Anglophone conflict : farming to survive, an IDP’s ordeal
From the grass field regions of Menchum to the coastal lowlands of Buea in search of peace as an eight-year socio-political crisis wages on, Mami Tomboh is having life gradually take form.
Forced to flee her home years ago, she has endured hardships as an internally displaced person (IDP). “I left from heaven to hell’, is how she described the transition for safety.
“My house was burnt down, now I manage an uncompleted plank house (Karabot), with my two kids. No man to support, my husband was the victim of the many stray bullets,” she recalls.
The conflict, which erupted in 2016, now turned into a battle for independence, devastated the North West and South West regions. Displacing thousands of people and leaving many without necessities. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 6,000 civilians have been killed by both armed forces and separatist fighters.
As violence escalated, many were left with no home and forced to find shelter elsewhere leaving behind their livelihoods. Life as an IDP became a constant struggle for Mami Tomboh.
“I first lived with my kids in a small crowded camp, with no food, or health care,” the elderly woman narrates. She however temporarily found solace and support within the IDP community.
The making of a new day for herself was with her hands. Vegetable gardening has become a sustenance for her and her family in the university town. “Everyone keeps wondering how I made my living stand better, I think it’s God”, she says. In a twist of sporadic attacks in troubled areas, urban farming has become the life-saving cheque that pays off for many displaced persons.
