The Women Who Hold the Line: Foster Caregivers Rebuilding Protection
Across our communities, it is women—grandmothers, aunts, older sisters—who gather the pieces when a child loses a parent. They stretch gardens, renegotiate market debts, and sit with head teachers to keep school places open. FADOA’s work in Cameroon and Kenya begins with these caregivers because strengthening their capacity strengthens children’s protection and prospects.
Care Begins at Home
Evidence across Sub‑Saharan Africa shows that family‑ and community‑based care leads to better wellbeing and education outcomes for OVC than institutional alternatives [1][2]. Our role is to reduce the small frictions that make care fragile: uniforms and exam fees on time; discreet transport support in hard‑to‑reach areas; and brief trainings on positive discipline, trauma basics, and referral pathways.
Women‑Led Networks Work
In the North‑West of Cameroon and in Nyeri, Kenya, parish women’s groups and mothers’ associations identify pupils at risk, coordinate distributions with schools, and follow up after shocks. This proximity improves attendance and reduces exploitation risks—a pattern echoed in global guidance on OVC protection and social service workforce strengthening [2][3].
A Caregiver’s Ledger
“Uniform, 8,000 CFA; shoes, 6,500; exam fee, 3,000,” one grandmother listed for us. “When these are paid, I can plant. I can breathe.” Our small grants do not replace her care; they remove the worst timing problems so her care can continue.
What We’re Building
• Short caregiver sessions on budgeting for term dates and safeguarding
• Savings circles that create modest buffers against emergencies
• Clear school focal points so questions are answered quickly
This is not a campaign; it is daily maintenance of a protective network.
Endnotes
[1] UNICEF — Family‑based care and OVC outcomes. (UNICEF Alternative Care)
[2] UNAIDS/UNICEF — Community‑based OVC programming and protection. (UNICEF & UNAIDS Commitment)
[3] Global Social Service Workforce Alliance — Strengthening community‑based protection systems. (GSSWA Resources)