Cameroon: Plan International supports vulnerable and Internally Displaced Children in the Northwest.

October 11 is observed every year as the International Day of the Girl child as declared by the United Nations. It is in records that October 11, 2012, was the first Day of the Girl Child. The UN seeks to use the day to ignite  more opportunities for girls and increase awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide. The theme for this year's celebration is  Girls Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable. Empowering Girls for a brighter tomorrow.

As the crisis in the North West Region (NW) of Cameroon persist, children especially the girl child suffers more.

Vulnerable and internally displaced children.

To protect and fight for the rights of these children, Plan International initiated and established Child Protection Committees (CPC) in all communities in the NW region. The role of this committee is to sensitize parents and children on the Rights of the child.

This year, the day was celebrated with alot of emphasis on the well-being of the internally displaced girls in the North West Region. Participants at this year's celebration came from almost all the social classes.  Addressing her mates and parents, one of the internally displaced girls, Valiska, thanked Plan International for the constant financial, moral, material and spiritual support given to the Internally displaced children living in Ntamulung and other communities in the NW. "We equally want to thank the organization and its donors for the psychosocial support and the fight against gender inequality, and empowering the girl child." She added.

Sylvia Anyangwa Mbu

Sylvia Anyangwa Mbu, project coordinator with Plan International NW expressed satisfaction with this year's celebration, especially as parents turned out in their numbers to support the kids in the sensitization process. She added that  celebrations are taking place in all the communities supported by Plan international in the North West. She urged parents to make use of the Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) created by Plan International. It is worth mentioning that these spaces are carefully selected in safe areas to accommodate children during this unsafe moments.


However, it should be noted that Plan International has been constant in the fight for rights of the girl child, gender balance and combating gender inequality. This inequality includes areas such as access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage.
The celebration of the day also reflects the successful emergence of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research.

Children celebrating with cultural values

Kids who could not have the opportunity to make speeches expressed their gratitude to plan international in songs, poems and drama for empowering them.

The International Day of Girls initiative began as a project of Plan International, a non-governmental organization that operates worldwide

Section of the event hall.

The idea for an international day of observance and celebration grew out of Plan International's Because I Am a Girl campaign, which raises awareness of the importance of nurturing girls globally and in developing countries in particular.

Ambe Macmillian Awa.