MPC

We're rounding off this Special Series on some Cameroonian Women making strides in improving the Lives of other Women and Girls, across different sectors.

We zoom in on Yanda Olga of Wazieats Plc, who is changing how Buyers access Food produced by farmers especially women — from the Farm to dining Tables.

This is her Story:

CAMEROONIAN ENTREPRENEUR LINKS FARMERS DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS FOR FAIRER AND LARGER MARKETS

For decades, women have been the backbone of Cameroon’s agro-industry, making up the vast majority of those who till the soil, cultivate crops and supply local markets with food.

Yet despite their critical role in feeding communities, many smallholder farmers, particularly women, continue to face significant challenges in selling their produce at fair prices or accessing larger markets across the country.

Too often, they rely on middlemen who dictate prices, leaving them with little bargaining power and limited profits for their hard work.

Witnessing these realities firsthand, Olga Yanda, Founder of WaziEats, set out to create a solution that could bridge the gap between producers and buyers.

Through WaziEats, a digital platform connecting farmers directly to consumers and businesses, she is transforming how agricultural products move from farm to table while equipping women with tools to grow their businesses.

“It was, more importantly, a way to bring fairness and dignity to women in the informal sector who have long been underrepresented,” she says.

Through WaziEats, Yanda is transforming Cameroon’s agricultural landscape by connecting farmers directly to buyers, reducing the influence of middlemen, and equipping women in rural and urban communities with the tools, mentorship, and visibility they need to expand their businesses.

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN FARMERS AND MARKETS

On a day-to-day basis, WaziEats blends technology with human coordination. Farmers log what they’ve harvested and how it was produced, while restaurants, markets and consumers place their orders.

The WaziEats team coordinates deliveries, carries out quality checks and provides business support to ensure smooth transactions. But beyond logistics, every interaction is also an opportunity for capacity building.

“Behind every transaction, there’s training, guidance and mentorship, especially for women producers,” Yanda says.

TRAINING, MENTORSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAINS

Building sustainable supply chains and promoting women’s leadership in the agro-industry has not been without challenges.

Structural barriers, such as limited access to credit, land ownership and professional networks, continue to hold many women back.

To overcome these obstacles, WaziEats has created transparent processes. It offers micro-finance opportunities and fosters supportive networks that amplify women’s voices in agriculture.

“Each challenge we navigate is a step toward justice, making sure women are not only included but also lead and thrive,” she says.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE

Beyond programs and systems, Yanda is passionate about encouraging the next generation of women to step forward and innovate in agriculture.

“Trust your ideas and take the first step, even when it feels risky,” she urges.

Yanda is not just connecting farms to markets with WaziEats; she is cultivating a future where women lead, innovate, and shape the agro-industry with confidence and dignity.



Wazieats Proximity

In continuation of our celebration of Women this Month, we're putting the spotlight on Yvonne Muma Bih, a Cameroonian Gender Activist passionate about protecting Women's rights especially in Politics.

This is her Story:

GENDER ACTIVIST EMPOWERS WOMEN AND YOUTHS TO TAKE THEIR PLACE IN POLITICS

While serving in the upper ranks of a political party, Muma Bih Yvonne began to notice a troubling pattern: women were present in political spaces but rarely in positions of influence.

Their participation, she recalls, was often reduced to symbolic roles.

“Most women only featured their participation around cooking, dancing, clapping and you name the rest,” says Muma.

“Women never seriously came out and were not represented.”

Determined to challenge this trend, she co-founded the Network for More Women in Politics in 2006.

Back then, she asked, “Why not call it, More Women in Politics? More women, not as clappers, not as cooks, not as dancers but as candidates.”

Inspired by frameworks such as the Beijing Platform for Action, the initiative sought to push women into leadership roles where policies are shaped.

“We aimed to promote women to go in as candidates and sensitize them on the need for their presence in leadership instances,” she says.

Later in 2019, during the Anglophone crisis, Muma co-founded CAWOPEM, a national women’s peace movement bringing together women from all ten regions of Cameroon.
“We wanted peacebuilding to be a national issue,” says Muma.

