Signs of hope for the young people around Tatum community

Since November 2016, heaven has been stormed with prayers and supplications form all and sundry, at home and abroad, for an end to the sociopolitical crisis in Cameroon. Trusting that God’s time is always the best, the Brothers in Tatum Community, the lone surviving Community in the English-Speaking region of Cameroon recently challenged themselves to match prayers with action. Hundreds of young people with no means of relocating to safer areas to continue education stranded in the village have been a cause for concern for everyone looking into the future, often said to be in the hands of the youth. Hence, without prompt intervention, their future and particularly that of teenage mothers and their children remains bleak.

It is from the above background that the three Brothers in this Community took the challenge as preparations for a new academic year was underway to do something for these hopeless cases. In collaboration with the parents, an informal school setup has been put in place with some classrooms around the Community and the rest within the Mission premises. A team of committed teachers has equally been invited to collaborate with the Brothers and deliver quality wholistic education to these children from Form One to Five.

With assistance from FMSI office in Rome, within the context of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance, the young people in this program have so far received some basic writing materials. This is a welcome relief since these have become very scarce in Tatum with the roadblocks and the fact that most prominent businessmen have relocated. As the learning process continues, more assistance in food items and sanitary equipment will equally follow.

As we call on Mary’s continuous intercession, we continue seeking out the countless helpless young people and their families, victims of this senseless crisis that has brought everything to a standstill. This is our pride as Marists of Champagnat, not giving in to despair but instilling hope in them to believe that all is not lost.