When fear meets courage: A TLS facilitator’s resilience for children’s education in Bafut
In a community where insecurity continues to disrupt daily life and learning, one Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) facilitator chooses courage ensuring children are protected, supported, and learning continues.
In Bafut, in Cameroon’s North West region, years of insecurity have reshaped everyday life. Schools that once echoed with children’s voices now remain closed or non-functional, leaving many learners without access to formal education. Families live with uncertainty, and children grow up amid prolonged disruption, carrying emotional and psychological burdens far beyond their age.
In this fragile context, Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) play a critical role. They offer more than lessons, they provide structure, protection, and a sense of normalcy. At the heart of one such space in Niko is Nadesh Njumunu, a TLS facilitator who has chosen to remain in her community and stand by children, even when doing so is not easy.
Each morning, children arrive at the TLS with different stories. Some have been out of school for years. Others struggle to concentrate, their minds weighed down by fear and instability. Madam Nadesh understands this reality deeply.
“Most of these children are distracted, their minds are not settled because of everything they have been experiencing. Before learning, they need to feel safe.
One particular morning remains etched in her memory. She woke up to signs that tensions in the community were high. As she prepared for the day, she suddenly realized that children were already at the learning space.
“At that moment, started asking myself what could have happened if those children had been exposed to danger while coming to school or while learning.”
The thought was frightening, yet it did not drive her away. Instead, she chose to stay. Calmly, she helped ensure the children were settled and reassured, guiding activities that helped them feel protected and focused.
Learning as healing
At the Niko TLS, learning goes beyond reading and writing. It is a pathway to healing.
Madam Nadesh describes how children who were once withdrawn gradually began responding, interacting, and participating again. Group activities, literacy sessions, and interactive lessons help rebuild confidence and restore routines lost to crisis.
“When learning starts, you can see the excitement on their faces, I ask questions, they respond, they interact well. It shows how much they want to learn. I want to impact knowledge in my own community because, these are children I know. I could not watch them lose their future.”
Working in a highly insecure environment comes with daily challenges, limited resources, communication difficulties, and constant uncertainty. Many people, she admits, would choose to leave.
Moments of transformation keep her going a child who returns after months away, another who regains focus, others who begin dreaming again of growing up, learning, and building a future.
Often seen wearing a jacket marked with messages of service to humanity, Madam Nadesh’s appearance mirrors her values. It symbolizes her quiet strength, her commitment to protection, and her belief that every child deserves dignity, care, and education regardless of circumstance.
Across Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions, thousands of schools remain closed due to ongoing insecurity, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without access to formal education. In 2025, Temporary Learning Spaces remain a critical solution ensuring continuity of learning while also offering psychosocial support and protection in crisis-affected communities.
The Niko TLS and others around the North West and South West regions is supported through European Union Humanitarian Aid, implemented by UNICEF in partnership with COHESODEC, enabling children affected by crisis to continue learning in a safer, supportive environment.
Madam Nadesh’s story is one of resilience but resilience alone is not enough, education must be protected, prioritized, and sustained. We call on the Government, humanitarian partners, community leaders, and all stakeholders to stand up for education, support Temporary Learning Spaces, and ensure that children in insecure settings are not left behind.
For Every child, Education
