In Bangshie, Cameroon, thousands of children have been missing out on education. Insecurity and a lack of investment meant that schools were ill-equipped to provide quality learning. But a new project has transformed one of the primary schools, opening up new opportunities to both local and displaced children in the area.
Back to school in Bangshie: investing in education for Cameroon’s children
Almost 10 years on from the eruption of violence in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, the situation remains unstable. The ongoing insecurity has caused children to miss out on education, with many schools damaged or closed. In 2024, an estimated 596,000 school-aged children in the two regions needed humanitarian assistance, including 156,000 who were displaced from their homes.
Almost 10 years on from the eruption of violence in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, the situation remains unstable. The ongoing insecurity has caused children to miss out on education, with many schools damaged or closed. In 2024, an estimated 596,000 school-aged children in the two regions needed humanitarian assistance, including 156,000 who were displaced from their homes.
Those children who still attend school often find themselves studying in aging classrooms that are in dire need of maintenance and renovation. A lack of proper sanitation facilities affects the quality of education and means girls are less likely to attend. Poor infrastructure also leads to overcrowded classrooms, far exceeding the teacher-pupil ratios prescribed by the government.
Overcrowded classrooms
The oldest primary school in Bangshie community, in the Northwest region, was faced with a difficult dilemma in October 2023, just a month into the second term of the academic year. A block of two classrooms collapsed, forcing the community and school authorities to combine two classes in one classroom. This made it very difficult for children to learn.
“We had no other choice than to merge some classes. Pupils of classes 1 and 2 were now forced to sit together, likewise classes 3 and 4, which didn't make learning easy, as the children had difficulties keeping up,” recalls Madame Victorine, the head teacher.
Some parents stopped sending their children to school, fearing that one day the old classrooms would fall on them. In addition, basic facilities were lacking, with only a worn-out latrine block and no form of segregation for girls and boys. The hygiene situation was deplorable, with children having no choice but to use the surrounding area to relieve themselves, or to go home in the most urgent cases.
These issues had a negative impact on the community's general level of education. Children had nothing to do, or else went out to work to help their parents. “The children were not feeling good at school anymore, and it showed in the results,” says Madame Victorine.
Room for everyone
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) stepped up to help provide urgent basic services, with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
In just over two months, we had supported local contractors to construct two new blocks of four classrooms, each equipped with 30 benches. There was now enough room for all six classes to be taught separately, and even to receive more children from the community. Children were also equipped with school kits including bags, notebooks, pens, rulers, erasers and other items needed for study.
We constructed a new latrine block consisting of four cubicles, allowing girls and boys to access sex-segregated latrines adapted to their needs while in school. Girls now have a space where they can safely change during menstruation, which greatly improves school attendance and prevents the risk of infection. The latrines are adapted both for menstrual hygiene management and for people with reduced mobility.
Promoting good hygiene
As part of the project, 284 pupils at the primary school participated in Children’s Hygiene and Sanitation Training (CHAST) sessions. These focused on various topics such as handwashing, environmental hygiene and conservation, and water treatment. Through case studies demonstrating the importance of hygiene, the children learned, amongst other things, how to wash their hands properly before eating.
"Madame taught us many things,” says nine-year-old student Aishatou. “She told us to always cover our containers of food and water so that flies and dust would not enter and we would not get sick. She also told us to regularly wash our hands. I wash my hands all the time in school and at home, and I also ask my brothers and my friends to do like me.”
We ran similar sessions on hygiene promotion for the wider community, using an approach called “Wash’Em – Hand Hygiene in Emergencies” to encourage handwashing-related behaviour-change.
Madame Victorine was heartened by the support and the community’s response.
“I saw something that I thought was nothing with no hope which has turned into a great thing because of a kind of commitment which I have never seen before,” she says.
Investing in the future
We also introduced the Better Learning Programme (BLP) to the school. This is a psychosocial support programme, designed to help teachers support children who are suffering from stress and trauma. Teachers at Bangshie primary school are now better equipped to support children who have experienced conflict or displacement.
Some 192 school kits were distributed, while targeted cash support ensured that 25 vulnerable displaced children received uninterrupted education. As a result, all 25 successfully completed their exams and transitioned into secondary school.
The Better Learning Programme also fostered peer-to-peer support networks through organised recreational activities, such as a girls’ club to help adolescent girls develop life skills.
Children can once again attend school in Bangshie. The structural investment from the project has sparked discussions among the school authorities about reducing school fees for vulnerable children, especially those who are displaced. This will greatly increase enrolment, making maximum use of the facilities which were designed with growth in mind.
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