The longing for a better life is a driving force for many young people. When young people lack prospects for the future, they often turn to what they perceive as “easy money” without fully grasping the consequences of their actions. As a result, girls and young women offer sexual services in exchange for payment. In some cases, they even push their own families into prostitution or Superiors take advantage of them. Maria* from Cameroon was given an ultimatum by her university professor: either have sex or repeat the academic year. She stood her ground and repeated the year. Today—a few years later—Maria* advocates for young people without prospects.

She edited our prevention program in French and is implementing it as part of the initiative
“Vie au Carrefour” “Vie au Carrefour” offers educational, character-building, health-related, and spiritual solutions for communities overwhelmed by social crises affecting young people.

In Cameroon, too, poverty is often the cause of human rights violations. In particular, parents from remote villages where there are no schools send their daughters to the capital to work as domestic helpers. The parents receive small amounts of money on a regular basis. Once there, the girls are exploited as labor. If they protest, they are often thrown out onto the streets. Many cannot return to their families of origin and see prostitution as their only chance for survival.

Sarah Scheuzger, Lona Project Staff Member