Text only | Plan International Home | Sitemap | FAQ | Contact us

Advocating in Togo

Promoting UBR

Doris case in Cameroon

You're here > > > > >

DORIS' case in Cameroon

This is the story of Doris, a ten year old brought to the Social Affairs Office in Yaounde Cameroon) by two men who found her both with an older girl loitering in one of the most sensible areas of the city.

West African girl

Doris dropped out of school to follow her friend Rose who influenced her to work as a prostitute.

At the social affairs office, a child rights advisor from Plan interviewed the girl to have more information in order to trace her family. After the interview, she had collected all information required.

Our Child Rights Advisor, who was there in support to the staff that dealt with children, obtained informations on the school she went to as well as the village she came from and how she arrived in Yaounde. She was then placed in a state orphanage.

Luckily enough, the girl’s home was found. Plan Child rights advisor accompanied Doris to her grand-father's place (her parents had died of HIV/AIDS).

Plan explained to him why universal birth registration was important:
- Doris would complete school
- She would be able to have a work
- She would be a citizen with recognised rights in her country.

The lack of universal birth registration led Doris to several risks:
- She did not know her name nore her family name
- She had no paper to indicate whether she was Cameroonian or foreigner
- She dropped out of school because of lack of money but also because she needed a birth certificate to pass the common entrance exams or the "first school leaving certificate" which shows one has graduated from primary school.
- She dropped out of school as a result

Because Birth registration is a long and costly procedure in Doris' village, she is still not registered today and lives at the mercy of such as Rose.

Support our Birth Registration Campaign