Unifeed
CAMEROON / SCHOOLING
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STORY: CAMEROON / SCHOOLING
TRT: 2.09
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 20 FEBRUARY 2007, MBANG-MBOUM, CAMEROON
1.Wide shot, women carrying water on their heads up a hill
2.Med shot, of women
3.Reverse med shot of women
4.Close up, women's feet
5.Med shot, women walking by
6.Wide shot, women in village
7.Wide shot, office
8.Close up, office sign
9.Med shot, water pump pumped by woman
10.Wide shot, women approaching pump with UNICEF logo
11.SOUNDBITE (French) Aboubakar, Habir the Chief:
"During the children now have a water source very close by. This is like a source of mineral water for us."
12.Wide shot, white building with blue doors
13.Med shot, young girl washing hands
14.Med shot, women dishing out food
15.Close up, two young girls eating
16.Med shot, other girls eating
17.Wide shot, students in school
18.Wide shot, school teacher at blackboard
19.Med shot, girls at their desks
20.SOUNDBITE (French) Hadja Assmaou: "They used to say that school is for men and boys only. In their mind, only men can have office jobs. Only a man can be a Minister, or a President. Women are useless. They're born to do the housework."
21.Med shot, girls pushing water cart
22.Med shot, girl with baby on her back
23.Long shot, woman with baby
24.SOUNDBITE (French) Saidou Djaouro, Secretary-General of the parent-teacher association: "Things are beginning to change. As we see women holding ministerial jobs and working in big companies, we want our daughters to be like them."
25.Wide shot, kid standing in the middle of the village
26.Wide shot, chiefs sitting on rug
27.Med shot, girls and boys sitting in class
These girls are not on their way to school; they come to the river to fetch water.
Domestic chores are one of the reasons why families in the village of Mbang-Mboum in the Adama region in northern Cameroon, keep their daughters at home.
UNICEF, in collaboration with a private company, decided to finance the drilling of a borehole near the school.
Students now have access to safe water -- another good reason to go to school.
Aboubacar Habir, the traditional chief of Mbang-Mboum, is very happy with the investment.
SOT (French) Aboubakar, Habir the Chief:
"When they come out of school and finish playing, the children now have a water source very close by. This is like a source of mineral water for us."
The school also has a health centre and children receive a daily meal of corn and dried beans, thanks to the World Food Program.
Despite these services, attendance by girls is still limited. In the 6th grade, there are only 2 girls for 13 boys. Attendance by girls is higher in the early grades, but still far from parity with boys. According to Hadja Assmaou, attitudes need to change before girls will be sent to school in larger numbers.
SOT (French) Hadja Assmaou:
"They used to say that school is for men and boys only. In their mind, only men can have office jobs. Only a man can be a Minister, or a President. Women are useless. They're born to do the housework."
With such prejudices, girls often face years of housework and early marriage. But for Saidou Djaouro, who is in charge of the parent-teacher association, things are improving.
Sound (French) Saidou Djaouro, Secretary-General of the parent-teacher association:
"Things are beginning to change. As we see women holding ministerial jobs and working in big companies, we want our daughters to be like them."
It's the combination of material benefits – such as safe water and a daily meal – and changing attitudes that will increase the number of girls in the schools of Mbang- Mboum.