04/10/2026
TeenAlive Association Closes UNICEF-ECHO II-SIDA and Launches ECHO III in the South West Region
From 15 August 2024 to 31 August 2026, TeenAlive Association, with financial support from ECHO through UNICEF implemented the project "Building Resilience amongst Crisis-Affected Children through Integrated MHPSS, Legal Identity and Community Engagement" in Fako, Koupe Manenguba and Lebialem Divisions. The project worked in Muyuka, Tiko, Limbe III, Tombel, Bangem, Alou, Fontem and Wabane sub-divisions, responding to psychosocial distress, loss of legal identity, and risks of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) among children and caregivers.
WHAT CHANGED THROUGH ECHO II?
Parents and caregivers strengthened their ability to protect and support children: A total of 7,278 mothers, fathers and caregivers completed Positive Parenting sessions, compared with an initial target of 1,620. Beyond participation, caregivers reported applying more positive approaches to communication, discipline, stress management and responding to their children's emotional needs. This contributed to safer and more supportive environments for children at household level.
Children gained practical skills to cope, protect themselves and seek support: 7,764 children completed at least 31 hours of structured life-skills sessions, exceeding the initial target of 5,000. Through these sessions, children strengthened their knowledge and skills around emotional wellbeing, communication, problem-solving, personal safety, GBV prevention and where to seek help when facing protection concerns.
Safe spaces became entry points for protection and psychosocial support: Through 21 Child-Friendly Spaces, 7,652 children accessed structured recreational, psychosocial and life-skills activities. These spaces did more than provide activities: they created environments where vulnerable children could interact safely with peers and trusted adults and where protection concerns could be identified and referred for further support.
Community protection structures became active links between vulnerable children and services.
TeenAlive revitalised 21 Community-Based Child Protection Mechanisms, which identified and referred 156 protection cases: This strengthened community-level capacity to recognise risks, respond appropriately and connect children and families to available services rather than leaving protection solely to humanitarian actors.
Children facing serious protection risks received individualised support: 595 severely affected children received case management, while 61 children were successfully traced and reunified with their families. Behind these figures are children whose individual protection concerns were assessed, followed up and connected to appropriate care and services.
Adolescents and community leaders became part of the protection response.
80 adolescent peer educators reached 7,576 peers, helping take protection information into children's own networks. At community level, 80 leaders reached another 1,073 people, strengthening local ownership of child protection and prevention messages.
Survivors of sexual violence had improved access to critical services.
Eight health facilities were equipped with PEP kits, benefiting 289 survivors of sexual violence. This strengthened the connection between community-based protection work, referrals and essential health services for survivors.
Lack of legal identity was reduced as a barrier to education: 2,500 children in examination classes obtained birth certificates, helping address a practical barrier that can prevent vulnerable children from registering for examinations and fully exercising their rights to education and legal identity.
Communities became better informed about protection risks and where to seek help: Through community engagement, 45,641 people were sensitised on birth registration, GBV, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), and safe reporting channels, increasing access to information on rights, available services and pathways for reporting concerns.
This was all possible thanks to the generous support from our funder ECHO and SIDA, through our partner UNICEF Cameroon.
Now, ECHO III
These results also generated an important lesson: sustainable child protection cannot depend on one project or one organisation.
It requires capable families, informed children, functioning community structures, protective schools, accessible services and stronger links with government systems.
Building on these results, TeenAlive will be honored to carry this great work forward. By implementing ECHO III from 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2027. We remain grateful to our funders and partners for yet another opportunity to Act for humanity.
The programme will cover 52 communities from the 14 sub-divisions, of the five most conflict-affected divisions of the South West Region:
- Kupe-Muanenguba (Tombel, Bangem and Nguti)
- Lebialem (Alou, Wabane and Fontem)
- Ndian (Ekondo-Titi)
- Manyu (Eyumojock, Mamfe and Akwaya)
- Meme (Kumba I, Kumba II, Kumba III, and Konye)
ECHO III will use an integrated, community-based, school-centred and systems-strengthening approach. It will strengthen protective environments for vulnerable children and improve their access to quality education and child protection services. We will work with government institutions, UN agencies, local authorities, schools and community structures to deliver coordinated and lasting results.
We thank UNICEF-ECHO, community leaders, caregivers, peer educators and the children themselves for making ECHO II a success. As we begin ground work with ECHO lll, TeenAlive remains committed to protecting every child and giving every child the chance to learn, in safety and with dignity.
UNFPA Cameroon EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict Street Child of Cameroon Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete Revive Action Cameroon Unesco Yaounde Youth Actions for Development Foundation - YADEF Global Action for Education and Rehabilitation- GAERE Wacameroon Ngo Think Like A Funder Consultancy. Crossroads Foundation
