On International Women’s Day 2024, AAGYW Cameroon marked the second anniversary of the Safe Support Initiative (SSI), the organisation’s flagship response to gender-based violence. In two years, SSI has connected more than 300 survivors to a network of psychosocial counsellors, legal aid partners and medical referral services across the North West Region.
A Survivor-Centred Model
Unlike many GBV programs that focus solely on crisis response, SSI takes a holistic, long-term approach. Each survivor is assigned a trained Community Support Companion, a young woman from within her own community, who provides ongoing accompaniment through the recovery process.
“When I first came to SSI I was broken,” shared one survivor who asked to remain anonymous. “My Companion did not just help me access legal support, she was there every week, helping me rebuild who I am. I am now training to become a Companion myself.”
Expanding the Network
AAGYW is expanding the SSI referral network from 8 partner organisations to 14 in 2024, adding specialised legal aid clinics and a new partnership with a regional hospital for survivor-friendly medical protocols.
