Efforts are underway to completely discourage child trafficking, at least, in the Northwest Province. Some 103 of such cases were recently withdrawn, rehabilitated and integrated into their various families.

The President of an association in Bali called Nkumu Fed Fed, Mrs. Helen Gwanfobe, disclosed this during the final evaluation of the rehabilitation and integration of victims of child trafficking, by a team of evaluators at the Bali Community Hall on Friday, June 30.

Mrs. Gwanfobe said Nkumu Fed Fed has rehabilitated 70 of the 100 victims in its Department of Rehabilitation at the Gwan Multipurpose Centre Bali, while another association known as ASSEJA rehabilitated 33.

She said her association's objective is to empower women and vulnerable children of rural communities as a means of achieving sustainable development.The President said their involvement in the Gender and Rights of the Child Programme led them to a rewarding partnership with the International Labour Organisation, ILO in the IPEC/LUTRENA Project.

Mrs. Gwanfobe said studies by ILO revealed that Cameroonian children below 16 years are victims of trafficking with Northwest and Southwest Provinces identified as suppliers to border towns.

She said there is both internal and trans-boundary child trafficking in Cameroon.

Despite resistance from some parents who find the trade lucrative, Mrs. Gwanfobe noted that Nkumu Fed Fed has done enough sensitisation through some Common Initiative Groups, CIGs, and clubs that have been created by her association in most of the Divisions of the Northwest, Southwest, Centre, West Provinces and others where Nkumu Fed Fed operates.

Mrs. Gwanfobe then revealed amidst applause that Nkumu Fed Fed has contributed to the promulgation of the law on Child Trafficking in the National Assembly with the push of the First Vice President, Mrs. Rose Abunaw Makia, who was present at the occasion.

The Mayor of Bali Rural Council, Nyamsekwen, said he was satisfied that Nkumu Fed Fed, in collaboration with Bali inhabitants, has executed the project as required.He encouraged the survivors who have passed through the Gwan Multi-Purpose Centre to use the knowledge acquired and the equipment to sustain and enrich themselves.

He declared amidst thunderous applause a three-year tax freedom to Gwan Multipurpose graduates operating petty businesses in Bali.For her part, the ILO Coordinator Mrs. Yollande Fuda, appreciated Nkumu Fed Fed for the "well-executed project."

She regretted that ILO does not have trustworthy partners like Nkumu Fed Fed to work with. She lauded the First Vice President of the National Assembly for her personal contribution in ensuring the promulgation of the Law on Child Trafficking.

Startling revelations came from one of the survivors. Sandrine Babmwo, 17, a mother of one, recounted her ordeal as a house servant to a certain woman in Mendankwe in Bamenda.

Sandrine said she worked for long hours with little or no food, no pay, a thing that tempted her to turn to boys whom she said could give her money to buy food.

This earned her an unwanted pregnancy. The boy, Sandrine said is at large.

"My child is one year three months," she lamented. She paid tribute to Nkumu Fed Fed for rehabilitating her.