Cameroon: Freed from prison, 3 women go into business — with readers’ help

Project Not Alone needs more donations to free more gay prisoners

Donations are still needed to free more innocent prisoners in Cameroon and support the Qtalk counseling service for gay Nigerians. Your donation will be doubled by a reader’s generous 1-1 match.

Three female victims of Cameroon’s homophobia have not only been freed from prison, but also have benefited from readers’ donations that helped them set up a small retail business after their release.

The three friends — for their safety, identified here by the pseudonyms Addie, Diane and Sonia —  had been arrested on Nov. 20, 2025, and convicted on homosexuality charges after an online sting operation by Yaoundé police.

They were released on June 10 after Project Not Alone used readers’ donations paid their fines — a total of 360,000 FCFA (about US $628).

Although they were freed, they were homeless and without resources. Yet they were determined to rebuild their lives.

Project Not Alone provided short-term assistance — rental of a one-room apartment for three months, purchase of a bed and mattress, and purchase of a supply of retail items for resale in their new neighborhood, including candles, cigarettes, sachet whisky (liquor in single-serve pouches), candy, biscuits, pens, soap and bleach.

Total cost of that assistance was US $178.80.

This support offers them a more stable living environment and the opportunity to generate income while they work to find more permanent and better-paying employment.

All three women expressed a deep desire to regain a dignified and independent life. Diane hopes to reopen a hair salon, while Addie and Sonia wish to relaunch a small clothing business.

They also expressed thanks for the concrete support from readers of Erasing 76 Crimes who have donated to Project Not Alone. That support gives them hope and allows them to believe once again in the possibility of successful reintegration into Cameroonian society, they said.

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DONATIONS

Please donate to help free four other innocent LGBTI victims of African homophobia and to make necessary updates to the Qtalk phone app so gay Nigerians will keep their access to its free, confidential counseling services.

Project Not Alone is a program of the non-profit St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation and its Erasing 76 Crimes news site.  U.S. tax-deductible donations to Project Not Alone 2026 may be made via:

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