For 14-year-old Aisha, the dream of sitting in a classroom again felt like a distant memory. Growing up in a small community in the North-West region of Cameroon, she loved attending school, but when the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of the country escalated, her school closed, and her dreams almost shattered. “I used to wake up excited to go to school. Then, one day, everything changed. My parents told me it was no longer safe to go to school. Our school had been touched. Aisha recalls.

For two years, Aisha stayed at home, longing for the routine of lessons, friends, and the dreams that education brought. Her parents, like many in the community, wondered most times in silence how they would get their children back to school. Aisha’s despair, however, turned to hope when her family relocated her to Buea, in the South-West Region, and enrolled her at the Gratitude Islamic Secondary School (GISS), Buea.

Just like most challenged schools in the two regions, GISS had its own share of difficulties, including a dilapidated infrastructure with cracked walls and a leaking roof, which allowed rain to pour on children during lessons. “In addition to the poor state of our building, we had no benches nor classrooms for the secondary section, and lessons were being conducted in borrowed classrooms. Our enrolment was only limited to 15 students because the conditions were discouraging. These challenges affected staff morale and the overall learning environment”. Mr. Nsangou Tawat Ibrahim, principal of GISS Buea, recalls the sorry state of the school before the project's intervention.

With funding from the Government, through the Presidential Plan for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD) of the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, the UNDP Recovery Programme assessed the needs of the school, among other institutions, and in response, constructed and renovated 12 classrooms, a computer laboratory, and a perimeter fence and provided benches and furniture for offices. The impact of this intervention has been remarkable. “Enrolment has skyrocketed from 15 students to 144 in just three academic years, reflecting a more than 100% increase annually. The new environment has significantly boosted student attendance and performance.” Mr. Nsangou Tawat Ibrahim proudly shares his contentment, adding that the school has also seen an increase in staff, from five to 25, among other employment opportunities.