Cameroon, Africa Support Fund

Located on the western coast of Africa, Cameroon is home to several small villages including Shisong and Bafut. These two villages have been blessed with the efforts of the Tertiary Franciscan Sisters, who arrived there from Italy decades ago.

The majority of residents in Shisong and Bafut are living on the edge of poverty, with some families surviving on $100 a year or less and many without adequate food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care. The Sisters have started a vocational school that teaches cooking, sewing, and computer skills. They have also provided medical care. Despite the help of the Sisters, living conditions are poor and the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus has taken the lives of many young adults, leaving grandparents and great-grandparents to care for their sometimes very young grandchildren.