Amina lives in Baba II, a small community in rural North West Cameroon. Renowned for its dramatic mountains, deep valleys and vibrant greenery, the landscape around Amina’s home is breathtakingly beautiful.
But many people in villages like Amina’s struggle to find clean and safe drinking water. Young girls and women often spend hours of their day collecting water from polluted sources – and the region, which lies close to the Nigerian border, is seeing more and more insurgences from the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram. In addition, disputes over water are rife.
These disputes are part of a long-running conflict in North West Cameroon and arise when crop farmers and cattle herders compete for access to scarce natural resources, like water and land. The conflict also has an ethnic dimension, as farmers and herders typically belong to different ethnic groups.
Over the past four years, Village Aid has worked with local partners in Cameroon to resolve conflict between farmers and herders. Thanks to its ‘In Search of Common Ground’ project, 13 out of the 14 hardest hit communities in this region now have access to clean and safe water close to their homes. As part of the project, communities are supported to form water management committees that are representative of different ethnic groups.
Amina’s community is one of the 13 villages that have benefited from Village Aid’s project. Access to water has improved many aspects of life for Amina and her family – including improved health and reduced conflict – and she has become a member of the water management committee. “Not having to carry water for an hour a day has made a huge difference to the women in our community,” she says.
Now, Village Aid needs support to build the 14th and final water catchment site in the village of Akum. The charity is working with The Big Give to double every donation received until it reaches its target of £20,000. From midday on 28 November until midday on 5 December, your donation will be matched pound for pound, doubling its reach and allowing Village Aid to support more people like Amina.
Please support Village Aid to bring clean, safe water to the 1,400 people living in Akum – and your donation will be DOUBLED from midday 28th November to midday 5th December.
Visit the Big Give website to donate: https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/projects/view/28542
Update 6th December: We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone that contributed to the campaign enabling us to raise the funds needed to complete the project. Watch this space for updates from the work.
To support Village Aid’s work, visit villageaid.org/donate
