- Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
- Child Protection and children living with Disability
- Education and Training of the Girl Child
- Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship
- Rights of indigenous people
- Human Rights and Protection of vulnerable populations
- Rights of Prisoners and Humanitarian Aid to Inmates.
- Humanitarian services in Emergencies and Relief.
- Poverty Eradication through Capacity building and life skilled facilities.
- Peace, Conflict prevention and disaster management to save lives.
- Psycho-Social Support Counselling and Trauma Healing.
GENDER EQUALITY (FIGHT AGAINST GBV) COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH
More than 1,500 community leaders in conflict-affected areas in poor rural communities are now champions and voices of change to end stigmatization, prejudices, harmful cultural practices and all related ills of SEA and GBV in the communities following adequate skills, and knowledge gained.
SHINE GIRLS PROJECT (SURVIVOR CENTRED APPROACH) IS A GROWING COMMUNITY INDUSTRY TOWARDS THE ADVANCEMENT OF GIRLS AND WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY.
BIHAPH is empowering over a thousand girls and women in poor rural communities through training in Computer studies, Secretarial Duties, Décor, Tailoring, Pastries, Market Gardening, Beads Making, and Hair Dressing etc. At the end of this training, survivors of GBV all receive start-up kits and/or financial assistance. We currently run an empowerment center in Wum that has a functional restaurant, documentation and tailoring workshop with over 20 women employed.
CHILD PROTECTION AND CHILDREN LIVING WITH DISABILITY:
BIHAPH is fully involved in child protection in marginalized communities of the North West Region, Cameroon affected by armed conflict. We have been involved in the need assessment and provision of didactic materials, food and medications to needy children.
PROMOTION OF THE EDUCATION OF THE GIRL CHILD
Investing in Girls’ Education Transforms Rural Communities
Due to harmful cultural practices and the ongoing armed conflict in the English-speaking regions Of Cameroon, one in three girls are out of school in poor rural communities.
The reasons for this dropout include: armed conflict, poverty, child marriage and gender-based violence, cultural stereotypes, and Poor families often favour boys when investing in education.
BIHAPH works with communities, Governments and partners to remove barriers to girls’ education and promote gender equality in education – even in the most challenging settings.
Because investing in girls’ secondary education is one of the most transformative development strategies, we prioritize efforts that enable all girls to complete secondary education and develop the knowledge and skills they need for life and work.
Tackles discriminatory gender norms and harmful practices that deny girls access to school and quality learning.
Promotes social protection measures, including scholarships, to improve girls’ transition to and retention in secondary school.
Addresses other obstacles, like distance-related barriers to education, re-entry policies for young mothers, and menstrual hygiene management in schools.
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
We have since 2015 trained youths in various fields so that they can be economically empowered. This has gone a long way to provide self-employment to more than 100 of them. This has also helped to reduce the crime wave which is common among idle youths.
Our work among the Bororos, Housas and Fulanis in Wum, Bafmeng and Benakuma speaks volumes. Through our educative and informative programs, they now know their rights and freely associate with others in the community. BIHAPH has equally done a great job in educating them to send their children to school and to allow their women to work among others. BIHAPH has gone a long way to employing some of them.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS:
BIHAPH has been instrumental in the protection of women, children and other vulnerable groups like IDPs, the Handicapped, the Elderly, the Bororos, Housas and Fulanis etc. We provide them with legal, financial and material support. Above all, we have trained hundreds of them in our vocational training programs and assisted them go to school.
RIGHTS OF PRISONERS AND HUMANITARIAN AID TO INMATES
As of 2023, BIHAPH has facilitated the unconditional release of more than 10 persons unlawfully detained in Wum and Bamenda.
HUMANITARIAN SERVICES IN EMERGENCIES AND RELIEF
The crises in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon presented a serious humanitarian crisis that needed multiple interventions. BIHAPH has been very active in providing relief in terms of dignity kits, foodstuff and vocational training to IDPs and returnees to affected persons in the communities.
POVERTY ERADICATION THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING AND LIFE-SKILLED FACILITIES
BIHAPH has through multiple workshops, vocational training and provision of start-up kits empowered more than a thousand persons in hard-to-reach poor rural communities. This has gone a long way to provide them with life skills and reduced poverty.
PEACE, CONFLICT PREVENTION AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT TO SAVE LIVES
BIHAPH in 2022/2023 ran one of the most impactful Peace Programs in Bamenda I, II and III municipalities that focused on the use of traditional and cultural norms to enhance Peace and resolve conflicts. BIHAPH has also set up a Peace and Dialogue Committee in Wum that has been successfully resolving cases of Farmer/Grazer conflict in that municipality. BIHAPH believes in building peace at the grassroots- a bottom-top approach. Through this, they have successfully built peace and stopped community violence through inter-community dialogues. BIHAPH also mainstreams economic activities in peace building to empower communities affected by armed conflict to take responsibility, build resilience and build healthy communities.
PSYCHO SOCIAL SUPPORT AND TRAUMA HEALING CENTRE AS A PEACE PROCESS.
In the midst of these horrors and unfolding disaster, the human mind, body and spirit is wounded and disenfranchised. There is a need for healing, rebuilding and social reintegration. Without treating trauma, the violence continues, making peace building and reconstruction difficult.
BIHAPH believes that communities can positively transform the prevailing context of violent conflicts in the NW Regions of Cameroon into a safer, secure, productive, and just place. The entire population is experiencing a severe slowdown in economic activities, the kidnappings, and disruption of economic activities due to the unprecedented and prolonged ghost towns have made LIFE miserable and unbearable to the fragile population. People have lost valuable properties, agricultural activities and farming which is the bedrock of the North West Region have been disrupted and there is severe food insecurity and shortage, poverty, hunger and a deep sense of hopelessness and despair fills every heart.
Due to the unimaginable suffering, we have experienced in the ongoing conflict in our fragile community, in order to heal our broken spirits and wounds, BIHAPH at her Trauma healing center offers safe care, psycho-social support, Trauma and healing emotional wounds, leadership advocacy and empowered accompanied Healers.
