By IKOME CHRISTIE-NOELLA EPOSI
The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) in partnership with a French based women’s association ‘L’Association des Femmes Actantes” (AFA) and the Silver Man Family of Canada, on August 20, 2019, paid a humanitarian visit to the HOTPEC orphanage located in the outskirts of Buea at Mile 14, in observance of the 10th International Humanitarian Day which is celebrated annually on August 19th.
Commemorated this year under the theme “Women Humanitarians”, the Day aimed at honouring women humanitarians who have been working on the front lines for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises.
Giving the present situation in the South West Region (Monday being a ghost town), CHRDA and the other partners decided to celebrate the day on Tuesday, with orphans at HOTPEC, where there was a cleanup exercise and material donation such as clothes, detergents, and a ball for recreational activities.
Speaking on behalf of the Centre, CHRDA Gender Officer and Executive Director, Violet Yigha Fokum explained that the initiative was a joint gesture of CHRDA, AFA and the Silver Man Family; bodies with similar objectives, primarily the respect of human rights, even in the midst of conflict. She explained that AFA declared their interest in partnering with the Centre to support parents and guardians like HOTPEC.
Fokum added that the disinfectant is to “support the girl child to improve on their health situations, and protect them from diseases while the clothes will provide them covering and warmth especially during the rainy season.”
It was justified that women are honoured during this year’s celebration because they make up a large number of people who endanger their own lives to save others, the first to respond to a crisis and last to leave, involve themselves in every aspect of crisis response including search and rescue, assessing needs, looking after the elderly and using social media to convey relevant information.
Fokum however pointed out that, “there are so many challenges facing women humanitarians at the moment and that women are undermined in a situation where there is a conflict; they are marginalized and objectified, yet women in times of crisis have double roles and are left with children who are either not going to school, who do not have access to basic necessities or who cannot access basic food items.”
World Humanitarian Day honours humanitarians around the world who risk their own lives to help save and improve the lives of others. This year, special tribute is being paid to women humanitarians and the huge difference they make for millions of women, men, and children in urgent need.
Across the globe, 250,000 aid workers are women, a figure that amounts to more than 40 per cent of the humanitarian workforce as aid work becomes increasingly difficult. Since August 2003, more than 4,500 aid workers of all genders have been killed, injured, detained, assaulted or kidnapped while carrying out their work, according to the UN.