The ongoing conflict in Cameroon has left critical gaps in the health and education sectors in the communities that we serve. Hospitals are closed, and hundreds of thousands of children lack access to formal education, with children throughout the Northwest region entering their fourth year without school.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses additional challenges to Cameroon. From March 6 to May 19, 2020, there have been a reported 3,529 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country (Source: World Health Organization), an increase from 2,800 cases five days ago. As the number of confirmed cases rises, a lack of financial and health resources poses considerable risk to the regions we serve.
This year, our goal in Cameroon is to expand our programs into five more regions of the country by leveraging the social infrastructure of our long-established education and health programs. We aim to provide meaningful support to families dealing with the realities of the conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Rooted in respectful partnership with grassroots leaders, our efforts to empower women, children, and remote villagers, who are among the most vulnerable populations, are needed more than ever.
The Himalayan Institute Cameroon staff have more than a decade of experience coping in adverse conditions and serve as a trusted source of health information in the region. In response to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team provided educational materials and communicated best practices on COVID-19 prevention and symptom identification to groups, institutions, and influential leaders throughout the region. They continue to serve communities remotely as our main campus, in accordance with best safety practices, remains closed.
We are eager to open up our campus again when it becomes safe to do so. We’re hopeful for the future, and we look forward to providing you with further updates as they unfold.
In Gratitude
The Himalayan Institute’s humanitarian initiatives in Cameroon depend upon the love and support of our donors—the progress and development we have seen over the years could not have been possible without you, and for this we are truly grateful. Together, we are creating peaceful communities throughout Cameroon.
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