Women survivors of the recent separatists’ cruelty in Kedjom Keku (Big Babanki), were all smiles when members of the Cameroon Women’s Peace Movement (CAWOPEM), arrived at the crisis-hit village recently in the North West Region of Cameroon with relief packages.
After months of despair and painful memories following the women’s molestation by armed separatists of the Ambazonia movement, there was a sense of hope in the air.
Members of CAWOPEM were there to provide Medical and Psychosocial Support to those they christened, Mothers of Big Babanki.
At the village community hall in Fon’s Palace, they were exposed to talking therapy, giving them an opportunity to express their ordeals during and after what they went through.
The exercise was managed by Boyo Maurine, a counselor, who said, “It was a healing process for the women.”
Many explained the fright and shock they felt while in captivity and how they have been coping with the traumatic experience.
“They said we were all going to die. One of us who wanted to ease herself given that she was pressed was asked to do it where we were being held; they removed our shoes, stretched our feet, brought out whistles, and asked us to sing,” the women narrated.
One of the ladies, whose case was severe given that she was hit by a bullet from the guns fired by the armed men, also shared her story.
“I have accepted my fate, I put it in my mind that it was an accident that could have still happened to any other person. I was very much worried because it happened when my baby was just 11 months old.,” she said, adding, “Schools are about to resume, and I don’t know how my kids will resume because I can’t work in the farms again to sponsor them. We also have hospital routine checkups to pay for.”
After the one-on-one group talks as a way to instill hope and confidence in the women, it was all clear that they were ready to receive the other items that were on the menu.
Bags of rice, sanitary kits, buckets, tablets of soap, and financial support, among others, were some of the surprises that were donated to the women.
Among the many beneficiaries who expressed gratitude to CAWOPEM for coming to put a smile on their faces is Roseline (not her real name ).
“We are thanking the Cameroon Women’s Peace Movement for hearing our cry and coming to comfort us. They have seen that a mother is not supposed to cry. We are happy for all that they have given us today, May God replenish the source so they can continue helping the less privileged,” she said
Though the incident remains a sad one to remember in the community, the surviving women say they have forgiven those who inflicted the pain on them.
“Those children are ours. We have forgiven them, and we are calling on them to repent because what they did to their mothers was bad. Children are the walking sticks of tomorrow; we can’t abandon them; our prayers are with them,” one of them said.
Muma Bih Yvonne, one of CAWOPEM’s founding members and a human rights activist, led the delegation to Kedjom Keku.
According to the delegation’s leader, “After watching the tear-provoking images of the mothers in Kedjom Keku being molested, we could not just stay mute,”
“Like a movement, we took pictures and videos of the mothers and did an online campaign condemning what the children had done to their mothers, grandmothers, and sisters. We are here today thanks to the Urgent Action Fund Africa,” she said, thanking the donors as she added that ” they saw the videos, heard our cries, and decided to help with all that we provided to the women today. Despite meeting more than the envisaged number, we were still able to satisfy everyone.”
Noting that the needs of the women are enormous, she promised that they would go back to Urgent Fund Africa for more support.
Genesis
On May 19, 2023, videos circulated online showing how women were being tortured by individuals who were subsequently identified as separatist fighters.
They were protesting against huge levies imposed on them by the armed men.
The protest met a brutal response from the separatists, drawing condemnations locally and internationally.
Though the women who were held in captivity have since been released, the thought of what they went through will take some time to heal.
