Julien is a 36-year-old single mother of four from Ndu in the Northwest region. She was forced to flee with her children due to unprecedented violence in 2020.
Julien abandoned her home and village, where she had lived peacefully with her community for decades. Having lost her livelihood and facing constant security threats, she had no choice but to seek refuge in the regional capital of Bamenda in the hope of finding a solution.
“Things have turned upside down for us so quickly,” says Julien. “I was pregnant with my fourth child and had to flee with my children when they came to burn down our house. We fled into the bush, and the journey was so long that I miscarried on the way. It was so traumatising.”
They arrived in Bamenda after a long and tortured journey. Upon arrival, Julien and her children met a man who, sensing their distress and the gravity of their situation, was kind enough to offer them shelter in a small room. There, they could not only find rest but also momentarily escape the stress of their recent ordeal.
When recalling the man’s generosity, Julien’s eyes fill with tears.
“I continue to believe that this gentleman was sent by God to save us,” she says. “He took care of us for six months, covering the rent, which was XAF 7,500 [USD 12], and buying food for me and my children. Without him, I don’t know what would have become of us.”
Unfortunately, the family eventually had to leave their temporary accommodation. Left without employment or a source of income, Julien faced an uncertain future. Her burden was further compounded when she discovered she was pregnant again in late 2022. For months, her survival teetered on the edge, prompting her to seek odd jobs wherever she could, in a desperate attempt to secure even the barest essentials for her family.
“My children couldn’t even go to school anymore,” she says. “Who was going to pay for their schooling? Sometimes we couldn’t even afford to eat. Neighbours often helped, and at times I managed to cover a month, but then there were stretches of three months where I couldn’t make ends meet.”
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