Still imprisoned in Cameroon, Cam thanks readers for medical aid
Serving two years for same-sex love, he is one of 8 innocent prisoners we hope to set free
More donations are needed to allow Project Not Alone to free 5 innocent prisoners in Cameroon and Nigeria, including Cam, whose latest news is below. So far this year, the initiative has freed three prisoners. For their safety, in this series of articles the prisoners are identified by pseudonyms.
By Steeves Winner
A journey marked by injustice
Cam, age 37, has been detained for homosexuality since Dec. 17, 2025. He was arrested after a complaint was filed by the parents of his 22-year-old partner, accusing him of “seduction” and homosexuality.
In Cameroon, Article 347-1 of the criminal code calls for sentences of up to five years in prison only for same-sex intercourse, but in practice the courts imprison people who are accused of merely being gay.
Lacking any legal representation, Cam was convicted after a quick trial. He was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 196,000 CFA francs (about US $340). In Cameroon’s Kondengui prison, he must survive on his own with no visits from family.
A worrying state of health
During the first six months of his imprisonment, Cam suffered from increasingly severe asthma attacks and persistent stomach pains. In the spring, he was selected as one of the eight innocent gay prisoners whom Project Not Alone seeks to set free this year.
Project Not Alone allocated 50,000 CFA francs (about US $87) to help meet his medical needs. This support paid for medical consultation and treatment for Cam at the prison.
How is he feeling today?
Thanks to this care, Cam says he is experiencing gradual improvement. His breathing difficulties and stomach pains are being better managed, and he is doing better and better, even though his condition remains fragile. He says he feels relief and satisfaction, recognizing that this support gives him hope that he will gradually be able to resume daily activities in prison, while remaining attentive to his health.
Gratitude
Cam says he feels sincere gratitude to all the readers of Erasing 76 Crimes who contributed to his care. He considers himself a human rights defenders and points out that such solidarity is indispensable for rights defenders, who are often exposed to difficult living conditions and multiple threats.
Further donations are needed to pay Cam’s fine and the routine legal expenses of an attorney who will work without pay on Cam’s behalf. They are also needed for the other four of the eight prisoners that the project aims to set free this year.
In addition to raising money to set the prisoners free, Project Not Alone is also seeking money to pay for mandatory upgrades of the free Qtalk smartphone app, which has offered private counseling to thousands of LGBTQ+ Nigerians since it was launched in 2020.
Project Not Alone is a program of the non-profit St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation and its Erasing 76 Crimes news site. U.S. tax-deductible donations to Project Not Alone 2026 may be made via:
- PayPal (for U.S. dollar contributions). For other currencies, send PayPal donations to stpaulsfdr@gmail.com
- DonorBox
- GoFundMe
- Alternatively, you could send a check to St. Paul’s Foundation, c/o foundation president Colin Stewart, 5517 Paseo del Lago East Unit 1B, Laguna Woods CA 92637 USA. Please write “Project Not Alone” on the memo line and send an email to info@76crimes.com to let us know it’s coming.
Steeves Winner, the author of this article, is a Cameroonian journalist who writes under a pseudonym. Contact him at steeves.w@yahoo.com.
More articles about Project Not Alone 2026
Launch:
Specific prisoners we aim to release:
- Help us free 3 women imprisoned for roles in a ‘lesbian network’
- Please help free Chidi, an innocent victim of a Nigerian blackmailer
- Your donation will help free Cam, an innocent 36-year-old gay cook
First success:
