12.5 million people are living in extreme poverty in Cameroon

Some 12.5 million people, including 5 million children are living in poverty in Cameroon, an independent compiled report claims this week.

The independent report to be made public and commissioned  by several different church groups and non governmental organisations working with children and disadvantaged people around the country, says evidence and statistics have been misused, misrepresented and manipulated by politicians to create myths that blame and stigmatise the most vulnerable in society.

" It would be comfortable for many if we live in a society where poverty only visited families that were lazy or made bad decisions" said Jean Bosco Talla, one of the author of the report. " That is the story these myths lead us to believe, but that`s not the Cameroon we live in today. It`s convenient to believe that government handouts are too generous. It`s convenient to believe that job seekers, unemployed, self-employed, pensioners and farmers are on the fiddle or even more absurdly caused our economic troubles. But it`s just not true"   

Aliou Salim`s story, included in the report is typical. A long standing Biya`s supporter from the Far North in Cameroon in Mora for over 20 years and father of four struggles to find money to send his children at the only public school in the area. 

There is no public funding or even government grant available for him and his family as nothing in the actual budget has been planned for it.

 In the same time down South the border, bonkers and greedy public officials are diverting CFA tens of thousands million of public funds. People like Aliou have lost total confidence and trust in the  government and now only rely on private donations from foreigners. Thousands of children don`t have access to a simple free public school. In the Northern part of the country most of these children spent more of their valuable time learning from their parent`s aptitude as farmers and labourers.

Pr Akam, coordinator of the report warms " The very least the most vulnerable in our society deserve is to be spoken of truthfully and with respect. Anything less is to be complicit in a great injustice". Once against the government is failing to provide simple basic and primarily necessity to his own vulnerable people.