their husbands. Some husbands are so violent with their wives. With hardship and financial dependence they are victim of domestic violence and other forms of GBV. Some courageous women have to flee from violent marriages and return to their families. Some have to endure being in such marriages because they want to honour their families. Women are held down by a patriarchal society culture still sees a woman's place as being in the kitchen. Which still thinks the woman has no say in the decisions concerning the family. A woman is supposed to honour her husband, be submissive and never complain. The man is the head of the family and has the power to do and undo.

This situation is really affecting the lives of the women and their children. Children drop out of school due to poverty and the inability of the father to keep up with family expenses. Women stay at home and have multiple births because of idleness and lack of knowledge on family planning methods. The man wants to be in control of everything, which is impossible.

Growing up in a modest home, I know how difficult it is for one man to fit all the bills. Using my experience, I decided to embark on a very ambitious project : Empowering 1000 Sahel women and girls. In this project, I hold educative talks with the women on the need for financial autonomy, leadership, mentraul health and personal development. In an attempt to help them come out of the shackles of financial dependence and poverty, I also train them on producing liquid soap, bleach, pastries, fruit juice and many other products which they can sell to have some money. These women at times have to hide from their husbands in order to benefit from these trainings. At some point I held educative talks with some men for them to see the need for their women to help out with some charges in the house for a better future for their families.

Gradually the women who have been following these programs have started helping out in their homes. The young girls are now aware of the importance of education, economic empowerment and are prepared to dialogue with their future husbands before they get married in order to avoid being in a situation where they will be tied down by some cultural practices.

I think if we all join our hands to empower marginalized communities, we will be giving them hope. Against all odds, women who are tied of living in bondage, women who want to take their destinies in their hands, women who want to be empowered for the betterment of their children, join our training programmes though in hiding, they are able to learn a skill. As a women's right advocate, empowering women financially is the key to women's personal growth. Let's give women the key to participate in nation building and they will open the doors of prosperity in our nation.