Support Anglophone communities in Cameroon

The Need: To provide financial help to communities affected by the ongoing Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon.

The problem: The Anglophone crisis is an ongoing civil war that erupted in 2016 in the Southern Cameroons over the marginalization of the minority Anglophone (English-speaking) population and has since led to thousands of deaths, villages burnt down and hundreds of thousands of refugees. Children have been left without parents, wives without husbands, and homes without income.

Why this matters to me: I have been personally affected by this crisis as I describe below. That is why this cause is near to my heart. I am grateful that I’m able to support my own family but most families don’t have that option. Please consider helping those who have stories like mine. None of the money raised will go to me or my family. 

I am Desmond Jumbam, 27 years old from Cameroon. Currently, I am a health policy advisor for Operation Smile, former health policy analyst at Harvard University and graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Nothing had predestined me for this level of success, but my father sacrificed immensely to make it happen. 

Since 2016, my home country has descended into civil strife over the marginalization of the minority Anglophone population. Over 3,000 people have been killed, villages looted and burned, and hundreds of thousands of anglophones internally displaced. 

We experienced the horror of this crisis firsthand. On March 28, 2020, my family found out that my father had been brutally killed by Ambazonia fighters. My father was part of a group of local councilors tasked with organizing legislative elections in Oku, in the Northwest region. On their way back, the group was ambushed by Ambazonia fighters. Eight people were killed on the spot and five were taken as hostages. 

My father was among those killed and brutally beheaded. We buried him three days later without his head. My mother did not get to see the face of her husband one last time. I could not travel from Ghana to attend the funeral because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. I mourned him alone, a fate that I would not wish on my worst enemies.

My belated fatherSadly, many other Cameroonians share similar stories of suffering, death and destruction. The purpose of this fundraiser is to honor the memory of my father and raise money to support families that have been affected by this ongoing crisis. The current COVID-19 pandemic has intensified their financial need. With the money raised through this campaign, we will be able to pay school fees for children, provide food and supplies, medical aid, and financial aid to help start small businesses for sustainable living. None of the funds raised will go to me or my family. 

My mother and I thank you dearly for any amount of contribution that you can make to this campaign. Your support is deeply appreciated. 

To learn more about the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, check out the following sites: 

https://mimimefoinfos.com/over-a-dozen-killed-others-kidnapped-in-armoured-car-attack-in-oku/# 

https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/cameroon/250-cameroons-anglophone-crisis-crossroads 

https://www.acaps.org/country/cameroon/crisis/anglophone-crisis