Education is under threat

Each year, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) publishes a report of the ten most neglected displacement crises in the world. For the sixth year in a row, Cameroon is on the list. Three separate humanitarian crises have unfolded over the last decade and education remains a sector in crisis. Schools continue to be under attack in many parts of the country and thousands are closed.

Hadja, 12, and her family fled from armed attacks and the threat of child marriage. They now live in the village of Igawa Meme in northern Cameroon. 

At a school built by the Norwegian Refugee Council in this village, Hadja is one of 500 children who get the chance to go to school. Despite everything Hadja has been through, she has found joy and safety with her classmates.The school is a safe space for these children.  

Even though Hadja's story gives hope for a better future, there is also a lot of poverty. Many families lack food and clean water. Parents are unable to afford to get their children treated when they were sick and some send children out to work to help support the family.  

Our work in Hadja's village shows how much we can achieve when we work together. We have built a new school and three water points that supply the entire local community with clean water. This has already changed the lives of thousands of people.