CADEF Cameroon · Programme pillar
Safe learning. Inclusive opportunities. Skills for life.
Programme overview
CADEF works with children, families and communities to support safe, inclusive learning from the early years through primary and secondary education, alongside practical skills and opportunities for young people.
Why it matters in Cameroon
School costs, distance, household responsibilities, unequal opportunities and disruption to community life can make learning difficult. Our education approach considers the circumstances of girls, children with disabilities and children in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
What CADEF does
- Promote equal access to quality education and girls’ participation in learning.
- Engage parents, caregivers, schools and community actors around children’s learning and wellbeing.
- Support early learning and child-friendly approaches that connect education with protection.
- Encourage practical skills, respectful participation and opportunities for young people.
Programme background and context
Education is a foundation for children’s safety, participation and future opportunities. CADEF’s programme connects early learning, primary and secondary education, and practical skills with the realities facing children and caregivers in underserved communities.
Learning barriers can combine: school costs, distance, disability-related exclusion, unequal support for girls, household responsibilities and insecurity. Support needs to consider both access to learning and whether children can participate safely and consistently.
- 2026 humanitarian context: UNICEF estimates that 1 million people need education support in Cameroon’s crisis-affected regions.
- 2023 education indicator: the World Bank’s 2026 country profile reports lower-secondary completion rates of 35.3% for girls and 34.6% for boys.
These needs reinforce CADEF’s focus on inclusive learning, caregiver and school engagement, girls’ participation and skills for young people. Explore our community stories to see how these priorities shape CADEF’s work.
Sources: UNICEF Cameroon appeal, 2026; World Bank Gender Data Landscape, 2026 edition, p. 1.
Featured projects and programmes
Programme background · published 2022
Girls’ education: access and inclusion
Programme priorities include safe learning, practical skills and addressing barriers to girls’ participation.
Explore this work →Community education · published 2016
Community education in underserved areas
School engagement and dialogue with children and caregivers about access to learning.
Explore this work →Community learning · published 2016
Community learning in Wabane, Lebialem
Support for community schools and child-friendly spaces, with children’s safety and participation at the centre.
Explore this work →Explore selected programme records and learning from CADEF’s work.
Results and stories
Discover how CADEF engages children, caregivers and schools around access to learning. Our community stories connect education priorities with local needs, participation and practical learning.
Partners and resources
Children, parents, caregivers, schools, communities and education stakeholders are central to this work. We welcome collaboration that strengthens inclusive learning and shares practical evidence.
Get involved
Help children access safe, inclusive learning
Discuss an education partnership, practical learning support or opportunities to contribute your skills.