Cameroon is facing one of the world’s most overlooked humanitarian emergencies. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council’s latest Neglected Displacement Crises report, Cameroon now tops the list—highlighting how dire the situation has become for millions affected by conflict, displacement and climate shocks.
One of the most heartbreaking consequences is the impact on children whose education is often interrupted for years. But amid adversity, hope quietly takes root through the Accelerated Education Programme (AEP), giving thousands of displaced children a second chance to learn.
Supported by EU Humanitarian Aid and implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Plan International, accelerated education helps out-of-school children catch up on missed years of learning and transition back into the formal education system. In the Far North region—one of the areas most affected by conflict and displacement—this programme has already changed the lives of nearly 25,000 children.
Meet Hadja, Elie, and Fadimatou—3 resilient young learners who are seizing their second chance at an education.
Hadja’s story: learning as liberation
Hadja Matata, 13, lives with her parents and 2 younger brothers in Igawa Mémé, a small village in the Far North of Cameroon. When she was 4, her family was forced to flee their home in Walassa after an attack by armed groups.
For years, Hadja could only watch others go to school while she stayed home to help with chores such as hauling water, cleaning and caring for her siblings.
Still, she dreamed of becoming a doctor. In 2023, her mother heard about the AEP centre in Igawa Mémé and enrolled her. Hadja, now in her second year of studies, is thriving.
‘What I like most is learning and playing’,
Hadja says with a wide smile.
‘When I come to school, I feel comfortable and happy’.
For Hadja, education is about more than just books—it's about freedom.
’When you understand the French language, you can go anywhere. If you don’t, you remain “Boutoukou” (illiterate)’, Hadja explains.
Her days begin early, with chores before school, and continue into the evening with Koranic classes. But Hadja’s energy never fades when it comes to learning.
‘I love writing, reading, and playing with my classmates’, she says.
The programme has given her more than literacy—it’s given her confidence and purpose.
Elie’s story: hope for the future
Elie, 14, remembers the night that changed everything. At just 6 years old, he and his family fled their home in Bourrha under the cover of darkness, eventually settling in Kolofata.
Life there was hard.
With his father gone and his mother struggling to support 8 children alone, school seemed out of reach. Elie took on responsibilities beyond his years, helping care for his siblings and sharing the burden of daily survival.
In 2022, the accelerated education programme opened in Kolofata, and Elie enrolled. The change was immediate.
‘I devoured every lesson’, Elie says.
‘The world of numbers and letters became my passion’.
In 2024, he sat for the entrance exam to secondary school—a major milestone he never thought possible.
‘I’m confident I’ll pass’, he says, thinking of his mother and the sacrifices she made. His dream is to become an engineer and build a better life for his family. For Elie, education is not just a path out of poverty—it's a way to ensure that no child in his family will ever have to flee again.
Fadimatou’s story: a designer in the making
At 14, Fadimatou is determined to make her mark in the world. She dreams of becoming a top fashion designer. But her journey has been far from easy. In 2017, violence in the Far North forced her father to pull her out of school so she could help with farming and a small business to support the family.
‘I never wanted my daughter to drop out’, her father says.
‘But we had no money. You can’t study on an empty stomach’.
In 2021, Fadimatou joined the first cohort of accelerated education learners in Igawa Mémé. She walked over a kilometre each day to attend, driven by the encouragement of her teacher, Mrs. Fanta. In 2023, she completed the programme and received her certificate to enter secondary school.
‘I hope that other children like me will also get the chance to go to school’, Fadimatou says.
Accelerated learning as a lifeline
These stories are not unique. In 2024, severe flooding in the Far North region impacted over 448,000 people, including 152,376 children. In the Logone-et-Chari division alone, flooding and conflict led to the destruction or closure of hundreds of schools, affecting over 80,000 children who were thus unable to access education.
Since 2021, nearly 25,000 people across Cameroon have benefited from the accelerated education programme, including more than 400 children at the Igawa Mémé centre. Compressing several years of primary school into a shorter timeframe allows children who missed out on education to catch up and reintegrate into the formal school system.
The programme is implemented in close collaboration with Cameroon’s Ministry of Basic Education and shows what is possible when communities, governments, and international partners work together.
For Hadja, Elie, and Fadimatou, accelerated education has been more than just a second chance—it has been a turning point.
Education under attack in Cameroon
Cameroon faces a complex and multifaceted humanitarian situation, marked by the impact of 3 major crises; the conflict in the Lake Chad Basin in the Far North, the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest regions and the influx of refugees from the Central African Republic.
The impact of these crises on children's access to education is particularly devastating. In 2024, over 625,000 school-aged children, including nearly 250,000 displaced children in the Far North region, were out of school.
In the Northwest and Southwest regions, where the conflict has deep roots, approximately 41% of schools have been closed or are non-functional. Educational infrastructures are damaged or destroyed, teachers face professional challenges and shortages, schools and students are threatened, and learning continuity is severely disrupted as a result.
