Traditional rulers in Donga Mantung, North West region and students of GBHS Nkambe have been told to be ambassadors against gender based violence in their respective communities.

This follows a sensitization program on Jan. 30 in Nkambe, organised by the US Embassy in Cameroon in partnership with Hope for the Needy Association, HOFNA, – a nonprofit organisation based in Bamenda.

The program targets the eradication of detestable practices like child trafficking, forced marriages and punitive widowhood practices rites which they said are barriers to sustainable development in the division.

Fon Budi III of Kungi in a presentation of the Wimbum tradition, said, in the past, forceful marriages were practiced in many palaces and nowadays it is more common among the Fulanies where children as young as nine are given out to elderly men for marriage.

He said that the consequences are enormous, including the violation of right to education, right to choice and exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. The traditional ruler who frowned at the notion of sending children to the city to work as boy-boy or baby sitters, took firm commitment to fight such practices and end gender based violence.

Ebesom Benjamin, assistant D.O for Nkambe, warned that any parent, who gives out her daughter for marriage forcefully, will face the rage of the law. He warned against undignified widowhood rites and concluded that the administration will make sure that obnoxious practices are eradicated.

Earlier on at GBHS Nkambe where the sensitization started with over 500 students in attendance, Ken Martin, Principal of the school revealed that the school has about 1,800 girls, but regretted that only a few succeed to go above upper sixth level due to pressure from parents. He recounted the case of one Mbororo student who is supposed to be in Upper Sixth but did not because her father refused to pay her school fees on grounds that they want her to get a husband.

The students presented a debate titled “education before marriage or marriage before education” and concluded that those who get married before seeking education usually face so many setbacks in life.

Chongwain Christelle Bay, chief executive officer of HOFNA and president of Mandela Washington Fellowship in Cameroon denounced the phenomenon of child labour and trafficking in Nkambe. She told the students “never miss an opportunity to improve your environment given that education is the solution.” She said both boys and girls should bear in mind that marriage can wait and that education is key to a successful life. “That’s how you can be the change we want.” she concluded.

Marilyn Shaws, Cultural Attache at the US Embassy, very impressed with the students’ performance during the debate, said “education is very important given that no one can take it from you.” Besides promising that debate clubs will be launched in schools around Donga Mantung for students to share ideas on burning human right issues, Shaws said the US Embassy will do a follow up through the plan of action agreed by the school community to ensure practices that negatively affect human dignity are eradicated.