As part of the Survivor Voices Against Rape (SUVAR 2024) initiative led by Rescue Women Cameroon, Safe Haven Cameroon will be launching a pilot phase community-based advocacy campaign aimed at combating rape and other forms of sexual violence within Yaoundé 6. This initiative is rooted in the urgent need to create awareness and strengthen community responses to rape, especially in conflict-affected zones and urban settlements hosting displaced populations.
This project will focus on a combination of advocacy, education, and psychosocial support, with activities specifically tailored for schools, churches, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and community groups such as bike riders. These interventions are designed to break the silence surrounding rape, challenge the harmful cultural narratives that normalize it, and empower survivors with the tools to seek justice and healing.
Engagement with Bike Riders’ Union in Yaoundé 6
Commercial bike riders (“bendskin” riders) are a powerful and often overlooked group within urban settings. Not only do they provide vital transportation, but they also possess intimate knowledge of the neighborhoods they serve knowledge that includes unsafe areas and recurring incidents of violence.
In recognition of their role in both community dynamics and informal surveillance, Safe Haven will organize a one-time advocacy engagement with 50 bike riders from the Yaoundé 6 Bike Riders’ Union. This session will seek to shift perceptions of bike riders from potential perpetrators to empowered allies in the fight against rape.
The discussion will focus on:
Understanding what rape and consent mean in real-life scenarios;
Learning about bystander interventions how to safely intervene or report suspicious situations;
Educating riders on the legal implications of rape under Cameroonian law;
Creating a community map of hotspots where sexual violence is most reported, and discussing ways bike riders can partner with community leaders to improve safety.
Participants will receive specially designed advocacy materials and stickers that reinforce the message of accountability, consent, and protection. These stickers can be placed on their bikes or helmets, acting as mobile advocacy tools that spark conversation in the community.
The activity aims to reposition bike riders as community protectors, while reinforcing that no occupation or status places one above the law when it comes to sexual violence.
This project stems from powerful statistics and testimonies shared during the SUVAR 2024 session in Limbe, where survivors revealed alarming patterns of abuse ranging from familial rape to violations by clergy and strangers. The Safe Haven team aims to use this data to guide and inform the campaign’s message across communities in Yaoundé.
Through these actions, Safe Haven Cameroon hopes to build a collective, community-led movement that stands against rape and sexual violence, supports survivors, and transforms public attitudes from silence and shame to empathy, justice, and healing.