Through the movement, women identify early warning signs of conflict and advocate for solutions that include women at every level. Muma emphasizes that women are often the first responders in crises but are rarely part of decision-making tables.

Over two decades later, Muma says the network has recorded notable successes in advancing women’s participation in governance, even though the struggle for full representation continues.

When the initiative was created, women’s presence in Cameroon’s parliament was extremely limited.

“In parliament, we had less than what I would even call a percentage,” she says. “We just had 12 women.”

Today, that picture has changed considerably, with women now occupying over 31 percent of seats, surpassing the benchmark recommended by the Beijing Platform for Action.

For her, this progress reflects years of advocacy aimed at pushing institutions and political actors to take gender inclusion seriously.

“Our work has not gone for nothing,” she says.

Through sustained engagement, the network pushed the country’s election management body to incorporate gender considerations into the electoral framework.

“We were able to hold the election organizing body to mainstream gender in the electoral code. If you see today that gender is mentioned, it was not the case before,” she explains.

WOMEN'S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND BARRIERS

Despite the significant achievements of the network, Muma reiterates that women still face significant challenges in the Cameroonian political sphere.

One of the most persistent challenges is what she describes as “feminized poverty.” Politics often requires financial resources, networks, and time assets that many women struggle to secure. “To do politics, one must have the means,” she says.

Beyond these structural constraints, political, cultural and family expectations often collide with women’s ambitions.

With women multitasking, they cannot attend the same meetings and close at the same time with men, who expect them to play their motherly role while also being politicians,” says Muma.

She believes that overcoming these barriers require resilience and collective action:

“Power is not given, it is seized, and until women assemble themselves, their voices will remain limited in political decision-making.”

She also stresses that reforms such as clearer electoral calendars and revised voting policies could create a more level playing field, enabling women to participate fully in governance.

BETWEEN CAREER AND CARE: WHY MANY MOTHERS IN CAMEROON STRUGGLE TO BREASTFEED

Every weekday at 7 a.m., FIELEFACK ROKA NKEMPU PASSO leaves her home in Yaounde, Cameroon, preparing for another day at the Supreme Court, where she serves as Magistrate of the Audit Bench. By 9 a.m., she is seated behind her desk, files stacked, and her workday usually stretches till evening.

She is now a mother of three but she vividly remembers the exhaustion and uncertainty she experienced following the birth of her first child.

“I always wanted to exclusively breastfeed for six months,’’ she recalls. “I knew all about the benefits, and I was certain it was the best thing for my baby.’’

When her first child was born, she began breastfeeding with confidence. However, as time passed, the reality of motherhood clashed with the demands of her job. Returning to an intense 9-to-5 schedule and coping with physical fatigue gradually took a toll on her. Eventually, she stopped exclusive breastfeeding earlier than planned.

Years later, by the time she was pregnant with her second and third children, her perspective had changed. Equipped with better experience and a clearer understanding of the challenges ahead, she renewed her commitment.

“This time around, I told myself I would go all the way,’’ she says. “I was more prepared mentally, and I had learned from my first experience.’’

Her determination eventually paid off. Regardless of the same demanding schedule, she succeeded in exclusively breastfeeding her second and third for 6 months, a personal achievement which she describes as both exhausting and exciting.

Today, as a seasoned professional and a mother of three, Fielefack's story mirrors the reality of many career women in Cameroon, where the demands of the job often collide with the important duty of exclusive breastfeeding.

READ MORE: How this Cameroonian Working Mother eventually succeeded to Breastfeed for six months, the support group that assisted her, Precious Lactation and the workplace reforms Sources say are needed to help women give their Babies better care — Link in the First Comment👇

The Forest Children of Africa opened the doors of their 'Home' to the Public for the first time, so they could experience Christmas in the Forest in their company.

It was a fun-filled Event during which the Children demonstrated their Knowledge as well as skills in Singing plus Dancing notably the 'Bottledance' amongst others.

Learn More about the Forest Children and how they're groomed to serve their Community, from within the Forest.

From the Forest to the World:
https://youtu.be/GWjEyEJG4Hc?si=jogvWapEcVpRiULv