Association for the welfare of albinos -AWA

12/09/2026

A child can be enrolled in school and still be excluded from learning.

We often celebrate enrolment and attendance figures as signs of progress. But what happens after the child enters the classroom?

Can they see the board? Read the learning materials? Participate in activities? Follow the lesson? Access the support they need?

For learners with albinism and other disabilities, being present is not the same as being included.

Inclusion means creating an environment where every child has a genuine opportunity to learn, participate and thrive.

So I’d love to hear from you:

What is one modification you believe educational institutions can implement to transition from merely enrolling students to genuinely fostering their inclusion?

Share your thoughts, experiences or ideas in the comments. Let’s learn from one another. 💙


https://lnkd.in/p/dUHW2VxK

08/09/2026

06/09/2026

Breaking Barriers to Foundational Learning in Cameroon

Foundational learning is the foundation upon which every child’s future is built. Yet, many children in Cameroon continue to face barriers that affect their ability to access, participate in and benefit from quality learning.

I was honoured to contribute to the Pan-African Community of Learning as a panelist and moderator, where I shared reflections on “Barriers to Accessing Foundational Learning Data in Cameroon: From Evidence to Classroom Action.”

The conversation highlighted an important reality: data should not only be collected; it must be accessible, understandable and translated into action that responds to the realities of learners, teachers and communities.

My sincere appreciation to the organisers and the Pan-African Community of Learning for creating this valuable space for practitioners across Africa to exchange experiences, evidence and solutions.

I am pleased to share my published reflection and invite you to read, engage and join the conversation on strengthening teaching and learning through better education data.

🔗 Read the full article here:
[https://unlockingdata.africa/2026/09/04/barriers-to-accessing-foundational-learning-data-in-cameroon-from-evidence-to-classroom-action/

Barriers to Accessing Foundational Learning Data in Cameroon: From Evidence to Classroom Action Posted on 4 September 20264 September 2026 by Jillian Makungu in Blogs Introduction Foundational learning in literacy and numeracy underpins all later learning. Reliable data can help us understand where....

05/09/2026

WHEN A WOMAN IS KILLED, A COMMUNITY LOSES MORE THAN A LIFE.

On Friday, 4 September 2026, the Association for the Welfare of Albinos (AWA) joined the voices that rose through the streets of Bamenda against the growing violence and killings of women in Cameroon.

We did not join simply to walk.

We joined to make a statement.

A woman should not have to die before society takes her safety seriously.

A threat should not be dismissed as a family disagreement.
A cry for help should not be ignored.
A survivor should not be blamed for the violence committed against her.
And a woman's death should never become just another headline that disappears from public attention.

The recent reports of women losing their lives to violence are a painful reminder that femicide demands more than condemnation after the fact. It demands prevention, protection and accountability before another life is taken.

At AWA, we are particularly concerned about women and girls who face additional barriers to protection—including women and girls with disabilities and women and girls with albinism.

For us, inclusion is not a slogan.

A woman who cannot easily access a police station must still be protected.

A survivor who faces communication barriers must still be heard.

A woman living with a disability must still have access to justice.

A girl with albinism must be able to seek help without fear, stigma or discrimination.

No woman should be considered less worthy of protection because of who she is or how she lives.

We therefore call on families, communities, institutions, law enforcement, service providers and decision-makers to move from reaction to prevention.

👉🏾 Take threats seriously.
👉🏾 Listen when women speak.
👉🏾 Act before violence escalates.
👉🏾 Make reporting and support services accessible.
👉🏾 Protect survivors from further harm.
👉🏾 Hold perpetrators accountable.

And to every woman and girl who may be living with violence or fear:

You deserve to be safe.
You deserve to be believed.
You deserve to be heard.
You deserve justice.
You deserve to live.

The march may have ended, but our responsibility has not.

At AWA, we will continue to advocate for communities where protection is inclusive, where dignity is non-negotiable, and where no woman's life is treated as expendable.

WE MUST NOT WAIT FOR ANOTHER FUNERAL TO REMIND US THAT A WOMAN'S LIFE MATTERS.

Association for the Welfare of Albinos (AWA), Cameroon
Inclusion • Protection • Dignity

02/09/2026

Big shout out to my newest top fans! Shuyong Chelsea

26/08/2026

BEFORE SHE BECOMES A STATISTIC

We have become too comfortable mourning women after they are dead.

We change our profile pictures.
We write “Rest in peace.”
We condemn the killer.
We demand justice.
We share her photograph.
And for a few days, the nation remembers her name.

But I keep asking myself:

What if we learned to hear a woman before her funeral?

Before the first slap became “a misunderstanding.”
Before the first threat became “he was only angry.”
Before controlling behaviour became “he loves her too much.”
Before her isolation became “relationship problems.”
Before her fear became normal.
Before the final phone call became unanswered.
Before her children became orphans.

A woman should not have to die for society to finally believe that she was in danger.

And to men, I say this directly:

Your masculinity should never require a woman’s silence.

