Implemented by Rural Women Center for Education and Development (RuWCED)
September 2025 – September 2027
The conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions continues to leave deep and often invisible scars on children. Since 2016, escalating violence and insecurity have disrupted education, fractured communities, and exposed young people to severe distress and protection risks. In Bamenda and surrounding areas, many children have grown up associating schools and other public spaces with fear rather than safety.
The prolonged crisis has contributed to widespread emotional distress among children, including anxiety, withdrawal, sleep disturbances, and difficulty concentrating in school. Girls have been particularly affected, facing heightened risks of gender-based violence and exploitation. Despite the scale of need, access to culturally appropriate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) remains extremely limited in these conflict-affected communities.
In response to this urgent situation, the Peace of Mind Foundation and the Rural Women Center for Education and Development (RuWCED) have partnered to launch Brushstrokes of Healing, an initiative that uses expressive arts as a pathway to recovery and resilience for conflict-affected children in Bamenda. The project aims to support the mental health and psychosocial well-being of 2,000 children aged 8–16 through structured, trauma-informed painting and storytelling sessions delivered in schools and RuWCED Girls Clubs. By creating consistent, child-friendly spaces for creative expression, the initiative enables children to process difficult experiences, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with peers in supportive group settings.
Over the coming months, Brushstrokes of Healing will reach children across 10 conflict-exposed schools and Girls Clubs through weekly sessions designed to promote emotional expression, resilience, and social connection. Children’s artwork and stories will also be shared through a traveling community exhibition and an illustrated storybook, helping to open dialogue around child well-being and reduce stigma related to mental health. By combining creative healing with community engagement and capacity strengthening, the project seeks to contribute to longer-term recovery for children while supporting more protective, empathetic environments in the communities where they live and learn.