Mother’s Day: Celebrating Mothers with No Biological Children,

The 2021 edition of Mother’s day in Cameroon is also occasion to celebrate some women who had no biological children, but played the role of mothers to children they raised.

_Cecile Ayissi, is a 53 year old woman living in “Centre Ville SOA”, a locality found some 11km away from the city of Yaounde.

She says she became a mother to 3 children, after they lost their parents in an accident at the Yaounde/Douala highway.

“Some days I wake up with watery eyes, other days I wake feeling confused but most days, I wake up thanking God for blessing me with three gracious children that I am raising as mine.

After I lost the man I was engaged to, to the cold hands of death, marriage never smiled my way and I ended up single till this day. I’ve had two miscarriages in my life, I don’t have a biological child of my own. But I give God the glory for everything.”

Born to a family of three, Cecile Ayissi is the first child in a family of three. She lost both parents at the age of 14 and instantly had as responsibility to take care of her two younger siblings, a brother and sister.

“I had to grow mature overnight, carryout odd jobs and tilt the soil in order to lookout for my siblings. I had to do what I could do. They were my responsibility “.

Cecile Ayissi explained, that her Labour was not in vain as her brother and sister finally saw the greener side of life. “I took a sigh of relief when they all got settled. My brother, a petty trader with two kids and my sister a primary school teacher blessed with a child.”

But it was not a happy ending for Cecile Ayissi.

“I will never forget that call I had on November 5 – 2007 at 4:11pm. My phone ran, and a male voice asked me, are you Madam Cecile? I said yes; is there a problem? And he replied, Madame Sidonie Epouse Atangana And Mr Guillaume Ayissi have just died in an accident along the Douala/Yaounde highway. My phone dropped, I died a little and then I started screaming like a mad woman.

That is how I was left with the responsibility of bringing up their children as mine. It took me back to the days when I had lost my parents and had to bring up my younger ones. This sad history was repeating itself but this time around, it hit me harder cause my youthful energy was gone.

But one thing was clear, I had to take care of these kids, feed them, cloth them, educate and give them a shelter. A challenge I took upon myself till this day. I love them with all that I am, they’re very calm, humble and respectful children. Very God-fearing and intelligent. Why not! God could give me a Civil Administrator amongst all them and a journalist too. These are my two favorite positions. I am happy. They make me happy.”

Cecile Ayissi says though it is financially exhausting to educate and provide for the kids as she’s just a tomato seller, the thought of seeing these kids succeed remains a strong motivating factor to her as she finds herself with a renewed energy everyday.

Joyce Abigail

Elvis Teke

Journalist, Online Reporter, News Presenter, Programme Anchor, Peace Advocate, Geo-strategist,

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