Refugees Condemn Prostitution, Call for Help

Joblessness among settling foreigners in the port city of Douala is said to be on a steady increase. The immediate consequence on the population is an unprecedented rise in births. An average asylum seeker, one with a recognized status, is barely able to afford lodging in a slum, while contribution to the family pantry is largely dependent on every adolescent of the household. Education, health and decent lodging still beckons voluntary intervention.

A good number of refugees, who live averagely and can only eke a living from micro enterprises earns about FCFA 50,000 a month. As a result many, usually the less educated class, prefer piece jobs and as such only occasionally sponsor square meals for their family. Groups of about 2 to 6 of the foreigners throng into a room. A sizeable portion of the residential structures in the slums of New Bell, Bonadibong, and Makéa teem with mostly nationals from Central Africa Republic, DR Congo and Chad, but largely as squatter residents in the Makéa and 'Village' neighbourhoods.

A plethora of the problems was raised by refugees themselves during a ceremony to commemorate the World Day for Refugees in Bonanjo, Douala, June 20. Elesse Mirielle fled DR Congo when the Kabila backed rebels stormed Kinshasa in 1997. As a single mother, she has two kids but is unable to trail their feeding and education. Apart from generous favours from the Cameroon government and United Nations High Commission for Refugees, she has no other source of help for the most basic needs. Some young female refugees fall prey to various abuses in indecent professions like prostitution and a few young men are left with the option of accepting to work long hours in menial jobs at their disposal. Besides, other hurdles like legal protection, poor or difficult living conditions, integration into the job market are a problem. She calls for a little more help from government and the Cameroonian public.

In spite of this the refuges are provided loans, encouraged to set up small income-generating activities, offered free medical attention in partner hospitals, HIV/AIDS patients receive a monthly emolument from the UNHCR and are assisted in education through scholarships, Sokeng Yannick, UNHCR Protection Assistant, revealed.