When men are left to father alone

By Synthia Lateu

Trending across social media in Cameroon are emotional videos of Samy, a father of three, who says he was forced into single fatherhood after being abandoned by his wife. Shared frequently on his personal account, these videos document Samy’s daily routine with his two young daughters and a son — the youngest just six months old.

In the footage, Samy is seen moving from one household chore to another, often multitasking with his youngest daughter in his arms. He uses the platform to encourage other men never to give up on their families, emphasizing that men too can nurture, provide, and raise children — even alone.

In some of his monologues, Samy sheds light on the recurring issues he had with his wife: her suspicious phone behavior, constant secrecy, refusal to contribute financially, and a detached attitude toward their children.
“You see, when the kids scream or play too loudly, I’m the one who gets up to check. Normally, she should be doing that too. But every time, I had to stop my work and run after the kids. And she’d just sit there, phone in hand, again and again. Honestly, it was hard,” Samy shared in one of his videos.
Recounting the final events that led to her departure, Samy said:
“That night, we argued again. She insulted me, and I responded in kind. She couldn’t handle it. The next morning, to my surprise, she was gone. She had taken all her things without saying a word. I only noticed later when I went to grab something and realized her belongings were gone. I tried calling her two days later, but realized she had blocked me. I reached out to her family, but no one wanted to talk.”
Now, Samy shoulders full responsibility for his three children, cooking, cleaning, and doing his best to meet their needs, emotionally and financially.

Another single father whose story has recently struck a chord with Cameroonians is Youri, a commercial motorcycle driver. Days ago, he broke down in tears while at work, claiming that his wife had abandoned him with their infant child.
Since then, Youri has been seen riding through the streets with the baby strapped to his back or seated in front of him as he picks up passengers to make ends meet.
The emotional moment — when he burst into tears in front of clients — quickly went viral. He later explained that he had tried to hide the child at first, zipping up his jacket to avoid attention, but eventually, passengers noticed.
Touched by his story, individuals of goodwill reportedly decided to help him by offering him a brand-new motorcycle to improve his situation.
These stories, emerging as the world celebrates Father’s Day, this June 15, shine a light on an often overlooked aspect of parenthood in Cameroon and Africa as a whole, the resilience, pain, and strength of fathers who stay, even when everything else falls apart.