The Refugee Welfare Association (REWAC), in partnership with Immigration Suisse (INMISUISSE), has handed over 50 civil status documents to displaced and conflict-affected children in Bamenda, North West region.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Ntenefor Community Hall, Bamenda I Subdivision.
Speaking at the event, REWAC Project Manager, Jingkoh Laura, said the initiative aims to restore the rights of children who have long been deprived of basic services due to the absence of identification papers.
“This is the pilot phase, targeting 50 children,” she explained. “We hope the next phase will allow us to provide at least 2,000 birth certificates so that more children can go to school and access services like every other child.”
The project comes against the backdrop of the armed conflict in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions, which has displaced thousands of families and left many children without documentation. Without civil status records, access to education, healthcare, and legal protection remains a daunting challenge.
Beneficiaries expressed deep gratitude. Jato Meroline Webnwi, an internally displaced person from Ndu, said she and her siblings lost their birth certificates when gunmen burned down their family home.
“Today, we have been given free birth certificates and court judgments. REWAC has rescued us from a process that was too costly and complicated for displaced families,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Joan Manka of Ntahsen, received documents on behalf of two orphans whose father recently died in a car accident. “These documents are precious, and we will preserve them forever. We thank REWAC for remembering children in such vulnerable situations,” she told Laarry Times.
Organizers emphasized that civil documentation is not only a legal right but also a form of protection for children in conflict zones.
REWAC said the program will continue across subdivisions in the North West Region, with hopes of scaling up once the next phase receives approval.
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