CONAC tried to trick me - Orphanage Owner

Augustine Amougou, Director and owner of an orphanage in Mfou in the Centre Region, recently revealed that the National Anti-Corruption Commission, CONAC, tried to trick her.

She was speaking during an outreach event to her orphanage, organised by an NGO, One Humanity Charity Organisation, OHCO.

Asked whether she gives children out for adoption, Amougou said she has never thought of such a thing and that she even became more protective of the children ever since CONAC tried to trick her.

“One day, a couple came pleading that they have been childless for many years and that they would like to adopt a baby. I dismissed them, advising them to follow the normal procedure by applying to the Ministry of Social Affairs. The husband called me a few days after and promised to pay me FCFA 2 million if I should sell the child to them. I told him that I love the children and will never sell any of them,” she recounted.

She said she was surprised when the man came back to congratulate her and revealed that he was a CONAC official investigating child trafficking in orphanages.

She said she faces so many difficulties, such as; lack of appropriate medical care, lack of storage facilities, inadequate finances to purchase the children’s basic needs such as clothes, poor toilet conditions and lack of space.

“The lack of space is a serious problem as children of opposite sexes sleep in the same room. This is the reason why a 16-year-old orphan had just given birth, impregnated by another orphan in the same orphanage,” she said.

“This is very dangerous because some of the children are HIV positive but I remain hopeful that these orphans would be resourceful persons someday.”

She equally expressed hope that Government would give her the authorisation documents, which have been pending in the Ministry for a long time to run the orphanage.

Leading the delegation of OHCO, which donated foodstuffs, clothes and utensils to the orphans, Ferdinand Ngwa said the problems raised by Amougou were enough reasons for donors to give more consideration to orphanages in the hinterlands.

“OHCO is out to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. We do not work with orphanages in the cities, but with those in suburbs and villages,” Ngwa stated.