We are only in the first half of the year, and heaven never ceases to give us concrete opportunities to give thanks to God for the charity of our hearts. ‘Hope does not disappoint’ said St Paul (Rom 5:1-2.5): Pope Francis reminded us of this when he opened the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica for the year 2025.
For us, hope is divine providence! In April 2025, three of our youth promotion Centres (Touloum, Touroua and Maroua-Ziling) in different dioceses (Yagoua, Garoua and Maroua-Mokolo) received aid from the United Nations Population Fund: 4 irons, 6 sewing machines, 1 surfacing machine, an embroidery machine, a plumber’s apprentice case and a roll of poplin fabric. These Centres were set up to train and promote young girls, who are rarely considered in our socio-cultural context.
At the Centre de Promotion de la Jeune Fille (CPJF) in Touloum, an initiative set up by the PIME* fathers and LES FILLES DU SAINT-ESPRIT of the Notre Dame des Lumière parish, a great need for help was already being felt due to the socio-economic crisis and the deaths of some benefactors, resulting in a considerable drop in donations for this humanising work. The CPJF has been in existence for several years and has already trained a number of young people in various trades relating to: sewing, embroidery, dyeing, knitting, food processing, etc. Since its creation with the men and women of Development, the Centre has benefited from donations for its operation. But sometimes, faced with diminishing resources, ‘we are afraid of giving false hope of emancipation to these young girls who come to us. Yes, so we pray in secret’ confides Sister Pascaline SOMDA, head of the CPJF.
In Touroua, according to Sister Christine MAÏDOKLE: ‘Our prayers have been answered. We, the trainers, the communities of sisters and the faithful of the parish, receive these gifts with a heart full of joy and gratitude. From now on, the Vocational Training Centre for Young People and Women in Touroua can continue to welcome more young people who would like to train in sewing, catering, agriculture and animal husbandry. Before, places were limited due to a lack of materials for practical courses, our primary objective being to train for specific areas of life.’
The difficulties of these two centres are also those of the ‘Jeannette Horbaïta’ Centre for the Training of Young Girls in Ziling (CJHFJF). For Sister Bertine BAYANG, head of the centre, ‘No matter how many girls we take in, the main difficulty is financial: we can’t meet all the needs of the Centre and acquire some of the materials needed for practical classes. We have 67 girls enrolled this year, and their parents are finding it difficult to pay for their schooling. But our joy, that of seeing the girls become more interested in their training and persevere to the end, has never wavered! With the donations from the United Nations Population Fund, we’ve got a great ‘breath of fresh air’.
Sparks of life, joy, satisfaction and hope appear on our faces, and we remain determined to work to give young people, and especially young girls, a better future. The rosary of thanks grows longer every time a benefactor comes forward.
Thank you all, thank you to the representatives of the United Nations Population Fund and thank you to all those who have sent us donations. May God bless everyone abundantly!
The DHS leaders: Sister Pascaline SOMDA (CPJF Touloum), Sister Christine MAÏDOKLE (CJHFJF Touroua) and Sister Bertine BAYANG (CJHFJF Maroua-Ziling)
Published on 14 May 2025
*PIME: Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions
Photos
1. Young girls from the Touloum CPJF during a practical sewing class with a teacher.
2. Young girls from the CPJF Touloum with a teacher.
3. Young people from the Jeannette HORBAÏTA Centre in Maroua-Ziling
4. Young people from the CFPJF in Touroua with donations received
On this site, see the ‘Partnerships and projects’ category
https://www.fillesstesprit.org/en/project/dhs-solidarity-projects/
