Haoua, 13 years old, dreams for a household for every child
Under a tree that almost hides the fiery and burning sun of Houlouf, a small village in Logone and Chari, many children are gathered and very concentrated around a fun activity. The instruction given by their animator to make artistic clay items of any nature of their imagination based on any object that represents what they want for their future. Despite their large number and the many objects being produced, it is difficult not to notice the little Haoua alone, looking a bit confused and seem not to master this artistic side. After a few minutes with much reflection and encouragement from the animator of the child friendly space, her work is ready: it is a pot supported by 3 large stones underneath a fire. Besides, some cutlery and a plate. Curious to know what all this means for her, she answers: “a child needs a home, to be able to eat and be protected. When we were asked to make what we would like to have, I thought of a time when we were all in family, we did not miss anything, my mother had the possibility to make us meals in her own kitchen and we had our dog beside us. Today it is not very possible we have abandoned all our goods because of the war, “she told us, looking a little sad but with an air of hope.
Haoua like many children present at this creative activity at the child friendly space is a refugee. She is from Banki, Nigeria, she and her family fled the village in 2015 to find refuge around 300 km in Cameroon in this small village named Houlouf. There, they experienced what she called “very painful and traumatic moments”. Today, with her mother and brothers, she has found in Houlouf, a community of refugees and displaced persons in the extreme north of Cameroon. She still remembers those nights when gunshots forced she and her brothers to press each other under the bed imploring God to give them life and were half awake praying that the morning would come, and they would still be alive.
With the support of Japan, UNICEF through its partner CLIRA (Children’s Life in Rural Area) has identified her among children aged 10 to 14 who have suffered trauma due to abuses of Boko Haram to benefit from psychosocial support through child friendly spaces activities. At least four times a week, in the safe spaces developed for children for three months, Haoua and the other 400 children enlisted in this program attend various activities including, recreational, play educational discussion sessions followed by sensitization on various themes. These activities empowers and develop in them the notion of solidarity, peaceful social cohesion and contribute to the prevention of kidnappings, enrollment into armed groups, avoidance of drugs, importance of birth certificates, bad company, prevention from violence and exploitation.
Haoua today manages to get out of her shyness and even if what she lived four years ago still has consequences, she feels more fulfilled. “Before I did not have friends, I did not like to seat and could not express myself where there were are a lot of people but now I would not want to miss any opportunity to come here to this child friendly space, to play with others and listen to advice from our animators and the social workers. I now live an almost normal life, feel useful, “she says. She regained her taste for school thanks to the apprenticeship program implemented in these secure areas for children. But because of the lack of means she is forced to sell water to help her mother feed the family. She would like to have a normal schooling and build a house with a large kitchen to feed her family and children in the future.