You are not powerful because she is afraid of you.
You are not strong because you can hurt her.
You are not a man because you can control where she goes, who she speaks to, what she wears, or whether she leaves you.

The measure of a man is not how much fear he can create in a woman, but how much safety people experience in his presence.

If you are angry, step away.
If you are jealous, communicate.
If you feel rejected, accept it.
If a relationship is ending, let it end.
If you are struggling to control your anger, seek help.

A broken relationship is painful. A broken body cannot be repaired by an apology. A stolen life cannot be restored by regret.

And to every person who hears a woman say, “I am afraid of him”:

Please don't answer, “Try to understand him.”

Sometimes the most dangerous sentence we teach women is:

“Endure a little longer.”

No.

Let us teach her: “Your life matters. Your fear matters. We believe you. Let us help you get safe.”

Because the goal should never be to write a powerful tribute to a woman after she is murdered.

The goal is to make sure we never have to write it.

Ngom Maceline Anwi

23/08/2026

WHEN A COMMUNITY FINDS ITS VOICE, ABUSE LOSES ITS POWER

Today, over 800 people gathered at St. Andrew, Upper Bayelle, Bamenda III Subdivision, for our second community engagement on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP).

This was more than an awareness campaign. It was a conversation about dignity, power, protection, and the right to be heard.

We reminded community members that humanitarian assistance must never come with a hidden price. No one should be asked for s*x, money, favours, or personal services in exchange for assistance or opportunities.

We also reminded affected populations that their voices matter; that they have the right to information, to complain safely, to give feedback, and to be protected from retaliation.

Because accountability is not just a suggestion box or a complaint form.

It is what happens when someone speaks, and someone chooses to listen and act.

The Association for the Welfare of Albinos (AWA), in collaboration with and N4SHE and the Group – Northwest/Southwest regions of Cameroon , remains committed to taking remains committed to taking this conversation into communities and creating safer, more inclusive spaces for everyone.

Prevention begins before abuse happens.

Accountability begins when we listen.

Together for Safe, Inclusive and Abuse-Free Communities.

22/08/2026

IF THEY ARE NOT VISIBLE IN THE DATA, HOW CAN WE BE CERTAIN THEY ARE VISIBLE IN THE RESPONSE?

In humanitarian action, data is more than numbers. Data determines who is seen, whose needs are identified, where resources are directed, and whether programmes are truly reaching those who need them most.

Yet, Persons with Albinism (PWA) can remain invisible within broader population or disability categories when they are not captured as a distinct population group in humanitarian information systems.

This raises an important question:

👉 How can we know how many Persons with Albinism are affected?
👉 How many are being reached by humanitarian assistance?
👉 What specific needs and protection risks are they facing?
👉 Where are the gaps in assistance?
👉 What resources are required to respond adequately?

Without appropriate disaggregated data, these questions can remain unanswered.

This is not simply a data-management concern. It is an inclusion, planning and accountability concern.

If our commitment is to “Leave No One Behind,” then our data systems must also be designed to ensure that no population is invisible.

We therefore ask:

Can “Persons with Albinism (PWA)” be included as a distinct disaggregation category within the 5W system and other relevant humanitarian information-management systems, while respecting appropriate data-protection and privacy principles?

Because:

What gets counted gets seen.
What gets seen gets planned for.
What gets planned for gets resourced.

Let’s make humanitarian data more inclusive.
Let’s make humanitarian responses more equitable.
Let’s ensure that Persons with Albinism are not left behind.

20/08/2026

FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION: PSEA CAMPAIGN LAUNCH IN BAMENDA 3

From awareness to action. From knowing our rights to creating safer spaces where those rights are respected.

The Association for the Welfare of Albinos (AWA), in collaboration with Bright Light Projects and Network for Solidarity, Hope and Empowerment (N4SHE), officially launched its Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Campaign at Christ the King School in Bamenda 3 Subdivision.

This launch was more than an awareness activity. It was a deliberate effort to bring Safeguarding, Inclusion and Accountability directly into the spaces where children, teachers, parents and communities learn, interact and grow.

Our message was clear:

Every child has the right to learn, participate and grow in an environment free from s*xual exploitation, abuse, discrimination and harm.

PSEA is not simply about awareness. It is about action—strengthening reporting and referral pathways, empowering children and community members to speak up, and ensuring that adults have the responsibility to listen, protect and respond appropriately.

At AWA and with our partners, we believe that protection must reach beyond policies and training rooms. It must be understood, accessible and practiced within communities.

We are not only asking people to know their rights. We are helping build the confidence, knowledge and systems needed to exercise and protect those rights.

This is how we stand out: bringing safeguarding to the community, making inclusion practical, amplifying voices that are often unheard, and working together to make protection everyone’s responsibility.

The journey from awareness to action has begun. And together, we can build communities where every person—especially every child and every person at risk of exclusion—can live, learn and participate with dignity and safety.

AWA × Bright Light Projects × N4SHE

Together for Safe, Inclusive and Abuse-Free Communities.