A woman empowered: How cash assistance changed a displaced woman’s life in Cameroon
“I used to beg neighbours for food, but that has changed. Today, I’m even able to share the little I have with others in need,” said Ebot Grace Anya, 53, from south-west Cameroon.
A few years ago, Grace’s life was stable. A widow and mother of five, she worked as a security guard at a Government-owned company in Ekondo Titi, Ndian Division, south-west Cameroon.
She and her children lived comfortably in the house left behind by her husband. But all that changed one day in 2019, when non-State armed groups broke into Grace’s workplace.
“They broke the gate and forced themselves in,” Grace recalled. “When I asked what was happening, they [her colleagues] told me to run for my life.”
As violence erupted in her town, Grace fled to a nearby palm oil plantation. But in the chaos she fell into a hole.
“Some people heard my cries and helped me out. But my leg was badly hurt,” she explained.
The injury left her in pain and without proper treatment. She moved some 60 km to Kumba city to seek medical care, but she was unable to afford surgery. Displaced and unemployed, Grace had to rely on painkillers.
A new beginning
One day last year, relief came knocking at her door.
Grace explained: “I was at home when a friend came to tell me about a local humanitarian organization that was registering displaced people.”
She signed up and was selected to receive monthly cash assistance from the World Food Programme, through its partner Caritas Kumba – a non-governmental organization.
“That support completely changed my life,” Grace said. “I was finally able to feed my family, send my younger children to school and buy medication when needed.”
She received 60,000 XAF (approximately US$102) every month.
After a few months, Grace attended a life skills training organized by Cartias Kumba. She learned to make detergents, liquid soap and bleach.
“I took a particular interest in making liquid soap. After the training, I began producing and selling these items,” she said. “I used part of my monthly financial support to buy raw materials for my small business. This significantly improved my economic situation, as I was able to earn some income from the sales.”
However, as more women joined the same trade, competition increased and her profits dropped.
“In the beginning there were only a few of us in the business, and sales were better. But now, things have changed,” she explained.
So, Grace adapted. “I learned how to make coconut oil, which is less common. I now sell small bottles for 1,000 XAF ($1.7), and the sales have been much better,” she said.
Grace misses her home, but she is reluctant to return.
“Most of what we left behind has been stolen, and our house was partially burned after we fled,” Grace said.
In 2023, one of her children went to see what was left of their house, only to find their neighbourhood overtaken by thick bush.
Her decision to stay is also shaped by her newfound success in entrepreneurship.
Besides being able to feed her family, Grace has also invested in her children’s future.
“I’ve been able to pay all my children’s school fees and register them for public exams, so we have no worries in that area,” she said.
She now lives in a rented apartment in Buea city’s Bomaka neighbourhood, where she supports a household of 11, including her grandchildren.
Investing in people
Grace strongly believes that investing in people goes further than just giving them handouts.
“I believe that financial support combined with life skills training is the most effective way to help people like me,” she explained. “Small business ideas, such as selling cooked food or household products, like the ones I make, work well because they can be done from home.”
Grace’s story highlights how humanitarian aid helps people regain their independence and dignity.
But needs remain dire in Cameroon. Armed violence and insecurity in the country’s north-west and south-west regions have forced people to flee their homes. Many of them now rely on humanitarian aid.
Today, more than 334,000 people remain displaced in both regions, and there are nearly 500,000 returnees – putting a strain on host communities and local services. Urgent support is needed to provide safe shelter, food, healthcare, nutrition, education, protection, clean water and long-term solutions for displaced families trying to rebuild their lives.