African Women's Day:

Bangem Women Prioritize Back To School
By Boris Esono with additional reports from Mesumbe Neville
Prior to the celebration of African Women’s day, Bangem women took to the street in the early hours of July 31, 2019, echoing the need for children to go back to school. The women moved from street to street weeping and carrying peace plants and placards calling for children to go back to school come September 2019. Some of the messages included amongst others “Bangem women for peace, Dialogue”, “Bangem women for education”.
    The First Deputy Mayor of Bangem Council, Madam Akang Epolle, averred that their children have become wayward, pregnant and recalcitrant as a result of school boycott. “…some of our children have gone to the bushes. We want them to come back. Besides that, some have failed the GCE because of the upheavals rocking the Two English Speaking regions of Cameroon.”
    When asked if this was the perfect time for children to go back to school considering the present realities, Madam Akang responded by saying that schools should resume while we continue to solicit for dialogue.
    While addressing the women, the Mayor of Bangem Council, Mr Ekuh Roger Simon said education can change the society to the best. “Experience has shown that when people are looking for whatsoever, they do not stop going to school. Interrupting school is not the best option.”
    “We can still fight for our rights without stopping children from going to school. “Those children were delivered by you (women). We should all be praying that schools should start and for God to hear our cries” He added. 
    The Senior Divisional Officer for Kupe Muanenguba assured the women of their children’s safety come September 2019. “Come September, we shall be together and you shall put on your children’s uniforms.” He said
    The SDO also disclosed that he, together with some stakeholder had a meeting with ELung Paul Che. Though the purpose of the meeting was not disclosed, the SDO promised the women that he would inform Minister Elung Paul Che that Bangem women are behind him. The SDO’s word and hospitality came as a solace to some of the women who have been championing back-to-school in their municipality.

    For the past weeks, the calls for children to go back to school in the North West and South West Regions have intensified. From politicians, civil society organizations to journalists, they all have one voice and one goal in mind, children to go back to school.
    According to Human Rights Lawyer Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla, “It is a laudable imitative that has to be supported as education is very important. It is fundamental human rights and we need to encourage our children to go back to school. I understand that the security situation is worrisome but then there are places where children can go back to school”. “To have a million uneducated children, let us have at least 500 hundred thousand. Let us start working towards it. It is going to be a gradual process and it will not be done today. Let us at least not prevent them from going back to school”.
    A report by CHRDA notes that the consequences of the prolonged school boycott, since for three years and counting now are more than catastrophic. Before October 2016, more than 6 thousand schools were operational in the North West and South-West Regions. As at December 2018, less than 1 hundred schools were operational in these regions, meaning that 5900 schools had shut their doors, with over 600 thousand students out of school and at least 40 schools burnt. In a UNICEF 2019 report, at least 600 thousand students are out of school in the North West and South-West Regions.