The humanitarian caravan of CERAC was in Bonaberi, where it expressed the First Lady’s deep feelings through a timely donation of gifts.
“Madam Chantal Biya… has sent the ladies of CERAC, who have accompanied me today, to give you these food items and school materials.” Those were the words of Ndoh Née Bakata Bertha, Special Adviser No.3 to the Prime Minister, representative of Madam Chantal Biya to a ceremony on Monday, December 20, 2021to hand gifts to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and children who because of the sociopolitical crisis in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon had to leave their comfort zones in the SW region and settled in Bonaberi in Douala IV Subdivision.
The gifts consist of food items (rice, cooking oil, beans, garri, spaghetti, sardine, etc), school materials (bags, exercise books, pens, etc), beddings (mattress, blanket) and laundering necessities (soap), to meet their needs of sleeping, feeding and schooling. The First Lady’s representative to the ceremony, Ndoh Née Bakata Bertha, symbolically handed the assistance to the beneficiaries in the presence of the Secretary General in the Littoral Governor’s Office, Aboubakary Haman Tchiouto, and the Subdivision’s administrative, political, traditional and religious authorities.
On behalf of the IDP, Ayuk Benson Mathias, IDP Representative for the Littoral, extended gratitude: “… thank you for your worries, for your concern and for your time taken this day to visit internally displaced people… living in Bonaberi.” The gifts, to him, will help the children to pursue their educational dreams and reduce the burden for food and sleeping among the beneficiaries.
Since the beginning of the crisis Madam Chantal Biya has been deeply touched by the plight of the persons displaced from their homes and the trauma and difficulties they are going through on a daily basis. Over the year the first lady has promptly responded through the Circle of Friends of Cameroon (CERAC) and with the support of government to a wide range of disasters both natural and caused by man that have threatened the well-being of the populations throughout the national territory, ensuring that the affected populations, especially the most vulnerable social strata receive adequate assistance.
Since the inception of the crisis CERAC’s humanitarian caravan has been to Galim in Bamboutos Division in December 2019, then Missole in the Sanaga Maritime Division in December 2020. Recently it was in Bayangam in Koung-Khi Division in November 2021 and just a week ago, in Ntui in Mbam and Kim Division on December 13, 2021. December 20, 2021 was the turn of SW IDPs in Douala IV Subdivision.
At each stage CERAC worked to provide much needed assistance to IDPs residing in those localities as well as to host families who provide shelter and meals to the homeless.