For a long time, Cameroon was considered a peaceful, democratic pillar in the West African region, until underlying conflicts between marginalized Anglophone groups and the predominant Francophone groups intensified. What began as mostly peaceful protest in the form of strikes on the part of Cameroon’s Anglophone groups escalated into violent, armed confrontations in 2016. Since then, especially in the north of the country, it has been in the grip of a serious security crisis. Additional challenges include frequent terrorist attacks by the Islamist group Boko Haram, poverty and inequality, as well as the rapidly advancing desertification in northern Cameroon, which makes it difficult to cultivate the land.

Refugee movements lead mainly toward Nigeria but also to the tropical south of Cameroon, which is characterized by rainforests. But here, too, there are problems: Deforestation of tropical trees is shrinking the region’s rainforests at an unprecedented rate. And plastic waste, as in so many countries around the world, also represents a major environmental threat. Polluted rivers and beaches are the result; lack of education about proper disposal and the harmful effects of plastic on nature are the causes.

At the end of 2021, the country counted around 937,000 internally displaced people. For many people who have fled northern Cameroon, it is difficult to build a new home in the south of the country. Children and young people in particular need shelters that welcome them with open arms and make it easier for them to arrive in their new lives.