Returning from Bafoussam, our correspondent Emmanuel Jules Ntap reports on a critical humanitarian effort that has changed lives for 38 young individuals.

Unable to meet court-imposed financial obligations, these prisoners—aged between 16 and 28—had been trapped in overcrowded detention centers across the country. The Françoise Puene Freedom Foundation, a local NGO, stepped in this year to clear their civil debts, enabling their release under a program now in its eighth year.

Since 2014, this initiative has provided legal and financial support to indigent detainees, addressing both humanitarian needs and judicial fairness. The problem stems from Cameroon’s Code of Criminal Procedure, which requires inmates to settle monetary penalties or restitutions before regaining freedom, even after completing their sentences.

« Across the nation, we found that Bafoussam Central Prison was predominantly filled with young people—many just 16 or 17 years old, with the oldest being 28,» explains Françoise Puene, president of the foundation.

The financial burden of these civil debts—ranging from 40,000 to 150,000 Central African CFA francs ($60–$228)—has exacerbated prison overcrowding, a longstanding challenge in Cameroon’s justice system.

« Our prisons are severely overcrowded. Many detainees cannot afford to pay these civil debts and secure their release,» admits Adray Epente Tazeu, secretary general of the West Region Governor’s office.

For Efred Ngayeu, the impact was immediate. After nine months behind bars—two months longer than his sentence due to unpaid debts—he celebrated his newfound freedom. « I’m so grateful someone paid for me,» he shared.